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NO STAT IS SAFE. NO ERA IS FORGOTTEN.
VOL. 1, NO. 27 · AUGUST 31, 2026 · EVERY MONDAY
ISSUE #027 · FREE AGENT
Rickey Henderson — The
Greatest Leadoff Hitter And
Baserunner Who Ever Lived
On May 1, 1991, Rickey Henderson stole base #939 to break Lou Brock's all-time record. He picked up the
📅 THIS DATE IN
BASEBALL bag and declared himself the greatest.
THE STAT THAT SHOULDN'T EXIST 01
HE SCORED MORE RUNS THAN ANYONE. HE STOLE MORE BASES THAN ANYONE. IT WASN'T CLOSE.
1,406 Stolen Bases. 2,295 Runs. The Stats That
Define The Greatest Leadoff Hitter Ever.
RICKEY HENDERSON SB CAREER RUNS SCORED CAREER WALKS
HR AS LEADOFF HITTER CAREER OBP LOU BROCK SB (2ND)
Henderson stole 1,406 career bases — 468 more than the #2 all-time (Lou Brock at 938). He scored 2,295
career runs — the all-time record. He drew 2,190 walks. He hit 297 career HR — the most ever by a leadoff
hitter. His career OBP was .401. He did everything.
THE GAME YOU FORGOT 02
VS New York Yankees MAY 1, 1991
Lou Brock 12 1,406 W
SB # PREVIOUS RECORD YEARS TO BREAK IT FINAL CAREER SB RESULT
Stolen Base 939
BROKE LOU BROCK'S RECORD. PICKED UP THE BAG. SAID HE WAS THE GREATEST.
Henderson broke Lou Brock's all-time stolen base record on May 1, 1991, in Oakland — stealing third base for
career theft #939. He picked up the base, held it over his head, and declared himself 'the greatest of all
time.' Lou Brock was there and shook his hand. Henderson still had 15 more seasons left. He ended at 1,406.
The second-most all-time is 938. Nobody was competing with him.
ERA VS ERA 03
Greatest Leadoff Hitter In History?
RICKEY HENDERSON TIM RAINES
STOLEN BASES SB SUCCESS RATE
CAREER RUNS VS CAREER OBP
CAREER HR (LEADOFF) CAREER WAR
Henderson is the consensus answer. But Tim Raines was an elite leadoff hitter who played in Rickey's shadow
for 20 years. Raines' stolen base success rate (84.7%) is higher than Henderson's. Raines was a legitimately
great player who happens to exist in the same era as a player who is impossible to compare to anyone.
Greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history?
RICKEY HENDERSON TIM RAINES LOU BROCK WADE BOGGS
THE COLDEST MOMENT 04
1981 STRIKE SEASON — 56 SB IN 108 GAMES
He Missed The Record By Two Stolen Bases In A
Strike-Shortened Year. Came Back And Shattered
It.
In 1980 Henderson stole 100 bases. In 1981 — a strike-shortened year of 108 games — he stole
56 and missed out on another 80+ season only because the season was cut in half. He finished
with 1,406 over a 25-year career. In any 10-year stretch of that career, he would have broken
Brock's record. He just happened to do it 12 years into it.
I am the greatest of all time. I am the best in the world.
— RICKEY HENDERSON, AFTER BREAKING THE SB RECORD, 1991
THE STAT VAULT 05
CAREER STOLEN BASES CAREER RUNS SCORED
468 more than Lou Brock. The record isn't All-time record. He scored more runs than
close. It will never be broken. Ruth, Cobb, or anyone.
CAREER WALKS CAREER HR AS LEADOFF HITTER
Second-most all-time. He knew how to Most in baseball history. He had power
get on base in every way possible. AND speed at the top of the lineup.
.401 CAREER ON-BASE PERCENTAGE
He reached base 40% of all plate appearances across 25 seasons.
THE FORGOTTEN MAN 06
OVERLOOKED · UNDERRATED · DESERVES MORE
Vada Pinson
CINCINNATI REDS · 1958-1975
.286 BA · 256 HR · 2,757 HITS
One Of The Best Outfielders Of The 1960s. Zero HOF Support. You've Never
Heard Of Him.
Vada Pinson hit .286 with 256 HR and 2,757 career hits across 18 seasons. He made 2 All-Star teams. He
was a contemporary of Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, and Frank Robinson — all HOFers — which contributed to
his historical invisibility. He received minimal HOF support and is not inducted.
THE CONNECTION:
Pinson and Henderson both played CF in the same era. Henderson became a legend. Pinson became
a footnote. Part of that is talent. Part is that Pinson played in the shadow of three all-time greats
simultaneously.
COMING NEXT MONDAY
Next Monday: Cal Ripken Jr. played 2,632 consecutive games. Broke Gehrig's record by 502.
Who's Your Forgotten Man?
Reply with a player from any era who deserves more credit. Best answer gets featured next Monday.
All Eras. All Stats. No Debate.
Every Monday. No exceptions.