Rickey Henderson of the Oakland A’s hoists his 939th career stolen base for the Oakland Coliseum crowd to see. Rickey is the subject of That’s Amaury News and Commentary. (photo from ebay)

2024: The Final Season of the A’s at the Coliseum (Part V) – Rickey’s 939 —

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

By Amaury Pi-González

Since 2024 is the last year that the A’s will play at the Coliseum, I have highlighted the great moments that took place there in this series of articles. Over the decades, I have given my opinion on who is the best player ever to have worn an Oakland Athletics jersey, and I have spoken about it and written about it in two languages.

That guy is Rickey Henderson. On May 1, 1991, during a warm and muggy afternoon at the Coliseum, Rickey made history as he broke Lou Brock’s 938 stolen base record. The A’s were facing the New York Yankees. Rickey tried to steal second base in the first inning, but Yankee catcher Matt Nokes made a perfect throw, and Rickey was out.

In the fourth, Henderson made another try. It was a different outcome. He reached base on an error and took second on a Dave Henderson single. Rickey took off, and he had stolen third base, no doubt about it, with his typical head-first slide. That was his 939 stolen base, breaking Lou Brock’s record.

Rickey stood up and lifted the base over his head, and seconds later, he said, “I am the greatest of all time”. A’s equipment manager, Frank Ciensczyk, brought out a replacement base. Rickey and his mother, Bobbie and Lou Brock all join the recently crowned stolen base king on the field around third base. They all share hugs with Rickey.

Then Rickey talked to the crowd (36,139). “It took a long time, huh?” and finished by saying, “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time.” The first thing that surprised me was that Rickey has shown no humility. It sounded like what the great Muhamad Ali (in Boxing) used to say: that he was the greatest of all time. However, Rickey was saying a statement of fact; it just happened.

He just became the King of Steal; Rickey also personally thanked Lou Brock, who has been in the Bay Area for a while, following Rickey Henderson each at-bat, when he got on base, and especially when he went for a steal. Lou Brock was a class act; he passed in 2020. He was patient while waiting for baseball history to be made, and he witnessed Rickey Henderson’s outstanding achievement.

I covered that game and will remember it forever. Rickey Henderson went on to play for another 12 years, with various teams amassing 467 more steals. Today, Rickey Henderson remains the undisputed King of Steal in the history of Major League Baseball, with 1,406 stolen bags.

Note: Today, the active player with the most stolen bases is Starling Marte on the New York Mets, who in his 13-year career has 350 steals. Marte, born in the Dominican Republic, is 25 years old. Quote: “I’d walk through hell in a gasoline suit to play baseball. -Rickey Henderson..

Amaury Pi Gonzalez is the lead play by play voice on the Oakland A’s Spanish radio network at 1010 KIQI San Francisco and 990 KATD Pittsburg and does News and Commentary at http://www.sportsradioservice.com