1980 – The Oakland Athletics sign Billy Martin to a two-year contract as manager. Martin, who was fired by the Yankees only four months earlier, will popularize the notion of “Billy Ball” with the A’s and lead the team to a split-season crown in 1981.
In Oakland’s 2 – 1 win over the White Sox, A’s Rob Picciolo (.234 career) gets his only intentional walk as the Sox elect to pitch to rookie Rickey Henderson. Rickey walks in a run to beat the Sox. Picciolo will have just 25 career walks in nine seasons.
Rickey Henderson swipes three bases in the A’s 8-6 victory over the Indians at Cleveland Stadium. At the age of 20 years 241 days old, the rookie outfielder becomes the youngest player to accomplish the feat.
California’s Nolan Ryan and Boston’s Steve Renko (with one-out help from Bill Campbell) each lose no-hitters in the 9th inning, and each settle for one-hit victories: 6 – 1 over New York, and 2 – 0 over Oakland, respectively. Rickey Henderson has the one-out hit off Renko.
On June 24, 1979, 20-year-old future Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson makes his major league debut for the Oakland A’s in the first game of a doubleheader, a 5-1 loss to Texas. Henderson picks up a single, a double, and his first stolen base in four at-bats against the Texas Rangers. Later in the season,…
Rickey Henderson Position: LeftfielderBats: Right • Throws: Left5-10, 180lb (178cm, 81kg)Born: December 25, 1958 in Chicago, IL usDraft: Drafted by the Oakland Athletics in the 4th round of the 1976 MLB June Amateur Draft from Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, CA).High School: Oakland Technical HS (Oakland, CA)Debut: June 24, 1979 (14,205th in major league history)vs. TEX 4 AB, 2 H, 0 HR, 0 RBI, 1 SBLast Game: September 19, 2003vs. SFG 0 AB, 0 H, 0…
At Fenway Park, the Red Sox down the Indians, 6 – 4. Vic Wertz has a three-run homer and four RBIs. Ted Williams also homers and, in the 7th inning, steals second base. Williams sets a major-league record as the only player to steal bases in four consecutive decades: he’ll be matched by Rickey Henderson in 2000 and Tim Raines the following year. Jimmy Piersall homers twice, both off winner Ike Delock.
On December 25, 1958, Rickey Henderson is born in Chicago, Illinois. Henderson will break into the major leagues with the Oakland A’s in 1979, and will go on to become one of the greatest leadoff men in history. He was a 10X All-Star, won the 1990 AL MVP Award, won the 1989 ALCS…
On June 27, 1916 Boston’s Babe Ruth allows two runs in the first inning, but settles down to beat the A’s, 7 – 2, while striking out 10. Red Sox infielder Larry Gardner is caught stealing three times, the second time this year that A’s catchers have caught a baserunner three times (the other was New York’s Fritz Maisel, on April 26). On June…
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