Angels Catch a Thief

With his usual flair, Rickey Henderson said goodbye to the San Diego Padres and slid headfirst into another pennant race.

Henderson, still a sparkplug at 38, was traded to the Angels on Wednesday for three prospects.

The deal comes a day after Angel leadoff hitter Tony Phillips was charged with felony possession of cocaine and benched pending a meeting with baseball’s doctors. The Angels entered Wednesday’s game tied for the AL West lead with Seattle. Henderson helped San Diego win the NL West last year, but the Padres were 9 1/2 games behind San Francisco on Wednesday.

“I’m happy to be an Angel,” said Henderson, baseball’s career stolen-base leader. “I’m the type of player who likes to be in this situation--with all the marbles on the table, can you rise to the occasion? I seem to be one of the guys who rises to the occasion.”

Angel General Manager Bill Bavasi, in Chicago for Wednesday night’s game against the White Sox, said the Phillips situation played a role in the trade.

“We had been trying to acquire another bat. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t speed it up a little bit,” he said.

“We think we got one of the premier players in the game, still. His abilities might not be what they were 10 years ago but they’re still darn good.

“We’re in a pennant race and we think we got a good chance.”

Henderson sounded choked up at a news conference during which he thanked San Diego fans, who warmed to his style of play.

“I enjoyed you very much, I think you touched me deep inside,” he said. “You cheered for me, you pulled for me, you stuck behind me. You made me feel like I was family, a part of you, and I just want to thank you.”

This is the third time Henderson has been traded during a season, and the previous two times he went to the eventual World Series champion.

He was dealt from the New York Yankees back to the Oakland Athletics on June 20, 1989, and from Oakland to the Toronto Blue Jays on July 31, 1993. Henderson was on second base when Joe Carter won the 1993 Series with a home run in the ninth inning of Game 6 against Philadelphia.

“I like that challenge, I like that fire,” Henderson said. “I like that psyche that each and every day you’re going out there and it’s a do-or-die situation. I want to be in that situation.”

Henderson’s new manager, Terry Collins, feels he knows what to expect from Henderson.

“I really believe he’ll do a lot of the things that Tony [Phillips] did when we first got him. When you look up, he’s on,” Collins said.

Henderson hit his 250th career home run Tuesday night to start a rally that gave the Padres a 6-4 win over Montreal.

Henderson has stolen 1,215 bases, 29 this year. He stole three bases in four tries at Chicago on Sunday.

San Diego received minor-league pitchers Ryan Hancock, a right-hander, and Stevenson Agosto, a left-hander, and a player to be named.

The Padres nearly traded Henderson and his $2-million salary to the Angels during spring training, but the deal fell through because of a hangup with an incentive clause that calls for Henderson to receive $5,000 per plate appearance from 301 to 600. That clause kicked in late last month.