He played in the independent Atlantic League with the Newark Bears, hoping for a chance with another major league organization. [15] He spent the first season of his minor league career with the Boise A's of the Northwest League. During the 22 and a half years from his June 1979 debut through the end of the 2001 season, he had stolen more bases by himself than his new team had: 1,395 steals for Henderson, 1,382 for the Boston franchise. Born: December 25, 1958 in Chicago, IL us Draft: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 4th round of the 1976 MLB June Amateur Draft from Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, CA).. High School: Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, CA) Debut: June 24, 1979 (Age 20-181d, 14,192nd in major league history) Henderson had 18 four-steal games during his career. You look at him today, and you go, maybe he could. Olerud was reported to have replied, "That was me." "[83] One widely reported story was a fabrication that began as a clubhouse joke made by a visiting player. "[29], Henderson was so proud of a $1 million signing bonus that he framed it instead of cashing it, thus losing several months' interest. He joined the As as a part-timer after a friend introduced him to John Claiborne, the teams farm director in 1972. Concerned about injury, Guinn and Hendersons mother, Bobbie, had other plans. Thank you. He said it spoke to my character: I caught a ball a lot of guys wouldve quit on, Babitt said. The Cardinals are based in Phoenix, about an hour and a half drive from Gilbert. Rickey Henderson, the Hall of Famer widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer in baseball history, wrapped his arms around J.J. Guinn in a sturdy hug. Football coaches praised Hendersons physique and lauded his speed. Now when someone asks who gave up Rickey Henderson's 3,000 hit, the answer will be 'John Thomson'".24 Boston signed Henderson to a minor league contract in 2002. Amount MLB The Show 23; MLB The Show 22; MLB The Show 21; . December 25, 1958 (age 64) Chicago Illinois. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Washington and Henderson, both of whom made multiple All-Star teams, were teammates on the Yankees from 1986 to 1988. When Rickey Henderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, 28 people did not vote for him. Sometimes, walking so much even gets me mad. AL All-Star. [52] Despite the late start, Henderson finished fourth in the AL in stolen bases (31). Everybody thought it was the worst thing you could ever say. [Pause for cheers] Most of all, I'd like to thank my mom, my friends, and loved ones for their support. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Despite a childhood dream to play for the Oakland Raiders, he turned down the scholarships on the advice of his mother, who argued that football players had shorter careers. This was the Surf Dawgs' and the Golden Baseball League's inaugural season, and Henderson helped the team to the league championship. Patrick Peterson, the fifth overall choice in the 2011 NFL draft by the Arizona Cardinals, has acquired a property in Gilbert, Arizona. And he was very much ahead of his time. I also knew it threw the pitcher off. He said at one time, quote, 'I am the greatest,' end of quote. It was a learning process, but Henderson emerged more confident as a public speaker, and felt the work paid off on induction day. After 45 Years, a Cop Still Looks After His Favorite (Base) Thief. Rickey uses it to remind himself, like, 'Rickey, what you doing, you stupid. Nevertheless, Henderson was involved in the final play of the World Series that year in one fashion for which he was most known, as he and Paul Molitor scored on Joe Carter's Series-ending home run. Bill James wrote in 2000, "Without exaggerating one inch, you could find fifty Hall of Famers who, all taken together, don't own as many records, and as many important records, as Rickey Henderson. I couldn't wait. They just don't play baseball like that. )[82], There are many unconfirmed stories about Henderson. He'd get to first base, waggle his fingers, sprint with the pitch, and became the greatest base stealer of all time over 25 years in baseball with nine different teams . Rickey Henderson is an American citizen. At Henderson's insistence, the giveaway plastic dolls had one atypical modification: "I told them, put a little dirt on mine, make sure that [it looks] like I'm playing the game." [58], In February 2002, Henderson signed as a free agent with the Boston Red Sox, where at age 43 he became the oldest player to play center field in major league history when he replaced Johnny Damon for three games in April and another in July. [100], Padres closer Trevor Hoffman said, "I don't know how to put into words how fortunate I was to spend time around one of the icons of the game. Henderson also holds the record for most home runs to lead off a game, with 81; George Springer places a distant