1989 Profile: Andy Hawkins

"Signed to a three-year, $3.6 million deal as a free agent last winter, this former Padre is expected to anchor the Yankee rotation. Hawkins bounced back from a dreadful 3-10 mark in 1987 to post double figures in victories for the third time in his career last season. He showed no signs of the shoulder problems that ruined 1987.
Born in Waco, Texas, the Padres made him the fifth player taken overall in the June 1978 draft. Hawkins came into his own during the 1984 postseason, when he posted a 0.57 ERA, then reeled off a club record 11 consecutive wins at the start of 1985. Not overpowering despite his size, he has learned to pitch more aggressively since the days former manager Dick Williams labeled him 'a pussycat.'"

-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition

"Talk about pressure! Andy Hawkins left the safe confines of San Diego, where he pitched six-plus carefree years to join the pitching staff of the New York Yankees in 1989. Much will be expected of this 29-year-old right-hander, who won 18 games for the Padres in 1985 and 14 last year. Hawkins is not only in the starting rotation, he's already slated as the No. 1 starter.
An ex-teammate of former Yankee Ed Whitson, who fled to the Padres, Hawkins knows the pressure involved with the position and is ready for the challenge. 'Being the anchor of the staff is something I've always looked forward to, and it's a great opportunity to get that chance in New York,' Hawkins added.
Andy showed what he can do in the clutch by posting a 0.75 ERA for the Padres during the 1984 World Series, and now he wants to continue that success with the Yankees this October."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Hawkins was signed by the Yankees as a free agent to a three-year contract on December 8, 1988 after spending his previous six-plus seasons in the major leagues as a member of the San Diego Padres.

