DaytonDailyNews.com

Congratulations to Rickey Henderson for his election into Cooperstown.

I loved watching him play, especially his days with the Oakland Athletics. He was a great lead-off hitter, played excellent defense and was bit cocky. Okay, a lot cocky. But it worked for him.

Henderson led off a potent lineup that also featured Carney Lansford, Jose Canseco, Dave Parker, Dave Henderson and Mark McGwire.

Man, how did those guys not win more championships? Oh yeah. Pitching.

I'm a bit curious, though, who didn't vote for Henderson. He was picked on 511 of the 539 ballots, meaning 28 voters didn't think Henderson wasn't a Hall of Famer ... or at least not a first-ballot Hall of Famer.

Really?

Considered by many as the greatest lead-off hitter of all-time, all-time stolen base leader, Gold Glove winner, MVP, etc., etc., etc. What more do they want?

And speaking of McGwire, I was hoping he would receive more support.

The slugger, forever linked to baseball's steroid era, was named on just 21.9 percent of the ballots, falling way short of the 75 percent needed.

His home run spree back in the late 1990s helped restore my interest in baseball. His trade to St. Louis also helped me become a Cardinals fan.

Growing up an A's fan I'll always have a soft spot in my heart for McGwire. But whether you like him or not, his contributions should at least be recognized ... even if it's with an asterisk.

Contact this reporter at (937) 225-2400, ext. 6991 or gbilling@DaytonDailyNews.com.