Rickey Henderson signs with Newark Bears
Published on April 24, 2003 under Canadian American League (Can-Am)
Newark Bears News Release
NEWARK, N.J. -- Rickey Henderson, Major League Baseball's all-time leader in stolen bases, runs scored, walks and leadoff home runs has agreed to terms with the Newark Bears, team Vice President/General Manager Chris Bryan announced today. Henderson will join the defending Atlantic League champs once they return from Spring Training in Homestead, Fla. Newark begins defense of its 2002 championship on May 1 as Bridgeport comes to town for a four-game series.
Without question the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history, Henderson begins his first season as Bear and embarks on his 28th professional season, spending last year with the Boston Red Sox. From 1980-91, Henderson was baseball's stolen base king in 11 of 12 seasons, swiping a career-best 130 bags in 1982 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. A fourth-round pick of Oakland in the 1976 draft, the 5-foot-10, 190-pound Henderson actually spent the 1978 season in Jersey City, hitting .310 with 81 stolen bases and 81 runs scored for the AA Eastern League member. He arrived in Oakland for the '79 season and thus begun what turned out to be a first-ballot Hall of Fame career. Henderson was named American League Most Valuable Player in 1990 as a member of the A's, batting .325 with 282 total bases that season. He has played for eight major league teams, completing four stints with the A's and spending time with the Yankees, Mets, Blue Jays, Padres, Angels, Mariners and Red Sox. Three times in his illustrious career, he has stolen 100 or more bases, doing so in 1980, '82 and '83. In May of 1991, he surpassed the legendary Lou Brock to become baseball's all-time stolen base king. He has played in three World Series' and 10 All-Star games. He has won two World Series crowns, one with Oakland in 1989 and one with Toronto in 1993. For his career, he has appeared in 3,051 games and is a .279 hitter. He has 1,403 stolen bases, 3,040 hits and 2,288 runs scored to his credit. Eighty of his 285 career home runs have been of the leadoff variety.
"Rickey Henderson is one of the greatest players of all time," Bryan said. "There's no doubt that he will attract tremendous amounts of attention to our organization. We are fully prepared to welcome him with open arms and treat him like the legend that he is."
Single-game, group and season tickets for the entire 2003 season are now on sale by calling (973) 483-6900 or by logging on to NewarkBears.com. The Bears Box Office, located at Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium, adjacent to Gate D is open Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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