Rickey Runs Into the Hall of Fame

Posted at 7:53 PM on January 14, 2009 by David Zingler

Nobody was surprised when Rickey Henderson was elected into the Hall of Fame this week, capturing nearly 95% of the vote on his first try. After all, if Rickey isn't a Hall of Famer they might as well burn the place down.

Henderson is also one of my all-time favorite athletes - probably in the top 5. The thing about Rickey is that as time as gone on, he keeps getting better. I am not referring to his freakishly long career either.

With the accomplishments of Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens shrouded in doubt by steroid induced controversy, Rickey has become - hands down - the best baseball player of the past 30 years.

In my short and obscure career as a writer, I've written a decent amount about Rickey. When he made his last visit to the Metrodome with the Red Sox in 2002, I even got a chance to interview him. He was insightful, unassuming and polite.

If you're interested, here is my meager tribute to the remarkable career of Rickey Henderson:

An In-Depth Look at His Career

Tom Trebelhorn on Rickey's Early Days in Pro Ball

The One and Only Rickey Henderson

Meet the Real Rickey Henderson

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