second with 56 career lead-off home runs. I was thinking about head-first versus feet-first, and wondering which would save my body. "[73], In 2011, on the 20th anniversary of his record-breaking stolen base, the Oakland A's held "Rickey Henderson Bobblehead Day." Jarvis loves helping others succeed with their sports goals and he enjoys working with kids and adults of all ages. In 91 games he had a .462 OBP, with more than twice as many walks (96) as strikeouts (41), and stole 37 bases while being caught only twice. At the time, people wasted a lot of ink writing about the differences between the two men. I was on a plane and asleep and the plane bounced and when we landed we bounced and it woke me up. [9] His mother married Paul Henderson in Rickey Henley's junior year of high school and the family adopted the Henderson surname. I didnt have that father figure. In the weeks leading up to Hendersons Hall of Fame induction in 2009, Guinn heard media personalities on television joking that they were excited to hear Hendersons speech, because they expected him to speak in the third person, as Henderson had done on occasion during his playing days. View the profile of Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Rickey Henderson on ESPN. In 1996, he came back home to the A's, where he finished his career in 2001. Henderson quickly stole second base, then third, and Rayford understood the gesture. BRYANT: No, my pleasure, Scott. Rickey Henderson is a run, man. We called him Papa Guinn, Semien, who is an All-Star second baseman for the Toronto Blue Jays this season after several productive years for the Athletics, said of J.J. Guinn. Born. Simpson. Nonetheless, Henderson and the Mets were an uneasy fit. "[29] Coach Rene Lachemann said, "If you're one run down, there's nobody you'd ever rather have up at the plate than Rickey." They had other things to catch up on: life, family, the past, the future. "[88] These words have since been taken by many to support the notion that Henderson is selfish and arrogant,[89] although years later, Henderson revealed that he had gone over his planned remarks ahead of time with Brock, and the Cardinals Hall of Famer "had no problem with it. 'Henderson here.' "[12], In 1976, Henderson graduated from Oakland Technical High School, where he played baseball, basketball and football, and was an All-American running back with two 1,000-yard rushing seasons. (Laughter) And in theory, he could still come back. The lessons he learned were passed on to his son, Brian, who played 10 seasons of minor league ball and held free clinics for aspiring ballplayers in San Pablo Park. As Henderson himself might tell you, among professional athletes, Rickey is the greatest illeist of all time. What do you want me to say, that I didn't put up the numbers? Yet in the past quarter-century Henderson and Barry Bonds have come closest to dominating a baseball game the way Michael Jordan could a basketball game."[79]. [16][19], Henderson spent the 1978 season with the Jersey City A's of the Eastern League. In 1987, he had a below-average season by his standards, fueling criticism from the New York media, which had never covered Henderson or his eccentricities kindly. He would go to As games to see his prized signee, and sometimes Henderson wouldnt even know he was there. He has been coaching for over 20 years and has had great success with his athletes. You have the immigrant era, the integration era, and Rickey is part of the economic era where the players now have agency. In fact, in 2009, he entered the Baseball Hall of Fame to . When I broke into the game, he was crawling on his hands and knees. However, his hitting woes continued in the post-season, batting .120 in the American League Championship Series and .227 in the World Series. I want to thank the Haas family, the Oakland organization, the city of Oakland, and all you beautiful fans for supporting me. I still love the game right now, so I'm going to wait it out and see what happens. "[67] The Athletics retired Henderson's #24 on August 1, 2009. He'd get to first base, waggle his fingers, sprint with the pitch, and became the greatest base stealer of all time over 25 years in baseball with nine different teams. [92] In his prime, Henderson had a virtual monopoly on the stolen base title in the American League. That's it. [22] In 1980, Henderson became the third modern-era player to steal 100 bases in a season (Maury Wills 104 in 1962 and Lou Brock's 118 in 1974 had preceded him). The words transported both men back to Bushrod Park in North Oakland, on a warm April afternoon, two months before that years draft. [33] Of the ten top base stealers who were still active as of 2002, the other nine each stole fewer bases in 2002 than the 42-year-old Henderson. 12/24/2022 at 8:23 PM 12/24/2022 at 8:23 PM Will anyone ever threaten this Rickey record? They helped kids get into baseball that maybe never would have. I simply cannot imagine a baseball statistic more staggering.