Rickey recalls one they took away; a stolen memory.(Rickey Henderson's record for stolen bases)(Brief Article)

THE ANNIVERSARY PASSED ALMOST UNNOTICED, AS ninth anniversaries often do. Nine years ago--May 1, 1992, Rickey Henderson made himself the leading base stealer of all time. It hardly was a "so what"' moment when he pushed his career total to 939, one ahead of Lou Brock, against the Yankees.

But No. 939 hardly is the steal Henderson remembers best or most fondly.

Indeed, the one he recalls with greatest appreciation is one that never happened, a stolen base that never was credited to his account and never will be.

It happened on August 24, 1982, when Henderson was in the fourth year of his first tour of duty with the Oakland Athletics and well on his way to establishing the single-season record for stolen bases.

The A's were playing the Tigers in Oakland on the final day of a homestand.

Henderson had stolen 117 bases and needed to steal one more to equal the record Brock had established in 1974. Billy Martin was the A's manager and Henderson's primary promoter. And as a native of Northern California, Martin wanted Henderson, an Oakland resident then, to break the record at home, or at least tie it at home.

The A's led 3-0 as they batted in the eighth. And Martin knew Henderson probably wouldn't have opportunities in subsequent innings.