After however many years it’s been since becoming eligible, Jim Rice is finally heading to Cooperstown.

Blah, blah, blah.

Now we can stop hearing the whining from Peter Gammons and all the other East Coasters about how Rice should be in the Hall Of Fame, which during any other year would be the best thing about a Rice-related HOF induction.

But what really gets me excited is that, thanks to Rickey Henderson’s induction, this year will probably include the most entertaining Hall Of Fame induction speech ever.

It’ll surely be the first induction ceremony I make it through watching.

That’s because, well — y’know how people make fun of athletes talking in third person?

That’s based on Rickey Henderson.

Well, if it’s not, it should be. Furthermore, if it’s not, he sure took it to the next level. And then some.

Skip Yogi Berra — Rickey Henderson had the best quotes in baseball history.

Click here for some random dude’s list of the top 25 Rickey Henderson moments/quotes/urban legends. Here are a few — okay, a bunch — of my favorites from it as well:

  • In the early 1980s, the Oakland A’s accounting department was freaking out. The books were off $1 million. After an investigation, it was determined Rickey was the reason why. The GM asked him about a $1 million bonus he had received and Rickey said instead of cashing it, he framed it and hung it on a wall at his house.
  • This one happened in Seattle. Rickey struck out and as the next batter was walking past him, he heard Henderson say, “Don’t worry, Rickey, you’re still the best.”
  • Moments after breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson told the crowd – with Brock mere feet next to him – “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today, I am the greatest of all-time.”
  • A reporter asked Henderson if Ken Caminiti’s estimate that 50 percent of Major League players were taking steroids was accurate. His response was, “Well, Rickey’s not one of them, so that’s 49 percent right there.”
  • Henderson broke Ty Cobb’s career record for runs scored with a home run. After taking his usual 45 seconds or so around the bases, Rickey slid into home plate.
  • Rickey was asked if he had the Garth Brooks album with Friends in Low Places and Henderson said, “Rickey doesn’t have albums. Rickey has CDs.”
  • In June 1999, when Henderson was playing with the Mets, he saw reporters running around the clubhouse before a game. He asked a teammate what was going on and he was told that Tom Robson, the team’s hitting coach, had just been fired. Henderson said, “Who’s he?”
  • Before every game he played, Henderson stood completely naked in front of a full length locker room mirror and said, “Ricky’s the best,” for several minutes.

One thing I also enjoyed about Rickey Henderson, aside from his skills, was that he was that he threw with his left hand and hit from the right side of the plate. There are a lot of guys who throw righty but bat lefty, but Henderson was unique, even in that regard.

Speaking of his uniqueness, here’s another good anecdote about Henderson from ESPN’s Jayson Stark on the 1993 World Series:

It was the off day before the start of the ‘93 World Series. I thought a great angle would be a comparison of the two leadoff hitters. Lenny Dykstra had had a fabulous season and had scored 143 runs, the most by any leadoff man since, who else, Henderson.

So I approached Henderson on the field and started to explain the story. He said, “Who’s Lenny Dykstra?”

I laughed. Then I said, “He’s the other leadoff hitter.”

Henderson said, “There ain’t no other leadoff hitter but me.”

I tried to keep going with my angle. He didn’t see it.

“What’s Lenny Dykstra ever done?” he asked.

I started to give the stats. Henderson cut me off.

“Man, why you trying to compare some other guy with Rickey? There’s only one Rickey.”

And that was that. There was, in fact, only one Rickey. And that will never change. Ever.

Man, I can’t wait.

When’s the induction ceremony?