In 1988, Hawkins posted a record of 14-11 with a 3.35 ERA in 33 games (all starts). He had four complete games (two shutouts) and had 76 walks and 91 strikeouts [and a 1.25 WHIP] in 217.2 innings pitched. His 14 wins tied for the second highest total on the Padres and was the second highest single-season total of his career, and his 217.2 IP was the second highest figure on the team.
Andy had the single best day of his career on April 24 at San Diego, tossing a 1-hitter against Houston and winning 3-0, with the only hit being a single by Bill Doran to lead off the seventh inning. His other shutout came on May 31 at Philadelphia, tossing a 4-hitter in the Padres' 8-0 win.
After starting the season with a loss, Andy posted wins in each of his next three decisions, covering four starts from April 12-29 (including his 1-hitter), going 3-0 with a 3.25 ERA (10 ER, 27.2 IP). He had another three-game winning streak, covering three starts from June 20-July 1, going 3-0 with a 0.76 ERA (2 ER, 23.2 IP) in that span. The third game of that stretch, July 1 against St. Louis, was a 3-hit complete game, with Hawkins winning 5-1. At the All-Star break, he was 8-7 with a 3.12 ERA (41 ER, 118.1 IP) in 18 starts.
In his first start after the break, on July 14 at St. Louis, Hawkins pitched his fourth complete game, winning 3-1. He lost three of his next four decisions, covering six starts from July 19-August 15, going 1-3 with a 4.60 ERA (23 ER, 45 IP), but won his next four starts, August 21-September 7, his longest winning streak of the year, going 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA (6 ER, 28.1 IP).
He finished the season by pitching ten shutout innings on September 28 against Los Angeles, allowing just four hits, but receiving a no-decision in the Padres' 16-inning, 2-1 win as Orel Hershiser also pitched ten scoreless innings to set the major league record of 59 consecutive scoreless innings pitched.
Hawkins pitched six innings or more in 26 of his 33 starts and pitched seven innings in 16 of those starts. He had a high of five walks on August 31 at New York and a high of six strikeouts three times (April 17 against San Francisco, May 15 against Montreal, September 28 against Los Angeles). Overall in his six-plus years with the Padres, he was 60-58 with a 3.84 ERA.
The 1984 season saw Andy split his time between the starting rotation and the bullpen, with 22 of his 36 outings coming as a starter, including his first 14. He was a sub-.500 pitcher (8-9) during the regular season, but in the postseason allowed only one earned run and four hits in 15.2 innings pitched for a 0.57 ERA, making three appearances in both the NLCS and the World Series.
Andy held the Cubs hitless for 3.2 innings of relief work, then followed that with 12 innings of four-hit ball against Detroit. He was the winning pitcher in San Diego's only World Series triumph, going 5.1 innings and allowing only one hit in Game 2 on October 10 in San Diego.
He led the Padres with a career-best 18 wins in 1985, including a season-opening 11-0 mark. Hawkins became the first National League pitcher to open a season with that many wins since Roy Face was 17-0 in 1959, and the first pitcher in the majors to start with so many wins since Ron Guidry was 13-0 to begin 1978. He shattered the Padres record for consecutive wins by a starter (Tim Lollar's 5-0 mark in 1982) and also surpassed Butch Metzger's 10-0 ledger as a reliever at the outset of 1976. Of Hawkins' 11 wins, 10 came in as many starts to open the campaign.
Hawkins was named National League Pitcher of the Month for May, going 6-0 with a 2.72 ERA. He had his streak broken at Dodger Stadium on June 19 in a 5-1 loss. It marked one of only two road losses all season, as Hawkins won eight of ten away from home.
He missed two starts at mid-season due to a circulatory problem in his index finger. Both of his shutouts came on the road in August, 6-0 at Atlanta and 3-0 at Montreal.
The 18 victories were the most by a San Diego pitcher since Gaylord Perry won 21 in 1978. He surpassed his three-year big league total of 15 wins entering the '85 season.
His best stretch of 1986 came from June 3-16 when he was 2-0 in four outings (5 ER, 22.2 IP). After compiling a 9-8 record through August 19, Andy went nine consecutive outings (eight starts) without a decision. Finally, on the last day of the season, he won at Cincinnati to finish at 10-8.
Andy never won or lost more than two games in a row in '86. He led the staff in starts (35), innings (209.1) and strikeouts (117).
In 1987 he was plagued with an injured shoulder throughout most of the season, missing nearly two months of action. Hawkins started the year by dropping five straight decisions before finally beating the Phillies 6-5 on May 17 in Philadelphia. He won his next start on May 22 against Montreal, but would win only one other game all season, on June 13 at San Francisco; only once did he go beyond six innings after May 22. Late in June he was forced to miss a couple days between starts due to some tenderness in his shoulder, then made only three starts in July.
Hawkins was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 29 after being diagnosed with tendinitis in his right shoulder. He was activated on September 1 but did not see any action until a two-inning relief stint on September 15. He managed only five appearances (one start) after returning to the active roster.
Signed as a first round choice in the June 1978 draft, Hawkins was the fifth player taken overall in the draft, behind Bob Horner, Lloyd Moseby, Hubie Brooks and Mike Morgan. He compiled a record of 8-3 with a 2.12 ERA in 14 starts (along with five complete games) in his first pro season, at Walla Walla in the Northwest League.
In 1979 Hawkins had the only sub-.500 minor league season of his career, going 8-13 with a 5.60 ERA with Reno. He made 27 starts, with seven complete games. 1980 was his second straight year in Reno and he improved his California League numbers from the '79 season. Used exclusively as a starter, he was 13-10 with a 4.26 ERA with 10 complete games in 26 starts.
Andy pitched for Amarillo (AA) in 1981 and led the Texas League in starts (27) and complete games (14). Already established as a durable pitcher, the complete game total gave him 36 complete games in only four pro seasons. Andy started 1982 in AAA with Hawaii. He was 9-7 with a 2.17 ERA while starting for the Islanders, with 10 complete games and a Pacific Coast League leading six shutouts in 16 starts.
He was recalled by the Padres on July 15 and made his major league debut two days later against Montreal. He got his first big league win on July 23 in his next outing, a 7-hit 11-4 win over the Mets in San Diego.
Andy opened the 1983 season with AAA Las Vegas but was recalled by San Diego less than a month later. On May 20 he tossed his first career shutout, besting the Phillies and Steve Carlton 5-0 with a 5-hitter. Andy was sent back to the Stars in late June where he remained until late August.
Upon his return to San Diego, he tossed a 4-hitter in an 8-2 win over the Reds. He closed out the season with a 4-1 triumph over Los Angeles in which he set a career high with ten strikeouts.
Andy has spent a couple seasons as co-chairman of the San Diego March of Dimes Walk America. He enjoys hunting, fishing and watching the Dallas Cowboys."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

1989 Profile: Rickey Henderson

"While his attitude and work habits are frequently questioned, his results cannot be. Henderson won the American League stolen base crown for the eighth time in nine major league seasons with 93, breaking his own club mark by six.
He ranks fourth on the all-time stolen base list with 794 and stands as the Yankees' all-time leader with 301 steals. This left fielder scored 100-plus runs for the seventh time in nine seasons.
Henderson led off the July 21 game against Kansas City with a home run, tying Bobby Bonds major league mark of 35 homers leading off games. He reached base safely leading off a game 15 consecutive times from July 18 to August 3.
Born in Chicago, Henderson was acquired from Oakland with Bert Bradley for Jay Howell, Jose Rijo, Eric Plunk, Tim Birtsas and Stan Javier following the 1984 season. He wears No. 24 because he idolizes Willie Mays. Oakland's fourth round pick in the June 1976 draft, Henderson owns the major league record for steals in a season with 130 in 1982."

