Former Yankees and Mets left fielder Rickey Henderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame today.
Henderson played for the Yankees from 1985-89 and for the Mets in 1999-2000. He received 94.8 percent of the ballots cast by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, with 75 percent needed for induction.
“It’s really just an honor to me,” Henderson said. “I’m really just spaced out. I haven’t really thought about what I’m going to say (in my induction speech).”
Red Sox left fielder Jim Rice (76.4 percent) also was elected. It was his 15th and final year on the ballot.
Former Yankees Don Mattingly (11.9 percent) and Tommy John (31.7 percent) fell well short of the votes required, as did Cardinals and A’s slugger Mark McGwire (21.9 percent).
Henderson already had a foot in Cooperstown, sort of. The Hall has 16 items documenting his career, including spikes, caps, balls and a pair of sunglasses.
“There was only one Rickey Henderson in baseball. He was the greatest leadoff hitter of all time,” George Steinbrenner said in a statement. “I consider him a great friend with tremendous spirit and a true Yankee.”
Henderson and Rice will be inducted into the Hall during ceremonies July 26 in Cooperstown. They will be joined by former Yankees and Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, elected posthumously last month by the Veterans Committee.
“Rickey and I have been friends for a long time, and I am ecstatic for him,” former teammate Willie Randolph said. “I’ve been fortunate and blessed to have played with a great number of phenomenal baseball players, but pound-for-pound, Rickey Henderson is the best player I’ve ever played beside.
“No one was able to impact the course of a game in as many ways as Rickey. This is a great day for him, and I can’t wait to hear his acceptance speech.”
Henderson was picked on 511 of 539 ballots and Rice was selected on 412, more than the 405 needed.
Andre Dawson fell 44 votes short with 67 percent. He was followed by Bert Blyleven (62.7 percent), Lee Smith (44.5), Jack Morris (44.0), John, and former Yankee Tim Raines (22.6).
John appeared on the ballot for the final time. David Cone and Jesse Orosco received less than 5 percent and will be removed from the ballot.
Henderson doubled in his first big league at-bat in 1979, singled and stole second the next time up. He left in fitting fashion – his last step in a major league game came when he touched home plate for the Dodgers in 2003.
Henderson never really announced his retirement, but realized by 2007 that he was done.
“I’m through, really,” he said while watching a game in San Francisco. “It’s just one of those things. I thank the good Lord I played as long as I played and came out of it healthy. I took a lot of pounding.”
Henderson, who turned 50 Christmas Day, played 25 seasons, and left the majors with 1,406 steals – 50 percent more than Lou Brock, who’s in second place – and scored 2,295 runs. Henderson also led in walks until teams became afraid to pitch to Barry Bonds.
“His election is well-deserved. He was one of the best players I that ever played with and obviously the best leadoff hitter in baseball,” Hall of Famer Dave Winfield said. “We had a lot of fun pushing each other to play at higher levels. I’m very glad to see he got in.”
The most prolific leadoff man in history, Henderson started 81 games with a home run. He was a 10-time All-Star, and the AL MVP in 1990. With a career on-base percentage of .401, he once reached safely in the first inning of 15 straight games.
And once he got on base, look out.
“He didn’t distract. He destroyed the confidence of pitchers,” said Steve Palermo, who became an AL umpire in 1977, two years before Henderson made his debut.
“In those early days, if you were umpiring at second base and he got on with a single or walk, you just got down on one knee and waited for him to go,” he said. “Sometimes, if the other team met on the mound, you’d ask Rickey if he was going to run. He’d say first pitch or maybe the second. If you had time, you’d walk down to the umpire ahead of you and say, ‘Hey, be ready, he’s coming in the next couple of pitches.'”
Steve Sax played with Henderson on the Yankees, then was playing against him in 1991 at Oakland when Rickey stole No. 939 to break Brock’s record. Henderson made a headfirst dive into third base, yanked the bag out of the ground and held it over his head.
With Brock in attendance, Henderson told the crowd: “Lou Brock was a symbol of great base stealing, but today I am the greatest of all time.”
Standing in the middle of the infield, Sax laughed.
“It was funny,” he said, “but Rickey was right.”