Jim Rice, Rickey Henderson Inducted Into Baseball Hall Of Fame

Rickey Henderson, the most prolific lead-off man in baseball history, got his call to the Hall Of Fame on his first try.

Jim Rice, the prolific slugger for the Boston Red Sox, got in on his final try.

Henderson was the all-time leader with 1,406 steals and 2,295 runs scored. Widely considered to be the greatest leadoff hitter ever, he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first time on the ballot with 94.8 percent of the votes cast by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Jim Rice received seven votes over the 75 percent threshold to garner 76.4 percent, earning 412 votes on the 539 completed ballots cast. Two ballots were sent in blank. This year, 405 votes were needed. Last year, Rice fell 16 votes short.

A .298 career hitter with 382 home runs, 2,452 hits and 1,451 RBIs in 16 seasons, Rice had four seasons of more than 200 hits, led the American League in home runs three times, RBIs twice, hits once, slugging percentage twice, was the AL Most Valuable Player in 1978 and was an eight-time All-Star

Both Rice & Henderson will be joined by Second Baseman Joe Gordon, who was elected to the Hall Of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

"The Hawk" Andre Dawson fell just short of the 75 percent required for election.

Congratulations to Rickey Henderson. Henderson, who habitually referred to himself in the third person, was the greatest leadoff hitter ever. Jim Rice was another great player who deserved to make the hall.

Hopefully next season Andre Dawson will make the Hall Of Fame.

Congratulations to Jim Rice & Ricky Henderson on their elections to the Baseball Hall Of Fame.