Your thoughts on Rickey Henderson. Looking for opinions. No lynch mobs PLEASE!!!!

TheThrill

I have been and alway's will be a S.F. Giants fan.

I have grown up in northern California. Rocklin, Roseville, Granite Bay area. About 1 hour 30 mins from my games.

Starting with candlestick in my early years, to the new park. Jack Clark to Barry Bonds.

The 80's were my favorite. Will Clark, Kevin Mitchel, Matt Williams, Thompson ect.....

So it stands to reason that it has been and alway's will be a BATTLE AT THE BAY.

I am very biased on Henderson. Not to the point of even joking about his credentials of course. Hall Of Famer all the way. No brainer to me. But, I never really saw him as anything but a base stealer, show boater, rock star player. Same with Canseco.

No comparison between the two in any way as far as players, and their accomplishments on the feild. Henderson wins that one blindfolded of course.

But..... I never think of Henderson as one of the 80's BEST! I would pick 10 other outfielders in his place. Im not saying he WASN'T great in general. Am I crazy to think that Dale Murphy was better in that decade. Puckett, Gwynn, Bonds, Winfield, Dawson, even Strawberry. Am I crazy to think that Boggs blows him away at leadoff spot? Totally blows him away.

In other words. If you have time, would you please reply with your knowledge of him. Why was he great? Some say he was one of the top 2 to3 hitters of All Time. Why? Some say THE BEST LEADOFF HITTER OFF ALLTIME. ANYTIME. Why?

Am I so biased I just didn't pay attention? That just might be true. In any case let me know your opinions!!!!!!!!

This is in no way trying to knock him in a crappy way, he just never grew on me. At all. So for all you Athletic fans, or Henderson fans that love him. No disrespect intended. Im sure you feel the same way about my favorite "The Thrill"!!!

BobaFett72

Rickey Henderson was a GOD during the 80's He and Tim Raines were the quinticessential leadoff guys.

Im going to guess that Rickey AVERAGED 100+ runs, .400 OBA, 80+ SB, 10-15 Homers for the 80's. probably averaged about .290 with a ton of walks.

SanctionII

Rickey is Rickey and always will be Rickey. Great physical talents, always wanting to be in the spotlight. Fun to watch play.

The thing I always remember about Rickey, in a sad sort of way, is that when he talks, it is very hard to understand what he is saying. Rickey has always needed someone to teach him how to speak in a manner which can be understood by his audience.

drewsef

He is the example you point to of what a leadoff man should do. I don't personally care too much for him but he was extremely talented.

nam812

Talented, but lazy. Should have had way more triples with his speed, but always just cruised into second with a double.

markj111

Am I so biased I just didn't pay attention? That just might be true. In any case let me know your opinions!!!!!!!!

Apparently so. Boggs and Henderson were both great players. I would take Henderson because of his speed.

TomGshotput

You are absolutely crazy to think Barry Bonds was better than Henderson during the 1980s

Henderson was the best leadoff hitter of all time because there were no other leadoff hitters in history to do more to help their team win

Perhaps the most valuable thing any hitter can do is not make outs. Henderson was better one of the best at that for nearly 20 full years. A grating personality does not change that.

It seems reasonable that most of those players you list were better than Henderson during the 80s. But that is a pretty silly metric to use to judge a players total career contributions. How many of them were still very good players in 1999 like Henderson was? How many of them were helping their team every year during the 90s like Henderson was? (answer: one, Gwynn)

When the bat was in his hands, Tony Gwynn was more likely to make an out than Henderson. Gwynn had half as many homeruns and isn't all that close to being the best baserunner in history

Despite such a great ability in not making outs, he is still only 56 in career obp. But of those listed ahead of him, how many played 20 years, let alone 25? Paul Waner is one, who did it in the 1930s. Speaker who did it in the 1910s, Bonds and Ruth.

Boggs was slightly better at not making outs, but did it in far fewer games in parks easier to hit in. And isn't even close to the best baserunner in history. So Boggs falls well short as a leadoff hitter -- something he only did full-time for five years. During the 1980s Boggs probably was better (even if calling him a leadoff hitter is a bit misleading), he did a lot less during the 1990s

Also, Henderson is only one of four leftfielders to ever win a Gold Glove, that has to be worth something

perkdog

I would put Rickey Henderson in pretty much any "All-time" lineup because IMO he was the best leadoff hitter ever.

stown

<< <i>I would put Rickey Henderson in pretty much any "All-time" lineup because IMO he was the best leadoff hitter ever. >>



I would agree had you said 2nd because everyone knows Biggio was the best leadoff hitter, ever.

BobaFett72

"I would agree had you said 2nd because everyone knows Biggio was the best leadoff hitter, ever"

stown you must be drunk

stown

<< <i>"I would agree had you said 2nd because everyone knows Biggio was the best leadoff hitter, ever"

stown you must be drunk >>



EVAH!!!1!!

SDSportsFan

<< <i>"I would agree had you said 2nd because everyone knows Biggio was the best leadoff hitter, ever"

stown you must be drunk >>





Actually, he's stoned


Steve

perkdog

Actually I think he is still intoxicated by some red head female he was "hanging out" with after the Texans game Sunday night..

Barndog

Henderson was great to watch, even when he was on the opposing team.

stown

All of the above.

Jersey

His appearance as coach coincided with Reyes's decline. What was that all about?

rube26105

rickey could steal your bases and pick your pockets at the same time he was so fast!

Kid4hof03

Greatest leadoff hitter of all time, I'm not even sure there is a close 2nd.

CowboyDad

Henderson played for the Mets in 1999 and part of 2000, then was released by New York after he failed to run out a drive. He and Bobby Bonilla were accused of playing cards in the Mets' clubhouse during 1999's season-ending, extra-inning loss at Atlanta in the NL Championship Series.

"I think playing cards gave me the opportunity to relax in the game," Henderson said.


That about sums Rickey up . . Very talented player though

ernie11

Very talented, HOF cinch, not very well liked. In a 1991 book I have called "Baseball Confidential", where they asked players to rate other players/managers/umps, he was rated as the #1 showboat (i.e.hot dog).

KalineFan

Did anyone ever give him any cheese with that "WHINE"?

Ricky was definitely the best in his early years at leadoff.

rube26105

he played for so long he prob owns a vinyard and a cheese factory lol-great base stealer

Cincykid8123

Great player who had better thank God that he could play baseball for a living, because I don't know many employers who hire people who always talk about themselves in third person! LOL! Rickey don't like that!