The following is the complete, uncut speech made by Rickey
after stealing his 939th base. I put this here to put in context
Rickey's comment about being "the greatest." You can
see he was talking about base stealing, not about being the
greats player of all time.
"It took a long time, huh? (Pause for cheers.) First of all, I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity. I want to thank the Haas family, the Oakland organization, the city of Oakland, and all you beautiful fans for supporting me. (Pauses for cheers.) Most of all, I'd like to thank my mom, my friends, and loved ones for thier support. I want to give my appriciation to Tom Trebelhorn and the late Billy Martin. Billy Martin was a great manager. He was a great friend to me. I love you, Billy. I wish you were here. (Pause for cheers.) Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I'm the greatest of all time. Thank you."
Autographed ticket for game Rickey set the record.