Rickey Henderson Hall of Famer dies at age 65, for me his most iconic collectible

Rickey Henderson Hall of Famer dies at age 65, for me his most iconic collectible

Just four days shy of his 66th birthday, the baseball and collecting world was shocked and saddened by the news that Hall of Famer and all-time king Rickey Henderson passed away far too early after a short illness. Born in Chicago and raised in Oakland, California, he became a local hero and national star for his hometown A’s. During his 20-plus year MLB career, he enjoyed numerous accomplishments, including ten All-Star appearances, an MVP award in 1990, multiple Silver Slugger awards, and two World Series championships. Throughout his playing career, Henderson has been a part of countless hobby products, but I wanted to talk about one of my favorite Ricky Henderson collectibles, specifically his starting lineup from the 1992 series.

If you were a sports-loving ’90s kid like me, Starting Lineups’ figure toys were most likely a big part of your collection. For those who don’t know, the starting lineups were action figures of popular athletes from all major sports. Originally conceived by Pat McInally and produced by Kenner and then Hasbro Toys, Starting Lineups exploded in popularity in the late ’80s and early ’90s. Rickey Henderson made several appearances in Starting Lineup sets, including the original 1988 release. However, his most iconic figure for me was the 1992 release. What makes this figure so special in my opinion is that it shows Henderson diving headfirst into the second base slides. This was unique as other Henderson figures in previous series had him kicking or sliding feet first. Henderson famously became a headfirst slider after experiencing what he described as “strawberries on his knees and butt” while sliding feet first. He also felt that sliding upside down low to the ground helped protect his legs. While this figure doesn’t have much intrinsic value (buyers on eBay are asking $15 to $20, which could rise with the news of his death), the sentimental value for his fans will be extremely high. It captures the essence of what made him unique as a baseball player, doing what he did best.

SLU

Rickey Henderson’s 1992 starting lineup / https://www.walmart.com/ip/Rickey-Henderson-1992-Starting-Lineup/360008997

Rickey Henderson leaves behind a tremendous legacy. As baseball has evolved, the likelihood of someone matching his stolen base record seems slim. Although he is best known for that, Henderson was a much more complete player, leading the league in OBP during his 1990 MVP campaign. One of his most astonishing statistics was that he had unintentionally walked over 700 times to open an inning, the one thing opposing pitchers were reluctant to do. He also sought power throughout his career, hitting more than 25 home runs from the leadoff position for several seasons. Lately he has been a fixture at autograph signings across the country and from what I have heard he has always been very friendly and approachable to his many fans.

Henderson Rice

Rickey Henderson and Jim Rice laugh together at their induction into the Hall of Fame in 2009. Henderson was elected in his first year of eligibility. / https://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/27/sports/baseball/27fame.html

I and everyone at Si Collectibles would like to extend our condolences to Rickey Henderson’s family, friends and countless fans who have been inspired by him and his incredible baseball career.

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