Today Rickey Henderson is a very, very humble man

When a professional reaches the pinnacle of his or her career cockiness often gives way to confidence and what was once seen as a negative become a positive, a tool utilized to help one achieve their ultimate goal. Nowhere has this been more clearly demonstrated then in the case of Major League Baseball's all-time stolen base leader Rickey Henderson, who today was inducted into Cooperstown (the baseball hall of fame)
 
Throughout Rickey Henderson's remarkable career the terms cocky, arrogant and flamboyant often over shadowed actions like home-run and stolen base but yesterday in Cooperstown, New York Rickey accomplishments finally caught up with him. 
 
Born in Chicago , Illinois on Christmas Day Rickey moved to Oakland, California at the age of two. Born with the surname Nelson which would be abandoned shortly after the family made it to the west coast. Rickey's mother Bobbie, who was in attendance for yesterday ceremony married Paul Henderson in Rickey  junior year in High School and why not Rickey Henderson sure does have a fine ring to it.
 
Rickey finished his career with more Stolen Bases (1406) and more lead-off home-runs (81) then any player in Major League history. Rickey also collected 10 all-star selections, 2 World Series rings and 2,295 runs scored well suiting up for 10 different Major League teams.
 
Sunday afternoon Rickey Henderson received the ultimate accolade for a man in his profession, a bust in Cooperstown. On this day nobody called Rickey cocky or arrogant those words were replaced by terms like confident, assertive and Hall of Famer.
 

Congratulation to Hall of Fame Class of 09' Rickey Henderson, Jim Rice and 42' AL MVP Joe Gordon
 
 
Zoltan Black

If you have no had an opportunity to watch Rickey Henderson's Hall of Fame induction speech or perhaps you, your self are a Rickey detractor might I suggest at least one viewing of Rickey's speech, the old boy just may have learned a new trick or two after all.

Click Here to see Rickey Henderson's entire speech