-Tom Pedulla, The Complete Handbook of Baseball, 1989 Edition

"Though Rickey Henderson had a power outage in 1988, he was still Mr. Excitement. Look for him to continue to be the spark in 1989.
While his power statistics- homers and RBIs- were down from his first three years in New York, he continued to do what he does best, and that's run. Last year the Man of Steal became the Yankees' all-time base stealer, and set a new team single-season high with 93. Only a string of nagging injuries late in the year kept his numbers from being even higher. And the best news of all is that at age 30, Henderson says he's still getting better. This a dangerous thought for opponents, who know only too well that as Rickey goes so go the Yankees.
Not wanting to be known as just a base stealer, Rickey has established himself as the premier leadoff man in the game, a weapon who can beat you in so many ways. Pitch him close he'll take you deep, put him on base we all know what he can do.
'I want to make it to the World Series,' says Henderson, 'and this is the team I want to do it with.' One-man act or a versatile weapon, Rickey Henderson is the Yankee catalyst."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"Rickey opened the 1988 season hitting safely in his first 10 games, going 19-for-42 (.452) with six doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs. He also hit safely in 17 of his first 18 games, April 5-24, going 31-for-75 (.413), but went 2-for-20 to close out the month at .362 with three home runs and 14 RBIs. From April 29 through May 10 Rickey swiped at least one base in nine of ten games, a total of 17 stolen bases.
He began May by hitting safely in eight of that month's first nine games, going 13-for-35 (.371) to pull his overall batting average back up to .364 on May 11, but that was the last date his BA was .360 or better. His only home run in May came on May 3 at Chicago. Rickey was unable to play between May 14 and May 20 due to a sore ring finger and went 11 games without a steal, May 11-27. He went 13-for-54 (.241) in his last 13 games in May, lowering his overall batting average to .317 with four home runs and 22 RBIs through May 31.
Henderson began June well, going 9-for-25 (.360) in his first eight games, hitting safely in seven, and raising his season average to .322, but was forced from the game of June 8 in the fourth inning with a sprained right ankle and missed the next five games with that injury. He appeared in just six of New York's remaining 15 games that month, going 4-for-17 and lowering his average to .316 by June 30. He left the game of June 18 with a sore right leg, left the game of June 22 with a bruised toe on his left foot and suffered a sore left ankle on June 27 in the sixth inning sliding home.
He began July slowly, going 6-for-24 (.250) in his first six games with his overall average dropping to .309 through July 8. From July 9 through July 28, however, Rickey hit safely in 15 of 16 games, going 24-for-65 (.369) with 16 runs, six doubles and a home run, pulling his overall batting average back up to .322. He finished July batting .320 with six home runs and 33 RBIs.
The first half of August saw Rickey on fire, going 21-for-49 (.429), hitting safely in nine of his first 12 games and having more than one hit in eight of those nine games. That streak pushed his average up to .334 on August 17, his highest point through the remainder of '88, but from August 18-31 Rickey went 9-for-60 (.150), lowering his batting average through August to .309; moreover, from August 25-September 6 he went 3-for-47, dropping his season average to .298- under .300 for the first time all year.
On August 24 against Oakland, Henderson's single with two out in the bottom of the ninth inning won the game. His average reached a season low of .294 on September 15, but from September 16 through the end of the year, however, he went 24-for-61 (.393) with seven doubles, bringing his final season batting average back over .300 to .305.
The Yankees went 10-for-11 in the 21 games Henderson missed in 1988. He went 4-for-13 (.308) in three games as a designated hitter, with a run and two RBIs, and walked in his only pinch-hitting appearance, on August 21 against Seattle.
Rickey went 37-for-120 (.308) leading off games in 1988. In the 59 games he reached base safely in the first inning, the Yankees went 40-19 (.679 winning percentage). His first inning totals were 38-for-123 (.309) with 41 runs scored (New York batted around in the first inning three times). From July 18 through August 3 Rickey reached safely leading off in 15 straight games, scoring a run in 11 of those 15 games.
He now has 35 career leadoff home runs, tied with Bobby Bonds for the major league record. His 35th came on July 21 at Kansas City off Mark Gubicza. His first leadoff homer in 1987, on April 14 off Cleveland's Phil Niekro in New York, broke the American League record of 28 set by Eddie Yost. The nine leadoff home runs Henderson hit in 1986 are also an American League record.
Henderson scored 100+ runs for the seventh time in his career and made his seventh straight and eighth overall All-Star appearance. His second inning single on June 5 at Baltimore was his 500th hit as a Yankee; his fifth inning run scored on July 17 against Chicago was the 1,000th of his career; and his third inning RBI on September 13 at Cleveland was the 500th of his career.