[99]. Offered the chance to assess his own placement among the game's greats, he said, "I haven't mastered the homers or RBI. His guidance counselor in the seventh, eighth grade had to bribe him because they didn't have enough players. He posted an OBP of at least .400 in 16 separate seasons, with a high mark of .439 in his 1990 MVP season. Rickey Henderson blazed. On February 10, 2006, he accepted a position as a hitting instructor for the Mets, while leaving the door open to returning as a player. Rickey Henderson was born on the 25th of December, 1958. When did Rickey Henderson start his major league career? Mets leadoff hitters batted .237 with a .321 on-base . He broke into the American League when Carl Yastrzemski was still active in the league, and finished up in the National League when Miguel Cabrera was a rookie, but he still was not finished with playing baseball: he helped lead the 2005 San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League to . When the decision was made for Henderson to pursue a career in baseball, the man who would one day hold major league records with 2,295 runs, and 1,406 stolen bases, went to his room and cried. Henderson holds the single-season record for stolen bases (130 in 1982) and is the only player in AL history to steal 100 bases in a season, having done so three times. After Henderson struck out in his first two at-bats, the Dodgers scout stood up. Henderson was elected as part of the 2009 Hall of Fame vote, in his first appearance on the ballot. The two walked slowly up to Hendersons suite on the second level of the ballpark. J.J. was interested in you, in what you were doing, in teaching you. Guinn, 83, raised a report that dates to 1976, and began to read: Player: Henderson, Rickey Henly, he said. ' Rickey's just scolding himself. His increasing power-hitting ability eventually led to a record for home runs to lead off a game. [16] Henderson spent the following season with the Modesto A's. I'm down so low I don't have much of a strike zone. The pair married in 1983, and their marriage has been continuing strong for . So she gave him a quarter for every stolen base, and he said, I'm going to make a ton of money doing this. Henderson was a headfirst slider. [1][2] He holds the major league records for career stolen bases, runs, unintentional walks and leadoff home runs. Rickey lived with his grandmother in Pine Bluff, Arkansas from when he was two until he was seven, when he migrated to Oakland with his family. Rickey Henderson played in four different decades. "[7] He was named Rickey Nelson Henley, after singer-actor Ricky Nelson,[8] and is the son of John L. Henley and Bobbie Henley. Wild Bill Hickok. In 1999, he batted .315 with 37 steals and was seventh in the NL in on-base percentage. That moment wasnt about the game, Henderson said. What kind of house does Rickey Henderson live in? At a press conference two days after his election, the 50-year-old Henderson told reporters, "I believe today, and people say I'm crazy, but if you gave me as many at-bats that you would give the runners out there today, I would outsteal every last one of them they can always ring my phone and I'll come on down and help their ballclub, that's how much I love the game. And that was a - that's a huge piece of his career. Henderson has periodically been a special instructor in the Athletics' spring training camps. Shooty Babitt was taken by the As in the 25th round of the 1977 draft, at Guinns suggestion, and eventually made the majors. [23] His 100 steals broke Eddie Collins' franchise record of 81 in 1910 with what were then the Philadelphia Athletics and set a new American League (AL) record, surpassing Ty Cobb's 96 set in 1915. A kid who could tell if Guinn was for real or not. In so doing, he became the emblematic figure of Oakland manager Billy Martin's aggressive "Billy Ball" philosophy, which received much media attention. Rickey got 16, 17 years. At their reunion last month, the two men stayed in Hendersons suite for about five innings, but didnt pay much attention to the game. In 1993, he led off both games of a doubleheader with homers. He batted .345 in 134 games during his record-setting season with Modesto. [4][5] He was among the league's top ten base stealers in 21 different seasons. Rickey Henderson. They knew I was for real.. [29], Longtime scout Charlie Metro remembered the havoc caused by Henderson: '"I did a lot of study and I found that it's impossible to throw Rickey Henderson out. By being caught stealing 42 times, he cost his team 20.6 runs, and therefore, the authors concluded, the net effect of his running activity was merely 1.6 extra runs for the season. Rickey Henderson, baseball's greatest leadoff hitter ever, was elected into the Hall of Fame on Jan. 12 on his first ballot with 94.8 percent of the total vote.The sport's all-time leader in stolen bases and runs scored, Henderson is as well known