Tony DeMarco has covered Major League Baseball for 22 years, with stops at the Miami Herald, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Denver Post, MLB.com and NBC Sports.com. He also has authored five baseball-related books, including the just-published Tales From The Colorado Rockies. He now brings his expertise and pointed opinions here.

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Rickey Henderson leads 2009 Hall of Fame ballot

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Rickey Henderson leads 2009 Hall of Fame ballot

1 comment

December 1, 11:58 AM

by Tony DeMarco, MLB Examiner

Rickey Henderson's time is coming -- finally.

Henderson is the leading newcomer on the 2009 Hall of Fame ballot mailed out on Monday to 575 voters with 10 consecutive years of membership in the Baseball Writers Association of America.

The 2009 class will be announced on Jan. 12, and there is little doubt Henderson will be in it -- and leading off, if you will. The game's all-time leader in runs (2,295) and stolen bases (1,406) stuck around long enough -- 25 seasons, until age 44 -- to accumulate 3,055 hits including 297 home runs.

Henderson also won one MVP award (1990), and was on two World Series winners -- the 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays. His 81 home runs to lead off a game are the most in history, and nobody has come close to his single-season stolen-base record of 130 in 1982.

It's the Hall of Fame's choice as to what team cap will go on Henderson's bust in Cooperstown, and the A's are the obvious pick. But in this case, the choices certainly are numerous, as in a career that stretched from 1979 to 2003, Henderson played with the A's (four different tours of duty), Yankees, Blue Jays, Padres, Angels, Mets, Mariners, Angels and Dodgers.

Among the 13 returnees on the ballot, Jim Rice is the likeliest to get elected in his 15th and final appearance. It also will be interesting to see how Henderson's presence on the ballot affects Tim Raines' support. The other holdovers are Bert Blyleven, Lee Smith, Tommy John (final season on the ballot), Jack Morris, Alan Trammell, Don Mattingly, Andre Dawson, Mark McGwire, Dale Murphy, Dave Parker and Harold Baines. We'll examine their candidacies in an upcoming post.

The other newcomers aren't likely to garner significant support -- Mark Grace, David Cone, Matt Williams, Mo Vaughn, Ron Gant, Jay Bell, Greg Vaughn, Jesse Orosco, Dan Plesac.

See the entire 2009 ballot

Henderson's career statistics

Topics: MLB , Baseball Hall of Fame , Rickey Henderson

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Baltimore Orioles: The third team in the Jake Peavy talks?

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November 30, 11:12 AM

The Baltimore Orioles are the new subplot in the continuing Jake Peavy-to-the-Chicago Cubs drama.Two reports (here's one) have the Cubs and Orioles talking about a deal that could send outfielder Felix Pie to the Orioles for left-hander Garrett... Read More
Topics: Chicago Cubs , MLB , Jake Peavy , Baltimore Orioles

Seattle Mariners: Now what? Five questions to ponder

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November 28, 1:30 PM

After a 101-loss season with a $117-million payroll, there's nowhere to go but up for the Seattle Mariners. But how do they get there, and how long will it take? They've changed general managers. They've changed managers. And now it's time to change... Read More
Topics: MLB , Seattle Mariners , Don Wakamatsu

Could the Los Angeles Angels get CC Sabathia and Jake Peavy?

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November 26, 5:58 PM

Could the Angels be the answer to two of the hottest of Hot Stove League questions: Who's going to sign CC Sabathia? And who's going to trade for Jake Peavy? It's at least a possibility laid out by MLB.com's Lyle Spencer, and the more you... Read More
Topics: CC Sabathia , MLB , Jake Peavy , Los Angeles Angels

Pittsburgh Pirates sign Indian reality show winners

3 comments

November 25, 9:49 AM

Baseball has met the reality show, and the result is this bizarre story. The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed two 19-year-old would-be pitchers (never mind that they never have pitched in an organized game before) who were training in the United States... Read More
Topics: Pittsburgh Pirates , Tom House

Los Angeles Dodgers need CC Sabathia or Jake Peavy more than Manny Ramirez

3 comments

November 24, 10:06 AM

Chad Billingsley's fractured left fibula has thrown the Los Angeles Dodgers' rotation further into disarray.Two weeks away from the annual winter meetings, here is what GM Ned Colletti is looking at:1) Billingsley's lower left leg will be in a cast for... Read More
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Arizona Diamondbacks: Going in reverse as veteran stars depart

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November 22, 1:48 PM

Does anybody in the National League West want to challenge the Los Angeles Dodgers next season?The Colorado Rockies traded away their best chance along with All-Star Matt Holliday. Coming off a 99-loss season, the San Diego Padres are in the process... Read More
Topics: Arizona Diamondbacks , Randy Johnson , MLB

Chicago Cubs: Looking for a left-handed bat

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November 21, 11:01 AM

Chicago Cubs general manager Jim Hendry still isn't sure who his new bosses are going to be, but he is settling on his 2009 roster.Kerry Wood is gone and Ryan Dempster has been locked into a four-year, $52-million deal, leaving Hendry with the key element... Read More
Topics: Chicago Cubs , Raul Ibanez , MLB , Jim Hendry

Mike Mussina retires; Is he a Hall of Famer?

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November 19, 4:54 PM

Mike Mussina is retiring, so let the debate begin. The answer is five years away, but here's the question: Does he belong in the Hall of Fame?First, the overall numbers in a career that spanned the steroids era, and all of which was spent... Read More
Topics: Mike Mussina , MLB , Baseball Hall of Fame

New York Yankees at focus of free-agent pitching market

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November 18, 11:54 AM

The epicenter of MLB's free-agent starting pitching market sits between 161st and 164th Streets, Bronx, N.Y.That's the location of the new Yankee Stadium, the $1.3 billion baseball palace that will open its doors next April.But it won't take that long... Read More
Topics: A.J. Burnett , Mike Mussina , MLB , New York Yankees