For the 1988 season his .305 batting average was 13th in the AL, 15th in the majors; his 118 runs scored were third in the AL and third in the majors; his 82 walks were seventh in the AL, 13th in the majors; and his .394 on-base percentage was fifth in the AL, sixth in the majors.
Rickey's .312 road batting average was ninth in the American League. On April 11 at Toronto he went 5-for-5 with four runs scored- the five hits matched his career high for one game. He was one of only nine AL players to have five hits in one game in 1988.
With 794 career stolen bases Henderson is the leader among active players and ranks fourth on the all-time list (Lou Brock, 938; Billy Hamilton, 937; Ty Cobb, 892- only Brock and Cobb played in he modern era). He led the majors with 93 steals in 1988, the eighth time in nine seasons since 1980 that he led the AL. His 93 is the fifth highest single season total in American League history and 13th highest in major league history (after 1900).
Rickey also set a new Yankee single season stolen base record, breaking his own record of 87 set in 1986. His record breaking 88th stolen base came on September 25 against Boston. His stolen base in the 11th inning on June 4 at Baltimore was his 249th as a Yankee, breaking the former Yankee career record set by Hal Chase from 1905-13.
In 1988 he was successful on 93 of 106 stolen base attempts (88%). Of his 13 times caught stealing, only six were by catchers: Ernie Whitt, Tim Laudner, Mike MacFarlane (twice), Bob Boone and Rich Gedman. Rickey was successful on 44 of his last 46 stolen base attempts (96%), and from August 11-September 25 was successful on 28 straight attempts. He was successful on 29 of his 31 attempts to steal third base (94%) and was successful on his last 26 attempts to steal third.
He had ten games of at least three stolen bases, including four stolen bases (tied for the 1988 AL high for one game) three times: April 11 at Toronto, May 7 at Texas and August 11 against Toronto. Rickey has 14 career games of four stolen bases (five times with the Yankees), his career high for one game. With his four steals on August 11 and three on August 12 at Minnesota, he tied the AL record for most steals in consecutive games.
He currently has 187 times caught stealing for his career, and in 1988 improved his career stolen base rate from 80% to 81% (794-for-981). He has stolen home four times, all as a member of the Oakland A's: April 20, 1980 against California; July 19, 1980 against Cleveland; June 8, 1982 at Chicago; and July 26, 1982 at California.
Rickey signed a five-year contract with the Yankees on December 8, 1984. The contract extends through the 1989 season.
Rickey suffered through an injury-plagued 1987 season, appearing in just 95 games- his fewest since playing 89 in his rookie season on 1979.
He got off to a great start, going 32-for-79 (.405) with 25 runs, six homers and 12 RBIs from April 6 through May 3, hitting safely in 18 of 21 games. Rickey hit six homers from April 14 through April 26 (29 at-bats, nine games) and five homers from April 22 through April 26 (14 at-bats, five games), and had his only two-homer game of the season on April 24 at Cleveland. While unable to maintain a .400 clip, he began a season long 11-game hitting streak on May 6, lasting through May 18, going 15-for-45 (.333) with 16 runs. From that point though June 4, he went for 8-for-38 (.211), his overall average falling from .356 to .324.
He suffered his first injury of the year on June 4 at Milwaukee, leaving the game with a pulled right hamstring. Rickey was hitting .324 with 10 home runs and 18 RBIs in 45 games and had been successful in 23 of 26 stolen base attempts. The hamstring pull was severe enough to land him on the 15-day disabled list, where he remained from June 5 until June 29, missing 22 games (with the Yankees going 13-9). Rickey was again placed on the 15-day DL on August 1 (retroactive to July 26) with an injured right hamstring, hitting .250 (22-for-88) in 22 games between disabled list stints, his average falling to .298.
Rickey was reinstated from the DL a second time on September 1, having missed 33 games (the Yankees going 16-17). Overall in his two DL stays, New York went 29-26 in the 55 games he missed. Following his second return he went 25-for-99 (.253) with six home runs, 12 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in his final 27 games.
Rickey played in 50 games total after suffering his first hamstring injury on June 4, going 47-for-188 (.250) with 35 runs, seven doubles, a triple, seven homers, 19 RBIs and and 18 stolen bases. The Yankees, at the point of the first injury, were in first place at 33-20, a .623 winning percentage, and went 56-53, a .514 winning percentage, through the remainder of '87, finishing fourth in the AL East.
He appeared as a designated hitter in 24 games, going 25-for-98 (.255) with 18 runs, five homers and nine RBIs, and was 0-for-2 as a pinch hitter. Of his 17 home runs, 13 were solo and four were two-run shots.
He was successful in 41 of 49 stolen base attempts (84%) in 1987 and was 9-for-9 stealing third, but had his string of leading the AL in stolen bases snapped at seven straight years by Seattle's Harold Reynolds. Henderson's AL record of consecutive seasons with 50+ stolen bases ended at seven years.