for his oversized ego and his tendency to refer to himself in the third person as for his undeniable talent. Former Oakland Athletic and Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Rickey Henderson waves to fans after a ceremony dedicating Rickey Henderson Field prior to the baseball game against the Los Angeles Angels, Monday, April 3, 2017, in Oakland, Calif. (AP Photo/Ben Margot) (Ben Margot/AP) By Chris Landers December 25, 2017 Billy Martin was a great manager. Henderson is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland Athletics[3] and previously held the New York Yankees' franchise record from 1988 to 2011. Henderson stole second base in the fourth inning, tying Lou Brock's record. At their recent reunion, Guinn brought along a copy of the scouting report he filed on Henderson in 1976. He hit .319, fourth in the AL, and led the league in hits (135), runs (89) and in steals (56). They don't do that anymore. The little things, I probably mastered." College Football Playoff National Championship game. Henderson played his last major league game on September 19, 2003; he was hit by a pitch in his only plate appearance, and came around to score his 2,295th run. [18] While Woodard tied the single-season player record with 90 stolen bases,[17] Henderson beat the record by stealing 95 bases, and was awarded the Sundial Trophy, given to the Modesto A's Most Valuable Player. Rickey paid $1,650,000 for a Tuscan-style house in Arizona in 1996. His older brother wanted him to play. From Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., Guinn would walk some of Berkeleys most crime-ridden streets looking to connect with the residents he was charged with protecting. BRYANT: Yeah - in his first full season. BRYANT: Rickey wanted to be a football player. They overshadow what I've accomplished in this game.[62]. Completed Orders. He also ran track, but did not stay with the team as the schedule conflicted with baseball. Outfielder Claudell Washington wasnt even playing high school baseball when Guinn found him, yet he was eventually named to two All-Star teams. If you're going to be a great player, at least to New York, to the 212 area code, you have to do it in New York. He earned an average salary of $3 million a year from his first contract. He won his first World Series Championship in 1989 with the Oakland Athletics; star pitcher Dave Stewart was named World Series MVP. He finished with a .279 batting average with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs. A 12-time stolen base champion, Henderson led the league in runs five times. He has let one of the great sports journalists in America into his life to tell his story - "Rickey: The Life And Legend Of An American Original," a book by Howard Bryant, who talks sports and society on our program. He received national attention when he led the Cornhuskers to the 2010 College Football Playoff National Championship game after the season ended in controversy due to allegations of academic fraud against him. At $1.2m, the percentage . What activities was Hemingway active in during high school? As a Berkeley local, Guinn seemed like a perfect fit. In terms of his personal life, Rickey Henderson married his high school sweetheart, Pamela, in 1983, and the couple has three children. Rickey averaged 135 games and still put up these legendary numbers, which makes you wonder, how good would Willie Mays and Hank Aaron and Mickey Mantle have been if they had gotten a rest once in a while? [16] On May 9, 2005, Henderson signed with the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden Baseball League, an independent league. View More Videos. It's called "Rickey: The Life and Legend of an American Original." And I spoke . Characteristically, he added, "If it was a situation where we were going to win the World Series and I was the only player that they had left, I would put on the shoes. He was moved to first base coach a year later, however the Mets did not extend his contract in 2008. Im gonna play harder.. I found it was impossible to throw some other guys out also. J.J. Guinn was a police officer and a part-time scout when he signed Rickey Henderson. Henderson got his professional start in 1989 with the Oakland Athletics organization. Henderson, along with Darrell Woodard, nearly broke the league record for team stolen bases. Thanks so much for being with us, and talk to you soon. A lot of youth baseball is paying for this, paying for that. He matched the feat in 1986, as did the Reds' Eric Davis; they remain the only players in major league history who are in the "20/80 club". He later became known for his showboat "snatch catches", in which he would flick his glove out at incoming fly balls, then whip his arm behind his back after making the catch.