NEW YORK --- Rickey Henderson dashed into the Hall of Fame on his first try, Jim Rice made it with a final swing.

It's hard to imagine their induction speeches will have much in common, either.

"I'm going to leave all the stories to Rickey," