The Question: Which of the two all-time leadoff greats would you rather have this season?

Leading men of the '80s

In the 1950s, the running game wasn't very important. In 1950, Dom DiMaggio led the American League with 15 stolen bases. Maury Wills had the speed with the Dodgers in the early '60s as the running game gained new emphasis, and Tim Raines and Rickey Henderson carried on that legacy in the 1980s.

You want your prototypical leadoff hitter to take a lot of pitches, and both Raines and Henderson are very patient hitters. In Henderson's case, he can still electrify an offense and manufacture a run. At one time Raines was the same way, but his legs haven't held up as well.

If you had to choose a guy to lead off an inning, you probably couldn't pick anybody better than Henderson. His on-base percentage remains very high despite the fact that his bat speed really appears to have declined.

If Henderson stays healthy, he's going to end up with more than 60 steals, leading the majors. That's a remarkable accomplishment for a guy who will turn 40 in December. But while Henderson is still stealing bases, it's a rare occasion for Raines to swipe a base.

At this point in their respective careers, Henderson can get you a stolen base and lead off the inning, but I would have rather Raines at the plate with men on base. He's better hitter than Henderson. Raines probably isn't going to hit .330 again, but he's still a tough out. During his days with Montreal in the mid-1980s I thought he was one of the best clutch hitters in the game. Here's a guy who would get you the base hit in the seventh, eighth or ninth inning to tie the game or win it. I still think he's a tough out with men in scoring position.

They both have had fabulous careers. I'm sure Henderson will end up in the Hall of Fame, and you could consider Raines an outside shot. He has 800 stolen bases and won a batting title in 1986 when he hit .334, but he's probably not Hall of Fame caliber.

ESPN's Dave Campbell spent seven seasons as an infielder in the big leagues.

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