[26]. The other a part-time baseball scout who spent his days patrolling the streets of Berkeley, Calif., as a police officer. So, how's that hurtin' anybody? Henderson might have been a star, but deep down, he was a kid from North Oakland. Henderson has mixed feelings about his comments: As soon as I said it, it ruined everything. [64] It would be his final professional season. At about 5:30 p.m. on the last day of June, two old friends met in front of the media gate on the west side of the Oakland Coliseum. Rickey's 109 steals after age 40 would rank 40th on the active players career list -- only 39 players in the game today have more career steals than Henderson's total from ages 40-44. Outstanding athlete in three sports.. Position: Leftfielder Bats: Right Throws: Left 5-10, 180lb (178cm, 81kg) . Since the 1970s, the five-year waiting period has been based on major league service only. And if you leave them out, they think youre a front-runner.. NPR transcripts are created on a rush deadline by an NPR contractor. I think sometimes we believe we dont have a chance, Henderson said. [10] In the entire history of Major League Baseball through the 2008 season, only 57 position players are known to have batted right and thrown left, and Henderson is easily the most successful player to do so. That my teams didn't win a lot of games? He played in six games for the team, which won its first championship. In 1976, Henderson found himself in Boise, Idaho, for his first minor league season, which was his first extended time away from home. Where others saw impediments, Guinn saw possibility. Few of them had seen a Black police officer. It was a foregone conclusion. Henderson's impact was noticeable on Jos Reyes, the Mets' former leadoff hitter. They have two children together: a daughter named Riley who was born in 1984 and a son named Rhett who was born in 1990. Their lives were never on parallel tracks. He needed someone to play catch with. To this point in his career, Henderson had stolen 1,395 bases, totaling more than the Red Sox franchise, which in the same amount of time, had amassed 1,382 stolen bases. Henderson became the first player in major league history to reach 80 stolen bases and 20 home runs in the 1985 season. [111] In 2005, The Sporting News updated their 100 Greatest Players list, and Henderson had inched up to number 50. And he's shaking his head, and he's completely serious. Guinn became renowned for finding players through unusual circumstances. Owner Charlie Finley offered Guinn a salary of $500 a year, which he eventually raised to $1,000, after some haggling. 12/05/2022 at 12:00 AM 12/05/2022 at 12:00 AM Reliever was traded for same HOFer -- twice. Retired Major League baseball player and now special coach for the Las Vegas Aviators Rickey Henderson looks on before the team plays the Sacramento River Cats at the Las Vegas Ballpark Thursday . He broke Babe Ruth's record of 2,062 career walks,[48] Ty Cobb's record of 2,245 career runs,[54] and Zack Wheat's record of 2,328 career games in left field, and on the final day of the season (October 7) collected his 3,000th career hit, a leadoff double off Rockies pitcher John Thomson in San Diego. Though it became increasingly unlikely that he would return, he continued to publicly debate his own official retirement. Their bond, and Guinn's connection with . "[104], Henderson's eight steals during the 1989 ALCS broke Lou Brock's postseason record for a single series. [13][14], In 1983, Henderson married his high-school sweetheart, Pamela. One of baseball history's most prolific and long-careered players, Rickey Henderson is the sport's all-time leader in stolen bases, runs, and walks. He stole 84 bases by the All-Star break; no player has stolen as many as 84 bases in an entire season since 1988, when Henderson himself stole 93. ", "Mets name Henderson new first-base coach; HoJo replaces Down as hitting coach", "Henderson signs contract to play in San Diego MLB", "Rickey to play for Surf Dawgs|The San Diego Union-Tribune", "Rickey to Big League GMS: Don't Lose My Number", "Henderson would like one more chance to make a big league team", "Henderson to lead base stealing seminar", "The greatest leadoff hitter of all time is beating the 06.23.03 SI Vault", "True Or False, Rickey? All rights reserved. Guinn was with the organization from 1972 to 1991, and the most he ever made, annually, was $3,500. Year Team League; 1980: Oakland Athletics: AL: 1982: Oakland Athletics: AL . Well, they haven't broken any all-time records, but they hit homers, and that's what matters nowadays. In 1982, Henderson broke Lou Brock's modern major league single season record by stealing 130 bases, a total which has not been approached since. [11] Henderson later said, "All my friends were right-handed and swung from the right side, so I thought that's the way it was supposed to be done. [33][108] Henderson is the only American League player to steal more than 100 bases in a single season (having accomplished the feat three times), and he is the all-time stolen base leader for the Oakland A's. [95] However, Henderson's overall 81% success