May 1st, 1991- 20 year anniversary of Nolan Ryan's 7th no-hitter and Rickey Henderson
 

Yesterday marked the 20 year anniversary of one of the most interesting days in baseball sports history- May 1st, 1991. Two of baseball's greatest marathon men set major records that will most likely never be broken.

On this day, Texas fastball HOF hurler Nolan Ryan continued to go where no man had ever gone before. Dodging father time once again, Ryan threw his 7th career no-hitter, three more than any other pitcher in baseball history at the advanced age of 44. Ryan, extending a record he set almost 10 years prior, thrilled the hometown crowd of 33,439 in Arlington and a national television audience in Canada by holding the Toronto Blue Jays hitless in the Texas Rangers' 3-0 victory. Ryan fanned 16 Blue Jays batters and only walked 2 in his masterpiece.

Ryan ended his amazing 27 year career with 7 no-hitters, 12 one-hitters, 5,714 career strikeouts and 324 wins.

Meanwhile in Oakland, HOF Rickey Henderson bolted from second base to third in the 4th inning of the A's game with the Yankees, sliding head first into the bag to set baseball history. This stolen base was Henderson's 939th theft in his illustrious career, breaking Lou Brock's record of 938 career stolen bases. In a defining moment that lacked humility and tactfulness, Henderson raised the base in triumph and declared "Today I am the greatest!" while fellow HOF'er Lou Brock looked on from the stands.... That being said, this competitive brashness is what drove the Henderson to be the best of the best and raise the bar for all MLB players that followed.
Henderson ended his 25 career with a amazing 1406 career stolen bases, 3055 hits and the record for most HR's to lead off a game.

Let's all tip our hat to two of baseball's greatest performers on the grand stage- Nolan and Rickey!

I was thinking about Ricky Henderson recently. When the discussion comes up about untouchable sports records, it's fair to say that his 1406 career stolen bases, as well as his 130 for a season, are two that will last forever.

Barry,
No doubt on that one! Rickey was one of a kind and they broke the mold when they made him.... ;)

here's a bit of irony too...

Nolan Ryan's famous 5000th strikeout came a couple of years before this day in August of '89. His victim for this feat? ...Rickey Henderson :p