Rickey was successful in his first 23 stolen base attempts of '87; coupled with his final eight attempts of '86 he had 31 consecutive attempts without being caught, just one shy of the AL record of 32 (previously set by Kansas City's Willie Wilson in 1980 and Seattle's Julio Cruz in 1980-81). The string was broken on May 18 at Oakland by pitcher Curt Young. Rickey was caught stealing six times by catchers in '87: Boston's John Marzano (twice); Oakland's Terry Steinbach; Seattle's Scott Bradley; Toronto's Charlie Moore; and Milwaukee's B.J. Surhoff.
He did not steal a base for 18 straight games, May 18 through July 4, the longest such stretch of his career; his previous long was 11 games, April 8-22, 1987; his longest before '87 was 10 straight games from September 4-24, 1982.
Henderson had three games of at least three stolen bases, including four stolen bases on May 3 at Minnesota, tying the Yankee single game record and matching his personal single game high. He recorded his 700th stolen base on September 29 against Boston, becoming the youngest player (28) to reach that plateau (Billy Hamilton was the youngest to reach 700 prior to Henderson- he was 30 in 1896).
His overall offensive production in 1986 was down slightly from his first season as a Yankee, yet he set personal career highs with 28 home runs, 31 doubles, 608 at-bats and 74 RBIs. His total of 130 runs led the majors for the second consecutive year, the third time in his career. He was the first player to lead the American League in runs scored in consecutive seasons since Mickey Mantle in 1960-61 (Mantle and Roger Maris tied with 132 runs in 1961). He was the first player to lead the majors in runs scored in consecutive seasons since Pete Rose from 1974-76. His 89 walks placed seventh in the AL, while he tied for seventh with 64 extra-base hits. He led Yankee outfielders with a .986 fielding percentage, as well as in games, 146; putouts, 426; errors, six; and total chances, 436.
Off to a slow start, Rickey had just one hit (1-for-19 in his first six games), then hit in 10 straight from April 15-25, going 16-for-45 (.356), raising his overall average to .266. He ended April hitting .263. Rickey scored a team high four runs against Texas on May 3 and swiped a club high three bases on May 6 at Chicago, also matching the league high for '86. He hit in 11 straight, May 16-28, going 15-for-41 (.366) with three home runs and seven RBIs (all homers lead off a game for the Yankees).
Rickey failed to hit safely in just six of 28 games played in June, going 38-for-116 (.328), raising his overall average from .265 to .288. On June 11 at Detroit he started the first game of his career in which he did not bat leadoff (he batted third). He recorded four RBIs on June 27 against Toronto, reaching his career high for the fifth time. His batting average peaked at .289 on June 28.
He went 20-for-86 (.233) in July, lowering his overall average to .276. He was ejected from a game on July 30 at Milwaukee in the eighth inning for arguing a called third strike. Rickey failed to hit in 16 of 28 games in August, going 22-for-110 (.200), lowering his overall average to .260.
On August 11 Rickey recorded his 20th home run, achieving 20+ homers and 50+ stolen bases for a second straight year. On August 28, he tied the AL record he set in 1985 by hitting his seventh leadoff home run, and on August 29 he homered off Seattle's Mark Langston for his third career two-homer game- all with the Yankees. Rickey broke his personal single season home run mark hitting his 25th on September 11 at Toronto off John Cerutti, and broke his own AL leadoff homer record hitting his eighth on September 20 at Detroit off Frank Tanana- Rickey finished with nine (the major league record is 11, set by Bobby Bonds in 1973). He went 28-for-100 (.280) in September and October, raising his overall batting average to .263.
He appeared as a designated hitter in five games, going 2-for-18 (.111), and was 0-for-3 as a pinch hitter. 40 of the 113 runs driven in by Don Mattingly were scored by Rickey Henderson.
He led the American League in stolen bases for the seventh consecutive season- only Luis Aparicio led the AL more years (nine), both total and consecutively (1956-64). Rickey broke his own AL record for most consecutive years with 50+ stolen bases, with seven. He was 87-for-105 in stolen base attempts in '86 and was successful in 14 of his 18 attempts stealing third.
Henderson swiped his 600th career base on May 18 against Seattle, becoming the youngest of the 15 players to reach that plateau. He set a new Yankees single season stolen base record with 87, breaking the club mark of 80 he set in 1985; he stole his 81st base on September 15 against Baltimore in New York.
He began the 1985 season on the 15-day disabled list with a sprained left ankle suffered in an exhibition game against Boston on March 17; he was activated on April 22, missing 10 games. His .314 batting average was fourth in the AL, and he led the AL with 146 runs scored - the most runs by a Yankee since Joe DiMaggio scored 151 in 1937. His 99 walks were fourth in the AL and most by a Yankee since Willie Randolph led the league with 119 in 1980, and his .419 on-base percentage, also fourth in the AL, was a career high. His .516 slugging percentage, seventh in the AL, was also a career high. Rickey was the first player in AL history to hit 20+ homers and steal 50+ bases in the same season. He scored at least one run in 101 of the 143 games he played.
