Red Sox in Cooperstown Pt. 34: Rickey Henderson

RICKEY HENDERSON
Years in Boston: 2002 (.223/.369/.352, 5 home runs, 16 RBIs, 8 stolen bases)
Best Year in Boston: 2002 (.223/.369/.352, 5 home runs, 16 RBIs, 8 stolen bases)

Rickey Henderson was the reigning AL MVP when I first started watching baseball.  He was a completely different player than anyone on the Red Sox at that time, a player who had just broken the career stolen bases record and would go on to tack on nearly 500 more before he finally retired.

By the time he came to Boston, he was well past his prime and was 43 years old.  He was not expected to be a starter, just a helpful player off the bench.  He had already broken the career runs record and recorded his 3,000th hit.

Henderson played in just 72 games, but he got on base at an impressive pace, particularly since his batting average was just .223.  He stole eight bases to add to his Major League record.  He spent most of his time in left field, but appeared in a few games at designated hitter and, oddly, in center field for the first time in several seasons.

Henderson was already well on his way to the Hall of Fame by the time he played in Boston.  He merely added some numbers to his Cooperstown credentials.  He played one more season after leaving Boston, finishing his Major League career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003.  Henderson played with the Athletics, Yankees, Blue Jays, Padres, Angels, Mariners, Mets, Red Sox, and Dodgers.  He is wearing an Oakland hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.