Word: hendersons
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...walk there. Coiled in a crouch that allows the pitcher only a 10-in. strike zone, Henderson has earned a league-leading 109 strolls from the plate, batting No. 1 for the beleaguered (fifth place in the American League West) '82 version of Billy Ball. Once on base, he is an electric offensive threat. When he leads off from first, infields become positively giddy, outfields flounder about like regional ballet corps, and pitchers are afflicted with tics and shudders. "You know he's going to go," says Angels' catcher Bob Boone. "The question is, which pitch...
Pacing off a precise 3½ steps from the base, Henderson screws his cleats firmly into the dirt and crouches knock-kneed, like Jerry Lewis imitating a baseball player. When the pitcher releases the ball, however, Henderson, having received the go sign from Martin, accelerates into hyperdrive. In two steps he reaches full speed, and a few strides later dives head long into the dirt-a timesaver that makes his body vulnerable to an opponent's cleats and knees. "I don't hit the ground too hard," he explains. "I come in like an airplane." By the time...
Successful in 76% of his steals, Henderson is not a thinking man's thief. He has already passed Ty Cobb's 67-year-old record of getting caught 38 times. His weapons are instinct and power; his massive thighs and torso are the secret of his speed. Even his smooth features and swept-back hair seem aerodynamically designed. Says White Sox Coach Ron Schueler: "He's faster than Brock. He simply outruns the ball...
Wills, on a Dodger team scrambling for runs, made base stealing a respectable tactic, easing the way for the records of Brock and Henderson. Brock, who flew to Milwaukee last week to help Henderson celebrate, notes that the psychology of theft has not changed a bit since his own day: "What separates the great base stealer from the rest is arrogance. You have to eliminate all fear and declare war on the entire league." The guileless Henderson cites a less bellicose reason. Says he: "I've loved to steal bases since I was a little kid. That...
...thrill was almost not enough for the home-town boy. Henderson wanted to play football instead. The All-City running back at Oakland Tech gained 1,100 yds. in his senior year (after batting .716 the previous spring), but turned down a dozen gridiron scholarships because his strong-willed mother, Bobbie, thought that he would have a longer career in baseball. Says Henderson: "My mother's only advice about trying for the record was 'Stay healthy.' " Success has not gone to his head...