Rickey had his first career five-hit game on June 17 at Baltimore (he matched the league high), and his first career two-homer games on June 21 at Detroit and on July 30 at Cleveland. He scored four runs in a game for the second and third times in his career on July 10 against Kansas City and September 25 against Detroit (also equaling the league high). He had two 11-game hitting streaks: April 29-May 12, going 18-for-44 (.409), and August 5-21, going 17-for-46 (.370). He also had a 10-game hit streak from September 18-29, going 14-for-38 (.368).
He was American League Player of the Month for June: in 27 games he went 47-for-113 (.416 BA) with 31 runs, four doubles, two triples, six homers, 17 RBIs and 22 stolen bases- he failed to get a hit in just four of the 27 games. His season batting average peaked at .361 on July 10. He was hitting .357 at the All-Star break (July 13) with 77 runs, 11 homers, 37 RBIs and 41 stolen bases. After the All-Star break, Rickey hit .270 with 69 runs, 13 homers, 35 RBIs and 39 stolen bases.
Rickey's 80 stolen bases in '85 led the AL for the sixth straight season. He broke Fritz Maisel's Yankee record of 74 stolen bases set in 1914, stealing his 75th base on September 25 against Detroit. He stole his 500th career base on May 10 at Kansas City, becoming the youngest player to reach that goal. Rickey moved from 31st place to 19th place on the all-time stolen base list.
He stole four bases on June 26 against Baltimore. Henderson was caught stealing only three times by catchers in 1985 (Bob Boone, Carlton Fisk and Rich Gedman) out of a total of 10 times caught stealing that season. He was also successful on 14 of 16 attempts stealing third base. Henderson set the AL record with his sixth consecutive seasons with 50+ stolen bases.
Henderson reported to Boise after the 1976 June draft, hitting .336 with 29 steals in 36 attempts. At Modesto in 1977, he led the California League with a then record 95 steals, was third with a .345 batting average and 104 walks and led the league's outfielders in total chances (313). Rickey was named to the league's All-Star team and was Modesto's MVP. He became the fourth player in professional baseball to steal seven bases in one game on May 26 at Fresno.
In 1978 with Jersey City he led the Eastern League with 81 steals, led league outfielders in double plays (4) and assists (15), and was named to the Eastern League All-Star team. In 1979, Rickey stole 44 bases in only 71 Pacific Coast League games with Ogden, finishing fourth. He immediately stepped into Oakland's starting lineup when called up on June 23 and led the A's with 33 steals.
Rickey broke Ty Cobb's American League mark of 96 stolen bases in 1980 (100 steals) and became the first AL player and third big leaguer to steal 100 bases in a season. He was second in the league with 117 walks, third in on-base percentage (.422) and fourth in runs scored (111).
In 1981 he was named to the Sporting News All-Star team and won his first Gold Glove. He led the AL in hits (135), runs (89) and steals (56), and finished third in on-base percentage (.411) and fourth in the AL batting race (.319). He hit .364 against the Yankees in the League Championship Series.
In 1982 Henderson broke Lou Brock's remarkable record of 118 stolen bases on August 27 at Milwaukee- and went on to steal a season total of 130 bases. He also led the AL in walks (116), walking five times against the Angels on April 8 (a career high), was third in on-base percentage (.399).
He went over the 100 steal mark (108) for the third time in his career in 1983- Vince Coleman is the only player ever to do it more than once. He stole 66 bases in 77 attempts after the All-Star break, winning his fourth consecutive AL title. Rickey also hit .327 after the break to wind up at .292. His .415 on-base percentage was second in the AL to Wade Boggs and his 105 runs ranked fourth. On July 3-4 at Texas, he tied the AL mark by stealing seven bases in two straight games, and on August 21 at Milwaukee became the youngest player to steal 400 career bases. In 1984, his 66 stolen bases led the American League for the fifth straight year; he was second in the AL with 113 runs and third with a .399 on-base percentage.
Henderson graduated form Oakland's Technical High School in 1976. He played baseball, basketball and football and was All-Oakland Athletic League for three years in baseball. As a senior he hit .465 and stole 30 bases; that year he played for the North team in California's annual high school all-star game at Anaheim Stadium. In football, Rickey rushed for 1,100 yards in his senior year and received a reported two dozen college scholarship offers to play football.
His hobbies include swimming and fishing and his favorite spectator sports are baseball and football. His favorite team growing up was the Oakland A's and his favorite players were Willie Mays and Reggie Jackson, and he wears 24 because of Mays. Rickey lists as his greatest influences as 'my mother and Tom Trebelhorn,' current Milwaukee Brewers manager who was Rickey's manager in his first two years of pro ball.
Rickey's favorite entertainer is Luther Vandross."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

