A Chip Off Old Brock for Rickey : Record: Henderson equals mark of 938 stolen bases against the Angels’ Robinson and Parrish.

He held the base high for all to see, drinking in the moment and the ovation from 40,174 at the Oakland Coliseum. At that moment, Rickey Henderson did more than tie Lou Brock’s career record of 938 stolen bases: he fulfilled a prophecy.

In June of 1979, Henderson brought the Oakland Athletics a dazzling array of minor league accomplishments and infinite promise. Brock needed only one look at him to pronounce judgment.

“He told me I was going to be the one to break his record,” Henderson said. “He’s a man of great stature, and I’m proud to be standing with him.”

Henderson took the steep and long-delayed step that brought him even with Brock on Sunday by stealing second base off Angel catcher Lance Parrish and pitcher Jeff Robinson in the sixth inning of Oakland’s 7-3 victory.

Idled for 14 games by a pulled left calf muscle and kept off base Saturday, Henderson was thwarted in his first steal attempt Sunday when Angel left-hander Jim Abbott, first baseman Wally Joyner and shortstop Dick Schofield combined to catch him trying for second after he singled.

Henderson singled again in the third inning and was running on a 3-and-2 pitch to Lance Blankenship, only to return when Blankenship fouled the ball off. When Blankenship singled, Henderson went to third, from which he scored on Jose Canseco’s double.

Henderson took a third strike in the fourth inning. But by the sixth, Abbott had been relieved by Robinson, a right-hander. After Robinson plunked Henderson in the back, all the conditions were right for the milestone steal.

Robinson knew it. He looked Henderson back twice before delivering his one-and-one pitch to Blankenship and again with a one-and-two count on Blankenship. Parrish knew the steal was coming but still called for a forkball, a difficult pitch to handle and release.

“I was anticipating him going on every pitch when he was on base. I’m sure everybody in the stadium was,” said Parrish, who has been victimized by Henderson 33 times. “I wasn’t going to alter the way I call pitches just to hold him back. There comes a time when you have to concentrate on the hitter. He just picked the right pitch to go on.”

Henderson wasn’t looking for a specific pitch so much as for “what the pitcher was doing, so I could get a good jump.” He saw enough to get an edge that got him in ahead of second baseman Jack Howell’s tag. “I thought it was a good throw. He just beat it,” Parrish said.

Parrish was angry, but not because he had become a historical footnote. “It’s nothing to break my heart, believe me. I was just upset with the way the whole day was going,” said Parrish, who was struck out four times by Dave Stewart and Steve Chitren.

Henderson didn’t hold Parrish accountable. “He’s an outstanding catcher, but a lot of times the catcher has nothing to do with it if you get a great jump on the pitcher,” Henderson said.

Brock foresaw it might happen that way. In discussing Henderson before the game, Brock said a pitcher’s best strategy against base stealers is to not throw often to the base “because you don’t want to enter into the act, the stolen base act. He (the pitcher) is showing you his repertoire, and you have to show him yours.”

Henderson showed the speed and daring that are such valuable parts of his repertoire.

“I felt that would be the time for me to at least tie the record. I can read a right-handed pitcher better than a left-handed pitcher,” said Henderson, who planned to give the base he stole to A’s owner Walter A. Haas Jr. and will keep the base from his 939th steal.

“I felt I had a good chance, but I always feel the pitcher is going to pay you close attention. He doesn’t want you to break or tie the record when he’s out there. You’ve just got to concentrate.”

Tightness in his leg kept Henderson from concentrating on his defense--he acknowledged he should have caught a first-inning line-drive by Dave Parker that went for a double--and his pursuit of Brock’s record has kept him from concentrating on the everyday aspects of baseball. The fuss will continue until he breaks the record, a chance he will get Tuesday when the A’s begin a two-game series at the Coliseum against the New York Yankees, for whom Henderson played from 1985 through June, 1989.

“This means a lot, but it will mean more to break it. That one will be special,” said Henderson, who was to be replaced by Willie Wilson for the top of the seventh but was urged by Wilson to go out and accept the crowd’s tribute. Much as he was tempted to go for the record Sunday, Henderson let Wilson hit for him in the seventh.

“It’s been a long time. You put a lot more pressure on yourself when you’re chasing or about to break a record,” Henderson said. “The fans want you to steal every time. When it’s finally over, you can relax. . . .

“I thought about breaking it against the Yankees. To get an opportunity to steal against New York probably would be a dream for me. I have a lot of great friends there. And deep down in my heart, I think George (Steinbrenner, the Yankees’ deposed managing general partner) deserves to see it.”

ALL-TIME BASE STEALERS

Player Seasons Steals Rickey Henderson 1979-Active 938 Lou Brock 1961-79 938 Ty Cobb 1905-28 892 Eddie Collins 1906-30 743 Max Carey 1910-29 738 Honus Wagner 1897-1917 703 Joe Morgan 1963-84 689 Bert Campaneris 1964-83 649 Tim Raines 1979-Active 637 Maury Wills 1959-72 586

RICKEY HENDERSON

Year Team Steals 1979 Athletics 33 1980 Athletics *100 1981 Athletics *56 1982 Athletics ** *130 1983 Athletics *108 1984 Athletics *66 1985 Yankees *80 1986 Yankees *87 1987 Yankees 41 1988 Yankees *93 1989 Yankees-A’s *77 1990 Athletics *65 1991 Athletics 2 Total 938

* Led League

** Major League record

LOU BROCK

Year Team Steals 1961 Cubs 0 1962 Cubs 16 1963 Cubs 24 1964 Cubs-Cardinals 43 1965 Cardinals 63 1966 Cardinals *74 1967 Cardinals *52 1968 Cardinals *62 1969 Cardinals *53 1970 Cardinals 51 1971 Cardinals *64 1972 Cardinals *63 1973 Cardinals *70 1974 Cardinals ** *118 1975 Cardinals 56 1976 Cardinals 56 1977 Cardinals 35 1978 Cardinals 17 1979 Cardinals 21 Total 938

** National League record