Rice, Henderson together forever

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (AP) — Rickey Henderson knew what was expected every time he batted.

So, too, did Jim Rice.

“Some way, I was going to scratch to get on base to steal that base,” Henderson said. “I steal that base, my day was good. My pride and joy was coming across the plate.”

Said Rice: “Believe me, I wasn’t paid to walk. I was paid to try to do some damage.”

Each player — Henderson, the quintessential leadoff man with an infectious smile, and Rice, the consummate power hitter with an icy glare — inflicted more than his share of damage on opponents, and they will be duly recognized for their considerable career accomplishments today when they are inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The pair will be the first inductees to primarily play left field since Boston’s Carl Yastrzemski went into the Hall in 1989.

Former Yankees and Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, elected posthumously by the Veterans Committee, also will be inducted, while former Yankees star and longtime broadcaster Tony Kubek and writer Nick Peters will be honored as winners of the Frick and Spink awards, respectively.

“As a kid, you grow up playing the game, and you never really know what you can achieve,” Henderson said.

A member of nine teams during his 25-year career, the fun-loving Henderson achieved more than most.

He holds the all-time records for stolen bases in a season (130) and career (1,406), for runs scored (2,295) and for leading off a game with a home run (81).

“Competing against myself — I think that’s what made me the player that I became,” Henderson said. “I had a lot of desire to be a winner and play the game to the fullest.”

Henderson made his major league debut with Oakland in late June 1979. He still led the club that season with 33 steals.

When Oakland owner Charlie Finley hired Billy Martin as manager in 1980, Henderson had the perfect partner in crime. “Billyball” — the aggressive attack Martin relished — helped catapult Henderson to stardom.

The speedy Henderson set the American League season steals record with 100 in only his second year, joining Maury Wills and Lou Brock as the only major league players of the modern era to steal 100 or more bases a season.

“I went out there and put it together, but it wasn’t just me,” said Henderson, who eclipsed the AL record of 96 set by Ty Cobb in 1915. “Billy helped teach me how to win. He had a strategy and we worked together and achieved that. There was no doubt I was gone when you told me to go.”

Hitting homers was second nature to Rice, who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox.

Playing at a time when offensive numbers paled in comparison to the past two decades, the so-called steroid era, Rice batted .298 with 382 home runs and 1,451 RBIs from 1974-89.

He was voted to eight All-Star teams and finished in the top five in AL MVP voting six times, winning the award in 1978 when he batted .315 with 213 hits, 46 home runs, 139 RBIs and a .600 slugging percentage.

The numbers get even more impressive.

Rice drove in 100 or more runs eight times, batted over .300 seven times, and topped 200 hits four times.