Henderson steals ALCS MVP
Rickey Henderson ran wild – and into history – in the 1989 American League Championship Series.
The speedy outfielder burst onto the big league scene during his 1979 rookie season, tallying 96 hits (17 extra-base hits) and swiping 33 stolen bases. A decade later, Henderson was one of the game’s biggest stars.
On Oct. 8, 1989, Henderson was unanimously named ALCS Most Valuable Player after he and the Oakland Athletics defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, 4-3, in Game 5 to win the series four-games-to-one. Henderson was a major contributor from start to finish.
The leadoff batter went 6-for-15 (.400) with four extra-base hits, five RBI and eight runs scored – tying a postseason single-series record. He also stole eight bases, setting an LCS standard.
“Has anyone ever had a championship series better than that one?” future Hall of Fame manager Tony La Russa told the Syracuse (N.Y.) Post-Standard. “I don’t think that can be topped.”
All series long, Henderson was a thorn in the Blue Jays’ side. While Henderson’s manager raved, his opposition groused.
“I’m not going to sit around and give one man the credit for this series,” Toronto center fielder Lloyd Moseby told the Post-Standard. “Rickey had a great series, but Rickey Henderson didn’t beat us, the Oakland A’s beat us.”
Henderson went 0-for-2 at the plate in Game 1, but he drew two walks, was hit by a pitch, stole two bases and scored a run. Though Henderson didn’t register a hit, he still caused chaos on the bases in a 7-3 win.
In Game 2, Henderson went 2-for-2 with two walks, two runs and four more stolen bases. The Blue Jays struggled to keep him off the bases and when he reached safely, Henderson continued to wreak havoc in a 6-3 A’s win.
Toronto bounced back and won Game 3 by a 7-3 score – but the future Hall of Famer still went 1-for-4 with a double, a walk, a stolen base and two runs scored.
Game 4 was Henderson’s best of the series. He blasted two home runs, tallied four RBI, scored two runs and drew another walk while leading the A’s to a 6-5 win.
In Game 5, Henderson tripled in a run, drew his seventh walk of the series and stole his eighth bag to secure the 4-3 win and a trip to the World Series.
“I’ve been working for this moment for a long time,” Henderson told the Post-Standard. “I can’t say I’m surprised with this series. I gave it my best and things fell into place for me.
“I was probably wondering when I was going to get to the World Series. I always felt I would be there, but what year I never knew.”
The A's lost the 1988 World Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers, but Henderson was a member of the New York Yankees at that time. Midway through the 1989 season, the Yankees traded him back to the team that originally drafted him. The Yankees received pitchers Greg Cadaret and Eric Plunk, along with outfielder Luis Polonia.
“One of the problems Rickey had over his career is people had high expectations,” A’s general manager Sandy Alderson told Gannett News Service. “It’s tough to fulfill those on a regular basis, but he certainly has fulfilled ours. We couldn’t ask for more.”
The A’s would sweep the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series, giving Henderson his first championship ring.
“I hope I stay in Oakland,” Henderson told Gannett News Service. “It seemed everything came true for me in Oakland.”
Noah Douglas was the 2025 communications intern in the Frank and Peggy Steele Internship Program for Leadership Development
