Rickey Henderson quotes:

To all the kids out there: Follow your dream. Believe in your dream. Because dreams do come true.

My dream was to play football for the Oakland Raiders. But my mother thought I would get hurt playing football, so she chose baseball for me. I guess moms do know best.

It gave me no chance. He (Nolan Ryan) just blew it (strikeout #5,000) by me. But its an honor. I'll have another paragraph in all the baseball books. I'm already in the books three or four times.

You never had the opportunity to play with some of the great ballplayers, but being that close around them, and being in the same category, was a great feeling, to feel that vibe of all the best players who played the game.

The only name on my birth certificate was Henley, no first name.

I like playing for Oakland, they have a very colorful uniform.

If my uniform doesn't get dirty, I haven't done anything in the baseball game.

I'm a Hall of Famer and I'm still fighting for it because I love the game and I love to play.

Somehow, I've been blessed to be able to have the young spirit inside - not feel like every year I get a year older. I feel like every year I get a year younger. I don't wake up in the morning with aches and pains.

Just because I believed in what I was doing on the field and dedicated myself to playing the game, does that mean I'm cocky? Does that mean I'm arrogant?

Oakland is home, and you always want to go home. Anytime you get the chance, you're happy to go home.

I patterned myself after Reggie Jackson. I wanted to have that same swing and hit some homeruns. When I was down in A-ball, I was trying to be Reggie Jackson and I was striking out all the time. And I was like, 'This isn't the way Reggie is doing it, so I got to change.'

I love playing this game and every spring training feels like the first.

I was stealing all the bases, and when you had to go to arbitration they said, 'You know, only the big boys make the money.' So I got to try and figure out how to hit a home run, too.

I don't think I ever got proper credit about being smart about the game.

Certain guys, they can see a guy do a certain thing with their glove and know what pitch is coming. I couldn't do that. But I can get on first base and I can tell you by his move if that pitcher is going to first base or home plate every time.

Lou Brock was a great base stealer but today I am the greatest.

People always ask me why I still want to play, but I want to know why no one will give me an opportunity. It's like they put a stamp on me: 'Hall of Fame. You're done. That's it.'

If they're going to pay me like [Mike] Gallego, I'm going to play like Gallego.

Rickey don't like it when Rickey can't find Rickey's limo.

My impact on the game was going out there and making things happen.

Even the slowest guy can go from first to third and help win a ballgame.

You have to keep running. I always believed I was going to be safe.

To me the most important thing was stirring things up and scoring some runs so we could win a ballgame.

Rickey got a big ranch. Rickey got a big bull. Rickey got horses. Rickey got chickens and everything. And Rickey got a 20-gallon hat.

I'm disappointed about how my career ended.

Once you can accept failure, you can have fun and success.

I can still steal a base anytime I get ready.

Nothing's impossible for Rickey. You don't have enough fingers and toes to count out Rickey.

People say I stole a lot of bases. I stole the bases for a reason. I crossed the plate.

When you're a kid, you want to be a millionaire.

A good friend of mine took me out and had me hit off a tee. He made me understand what was my strike zone and - with my speed - the importance of making contact. So I give him a lot of credit for changing my game and making me the player I became. He showed me how to work on me and my game, and not worry about patterning myself after someone else and focusing on what they were capable of doing rather than what I was capable of doing.

All I'm asking for is what I want.

Don't worry, Rickey, you're still the best.

I can't find a job. It makes me crazy.

I don't think I could have dreamt it up any better than how things went, of being at my peak at just the right time, and have everything go my way.

I don't think some of the players understand what the people are about. The people are coming out to show you their appreciation of the game, and the player that you are.

I don't want to be one of those great players who never made it to the (World) Series.

I have always had fun playing the game of baseball because I loved it so much.

I have to play baseball to make me happy. I have to be an athlete. But when it's all said and done, I'll be a normal father. A normal-type house man.

I haven't had the time to say, 'I'm retiring.' But baseball says, 'You're retired.'

I love talking about baserunning.

I love the game and I wanted to continue playing. It came to a time that I had to stop.

I told myself that if I ever make it to the big leagues that I would be the one to appreciate the fans. Take a little time out to sign autographs and shake their hands and say hello to them.

I wanted to be a part of something special and contributing to the launch of a new league was very exciting to me.

If you look at some of the people in the Hall of Fame, my numbers are compatible.

I'm a walking record.

I'm already in the (record) books three or four times.

In baseball you train the whole body, except for the hip and eyes.

It's always exciting that you can rub elbows with some of the greatest players who have ever played the game, and just being around the "family" again from baseball.

Let's see, for breakfast Rickey will have bacon and eggs, and grits if I can get 'em.

Listen: People are always saying, 'Rickey says Rickey.' But it's been blown way out of proportion. People might catch me, when they know I'm ticked off, saying, 'Rickey, what the heck are you doing, Rickey?' They say, 'Darn, Rickey, what are you saying Rickey for? Why don't you just say, 'I?' But I never did. I always said, 'Rickey,' and it become something for people to joke about.

My journey as a player is complete.

People always ask me why I still want to play, but I want to know why no one will give me an opportunity. It's like they put a stamp on me: 'Hall of Fame. You're done. That's it.' It's a goddamn shame.

Rickey doesn't have albums, Rickey has CDs.

Rickey was never motivated by stats. He was motivated by numbers. Wins, runs, steals.

Speeches and me don't get along sometimes. It is kind of like putting a tie too tight on my neck. I'm going to do whatever feels right.

The only thing I wish I could figure out is how I got misunderstood regarding the type of person I really am and what I accomplished ... Just because I believed in what I was doing on the field and dedicated myself to playing the game, does that mean I'm cocky? Does that mean I'm arrogant? People who played against me called me cocky, but my teammates didn't. I brought attention, fear.

This is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.

Today I am the greatest of all time.

Well, Rickey's not one of them, so that's 49 percent right there.

When I was a little-leaguer, I was sort of famous for stealing bases - and it started only because my mom wanted to be sure where I was in the afternoons. Mom always used to say, "If you don't come home dirty, you didn't play a baseball game." So I always tried to get in a situation where I had to slide so that I could go home dirty.

When I was growing up, my favorite player was Reggie Jackson - and I never got the opportunity to get an autograph from Reggie. I was so frustrated. I mean, he was my idol. And I couldn't get no autograph. I would go through punishment waiting on him (after games) because he was always the last guy to come out. And I would go back home with no autograph.