Rickey Henderson Elected to the Hall of Fame

On January 12, 2009, the Baseball Writers' Association of America elected Rickey Henderson to the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot. Henderson appeared on 511 of 539 ballots, earning 94.8 percent of the vote, a total that placed him just behind Babe Ruth (95.1 percent) and just ahead of Willie Mays (94.7 percent) on the all-time voting percentage list.

Henderson's statistical record defied simple categorization. He stole 1,406 bases over 25 major league seasons, a record that may never be seriously challenged. He scored 2,295 runs, more than any other player in history. He hit 297 leadoff home runs, another record. He drew 2,190 walks. The breadth of his contributions across so many offensive categories distinguished him from every other leadoff hitter who ever played.

His best single season came in 1982 with the Oakland Athletics, when he stole 130 bases, shattering Lou Brock's single-season record of 118. Henderson combined that speed with patience at the plate and enough power to hit 28 home runs in 1986. He won the American League MVP award in 1990, hitting .325 with 65 stolen bases and a league-leading .439 on-base percentage.

Henderson played for nine different teams across his career, returning to Oakland multiple times. He was 44 years old when he played his final major league game in 2003, still fast enough and skilled enough to contribute on a roster.

Jim Rice, the former Boston Red Sox slugger, was also elected on the same ballot after fifteen years of eligibility. Rice received 76.4 percent of the vote, barely clearing the 75-percent threshold in his final year of BBWAA consideration. The contrast between Henderson's easy first-ballot election and Rice's long wait illustrated how differently the writers valued their respective careers.