Rickey Henderson played for nine different teams in a quarter-century of big-league baseball, a remarkable journey that included four separate stints with the Oakland A's that touched 14 seasons and many of his greatest glories, including his historic breaking of the single-season stolen bases mark in 1982, the club's Word Series crown in 1989 and Henderson's AL's Most Valuable Player Award the following year. This important pair of game-worn pants and sliding shorts traces its lineage to that amazing MVP season in 1990, when he record a career-high .325 batting average, scored 119 runs and socked 28 home runs and 65 stolen bases.
This is a really neat pairing of Oakland A's game-worn items from that 1990 season, each in truly outstanding condition and boasting strong Rickey Henderson autographs. The pants show excellent game use, including rather substantial piling on the back of the right leg precisely where some of his legendary sliding would take place, and sport the appropriate Rawlings Size 31 tagging on the elastic waistband alongside and embroidered team tag with "24 31/32 27" and attached small flag tag with "Set 1-1990." Henderson has signed in bold black Sharpie on the front right leg.
Size L Russell Athletic appears on the waistband of the sliding shorts, which also are in wonderful condition despite showing visible game use. "Rickey" is block letter printed along the outside of the waistband; his No. 24 is similarly printed in block letters below. A bold blue Sharpie Henderson autograph and adjacent No. 24 inscription appear on the front left leg. Aside from the significant game use apparent on both pieces, they are otherwise essentially as-issued and problem-free.
Each item comes with a COA from Man of Steal Sports, Henderson's memorabilia company run by his longtime personal memorabilia manager, Mike Weiss. This lot is part of Bill Albert's Rickey Henderson collection. Albert worked as a staff photographer for the San Jose Giants minor league baseball club (Giants single A affiliate) and did freelance photography for the San Francisco Giants and Oakland A's developing relationships with many Bay Area professional athletes. He acquired most, if not all, of his Rickey items through Mike Weiss and Man of Steal Sports.
Pre-certified by PSA/DNA.