Established modern major league record for most stolen bases, season, 130 (1982).
Tied major league record for most home runs as a leadoff batter, lifetime, 35; holds American League record.
Established American League record for most home runs as a leadoff batter, season, 9 (1986).
Established American League record for most consecutive seasons, 50 or more stolen bases, 7 (1980-86).
First American League player with 20 or more home runs and 50 or more stolen bases, season (1985, 1986).
Established major league record for most times caught stealing, season, 42 (1982).
Tied American League record for most stolen bases, two consecutive games, 7 (July 3-4, 1983; August 11-12, 1988).
Led American League outfielders with 327 putouts and 341 total chances (1981).
Won Rawlings American League Gold Glove Award as outfielder (1981).
Won The Sporting News Silver Bat Award as outfielder (1981, 1985).
Named to Seagram's American League All-Star team (1981, 1985).
Named to The Sporting News American League All-Star team (1985).
Named to Associated Press All-Star team (1985).
Named to American League All-Star team (1980, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988).
Led Eastern League outfielders with four double plays and tied for league lead with 15 assists (1978).
Led California League outfielders with 20 errors (1977).
Led Northwest League outfielders with 12 errors (1976).
Led or tied for league lead in caught stealing: 26 (1980), 22 (1981), 42 (1982), 19 (1983), 18 (1986).
Led majors in 1988 with 93 stolen bases.
794 career stolen bases is most among active players.

