Who is Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henley Henderson (born Rickey Nelson Henley, December 25, 1958 in Chicago, Illinois) is a former baseball player who played left field in Major League Baseball for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four stints with his first team, the Oakland Athletics.http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henderi01.shtml Widely regarded as the sport's greatest leadoff hitter and baserunner, he holds major league records for career stolen bases, runs scored, unintentional walksHis Hall of Fame Plaque and leadoff home runs; at the time of his last major league game in 2003, the 10-time AL All-Star ranked among the sport's top 100 all-time home run hitters and was its all-time leader in bases on balls. In 2009, he was inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

In addition to the career steals record, Henderson also holds the single-season record for stolen bases (130 in ) and is the only player in American League (AL) history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times. His 1,406 career steals is 50% more than the previous record of 938 by Lou Brock; the 468-steal difference in these totals would place in the top 50 all-time. Henderson holds the all-time stolen base record for two separate franchises, the Oakland A's and New York Yankees, and was among the league's top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons.

Henderson was named the AL's Most Valuable Player in , and he was the leadoff hitter for two World Series champions: the 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. A 12-time stolen base champion, Henderson led the league in runs five times. His 25-year career elevated Henderson to the top ten in several other categories, including career at bats, games, and outfield putouts and total chances. His high on-base percentage, power hitting, and stolen base and run totals made him one of the most dynamic players of his era. He was further known for his unquenchable passion for playing baseball and a buoyant, eccentric and quotable personality that both perplexed and entertained fans.

When asked if he thought Henderson was a future Hall of Famer, statistician Bill James replied, "If you could split him in two, you'd have two Hall of Famers."