rate on the basepaths is among the highest percentages in history. "[69], Contrary to speculation,[70][71][72] Henderson's refusal to officially retire had not been delaying his eligibility for Hall of Fame induction. What kind of martial arts does Jason Statham use? Henderson himself is resigned to his persona: "A lot of stuff they had me doing or something they said I had created, it's comedy. I just want to see if I deserve to be out there. I was hitting the dirt so smooth, so fast, when I hit the dirt, there wasn't no hesitation. I decided, Im gonna do it, not only for me, but Im gonna do it for him. [33] He performed disappointingly for the Jays, hitting only .215 in 44 games, which was probably due to the fact that he fractured a bone on his hand early on with the team, after being hit by a pitch, although he still contributed 22 stolen bases and 37 runs scored. His 146 runs scored were the most since Ted Williams had 150 in 1950,[35] and he became the first player since Jimmie Foxx in 1939 to amass more runs scored than games played. Their bond, and Guinns connection with many other players, goes far beyond baseball. In 73 games he had a .456 OBP, with 73 walks while striking out 43 times, and 16 steals while being caught only twice. I could see the ball better. When he talks about his time as a scout, Guinn conveys a man fulfilled by his quiet impact. Ive seen enough, Guinn recalled him saying. Take note, Arizona baseball fans: Rickey Henderson, the renowned Major League Baseball outfielder, has placed his Arizona house, which was formerly owned by Ryne Sandberg, for sale at $2.4 million. Rickey Henderson's wife's name is Rickey Henderson, 61, is married to Pamela Palmer, whom he adores. On his draft day back in 1976, Henderson, who was just 17 at the time, sensed he would stay connected to Guinn. He said Guinn told him hed been signed because of the way he took off after a fly ball on a windy day. The department had a program that was meant to strengthen the relationship between the community and the Police Department. Rickey Henderson may be the Man of the Hour but, argues the Author, Base Stealing has Never Really Amounted to Very Much, Cold Takes: Rickey, Unwritten Rules, and the 130, "1985 American League (AL) Statistics and Awards", "1986 American League (AL) Statistics and Awards", "Mariners hope Rickey helps lead them back to the playoffs Brief Article", "1987 American League (AL) Statistics and Awards", "Jeter becomes Yanks' all-time SB leader", "In 1991, Nolan Ryan and Rickey Henderson set new MLB records on the exact same day", "Stolen base king Rickey Henderson knots up Ruth's walk mark", "Rickey Henderson finishes the campaign with a league-leading 66 stolen bases when he swipes second and third in the bottom the third inning of the A's 4-3 victory over the Angels at Network Associates Coliseum. And that's one of the things that makes this project so much fun for me, is that you're never going to see what he did again - 3,000 hits, 2,000 runs, 2,000 walks and a thousand-plus stolen bases. Davy Crockett. It's not clear how much the former baseball player earns each year, but considering his past achievements and current status as one of the most sought-after hitters in MLB history, we can assume it's quite a bit. Before the 2003 season, his last in the majors, Henderson discussed his reputation for hanging onto his lengthy baseball career: Each and every day I set a record, but we never talk about it. And this is sort of the story of how time creates that arc. But there's an aura about him nobody else has. Leading the A's to a four-game sweep over the San Francisco Giants and the franchise's first World Series title since 1974, Henderson hit .474 with an .895 slugging average (including two triples and a homer), while stealing three more bases. In 1993, Henderson was having another outstanding season when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays at the trade deadline. Inspired by Dodgers leadoff hitter Rudy Law, Henderson adopted an exaggerated crouch as his batting stance, which reduced his strike zone without sacrificing much power. SIMON: Nine different teams - I just want to briefly touch on the fact, he wasn't a very happy Yankee, was he? Let's put it this way - Rickey's last game was in 2003. [51], In May 2000, Henderson was released by the Mets, and he signed as a free agent with the Seattle Mariners. I said, you know, Rickey, you actually never officially retired. Those scouts focused on Hendersons flaws. [53], A free agent in March 2001, Henderson returned to the Padres. When I want that one day they want to give me so bad, I'll let you know. That is something I always wanted to be. Henderson was a star for Oakland four years later. At 43, Henderson was the oldest player in the American League. Cap Anson is second, with 90. Due to incomplete historical recordkeeping for that statistic, though, it is unknown whether he is the actual career leader.