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide

1989 Profile: Roberto Kelly

"When an opportunity comes your way you have to seize it, especially if it means a job in the major leagues. Well, for Roberto Kelly, it's deja vu time in 1989. For the second year in a row, the Yankees are looking for a new center fielder, leaving the door wide open for Kelly.
A product of the Yankees' farm system, Kelly was termed an 'untouchable prospect.' The 24-year-old native of Panama showed what he can do in only 23 games with the Yankees in 1987, and was so impressive he was named the starting center fielder for 1988 when Rickey Henderson was moved to left. His dazzling speed not only makes him a threat on the bases, but helps make him an exceptional fielder.
But on June 28 he injured his left wrist and right knee running into a center field wall, all but ending his season. With Claudell Washington going to California, after taking over the position last year, the ball bounced back to Kelly. So one year later Kelly's back where he started, with a little more experience, trying to help the Yankees as the starting center fielder."

-The New York Yankees Official 1989 Yearbook

"An injury-plagued year cut his season short. Roberto began the season on the Yankees roster but was optioned to Columbus on May 21. At the time of his option he was hitting .254 (15-for-59) with five RBIs.
Roberto had three multi-hit games in that time, including two three-hit games: on April 5 against Minnesota, when he started as the Opening Day center fielder and went 3-for-4, and on April 14 at Toronto, going 3-for-4. In that April 14 game, he was 1-for-2 in stolen base attempts, getting caught attempting to steal home.
Following his option, Roberto played 30 games with the Clippers, batting .333 (40-for-120) with three homers and 16 RBIs, and was successful on 11 of 14 stolen base attempts. He was recalled to New York on June 24, and on that day, his first game back, he hit a leadoff home run off Cleveland's Tom Candiotti at Yankee Stadium, his only home run of the year and one of the two leadoff home runs hit by the Yankees in 1988.
He hit safely in his first four games back, June 24-28, and coupled with his base hit on May 17 (his final game before his option), his five-game hitting streak from May 17-June 28 is a career high, with Roberto going 5-for-19 in those five games. In the final game of that streak, against Detroit, he was injured running against the center field wall attempting to catch a triple hit by Pat Sheridan in the 9th inning. Roberto suffered a sprained left wrist and a bruised right knee and was placed on the 15-day disabled list on June 30. He was transferred to the 30-day DL on July 25 and was activated on September 2.
Roberto made 10 appearances with the Yankees after that, all in a pinch-running or defensive replacement capacity, and did not have any plate appearances due to his sprained left wrist. He recorded a stolen base in each of three successive pinch-running appearances from September 8-11 and scored twice as a pinch runner.
Overall for the season Roberto batted .247 (19-for-77) in 38 games with a home run and seven RBIs, and was successful in five out of seven stolen base attempts- he has outstanding speed.
Roberto signed a contract for the 1989 season.
Roberto spent the first part of the 1987 season with the Columbus Clippers before being recalled to New York on July 29. At that point, he was hitting .300 (121-for-403) in 102 games with the Clippers, with 10 home runs, 54 RBIs, 48 stolen bases and six times caught stealing.
He made his major league debut with the Yankees on July 29 against Kansas City at Yankee Stadium, going 0-for-3 with a run scored and two stolen bases. His first major league hit came on July 30 off the Royals' Bud Black, a first-inning double. He went 2-for-4 with an RBI (his first major league RBI) on August 1 against Detroit. Roberto's first major league home run came on August 6 at Detroit, a three-run homer in the eighth inning off Willie Hernandez; his three RBIs in that game is his single-game high.
Roberto was optioned to Columbus on August 14 after playing 10 games with the Yankees, hitting .300 (6-for-20) with a homer, five RBIs and three stolen bases. He remained with the Clippers until the conclusion of their season, finishing with a .278 batting average (131-for-471) with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs, and was 51 of 61 in stolen base attempts. His 51 stolen bases led the International League, and he was named as the designated hitter on the postseason International League all-star team.
He was recalled to the Yankees on September 10 and had his first big league three-hit game on September 22 at Milwaukee (second game) when he also recorded his first major league game-winning RBI. In his two stints with the Yankees, Roberto combined to play in 23 games, batting .269 (14-for-52) with a home run and seven RBIs, stealing nine bases in 12 attempts and scoring 12 runs in those 23 games. He also had five walks and 15 strikeouts and had four multi-hit games.
Roberto was signed as a free agent by the Yankees (scout Fred Ferreira) on February 21, 1982. In his first pro season he hit .198 at Bradenton in 31 games, and in 1983 batted .265 in 20 games at Greensboro and .216 in 48 games in Oneonta. In 111 games with Greensboro in 1984, Roberto hit .238 (86-for-361) with 68 runs and 42 stolen bases. He batted .247 (103-for-417) in 1985 in 114 games at Ft. Lauderdale of the 'A' Florida State League, had 86 runs along with 49 stolen bases and led that circuit with 13 triples.
In 1986 Roberto batted .291 (87-for-299) in 86 games with the Albany-Colonie Yankees (AA Eastern League) with 11 doubles, two homers, 43 RBIs, 42 runs scored and 10 stolen bases. He was placed on the disabled list on July 10 due to the presence of bone chips in his right ankle and was not activated until August 23. Roberto was named to the Eastern League All-Star team but was unable to play due to his injury.
Roberto played Little League and in 1982 graduated from Instituto Jose Delores Moscote, a high school in Panama City, where he played baseball, basketball and volleyball."

-1989 New York Yankees Information Guide