Rickey Henderson ’76

Considered the greatest lead-off hitter in baseball history, Henderson was the California State Baseball Player of the Year in 1976 at Tech High, where he also played basketball and football. In fact, while at Tech High, he was an All-American running back with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. He went on to establish the major league records for most stolen bases, runs scored, and home runs leading off a game.

He also collected 3,055 hits and 297 homeruns as a professional ballplayer, during which he was a 10-time All-Star and 1990 American League MVP. Henderson played for the Oakland A’s for 14 seasons, New York Yankees, and six other teams during his 25-year career. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009, the same year that Tech High’s baseball field on 45th Street near Telegraph Ave. was named in his honor.

Oakland Tech’s Rickey Henderson inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame

Oakland Tech Alumnus Rickey Henderson was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 26th, 2009.  The 1976 Oakland Tech graduate received admission to Cooperstown’s baseball shrine from the Baseball Writers’ Association of America in January, who named him on 94.8 percent of their ballots.

The 3-sport Bulldog star left Major League Baseball in 2003 as the all-time leader in runs scored (2,295), stolen bases (1,406), games led off with a homerun (81), and walks (2,190; a record that Barry Bonds eventually passed). He won two World Series championships, with the 1989 A’s and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays, and was a 10-time All-Star, the 1990 American League MVP and the 1989 American League Championship Series MVP.

Henderson also led the major leagues in stolen bases six times and the AL 12 times. He was the AL walks leader four times and led the majors in runs scored five times. His career on-base percentage was .401 during the regular season and .386 in 60 games in the post-season. He stole 33 bases in the post-season and wasn’t caught once.

Rickey played for nine different major league teams, but is best remembered for his time with the Oakland Athletics. Out of 25 major league seasons, Henderson spent parts of 14 seasons with the A’s. He is the A’s all-time leader in stolen bases, runs scored and walks, and he is among the Oakland A’s top-five in on-base percentage, games played, at-bats, hits, BA and doubles.

Henderson becomes the third former Oakland Athletic Leaguer to be inducted into Baseball’s Hall of Fame, following McClymonds’ Frank Robinson (inducted in 1982), and Castlemont’s Joe Morgan (inducted in 1990).

He entered the Hall wearing the hat of his hometown Oakland Athletics.

Rickey Henderson Field Dedication, October 3rd, 2009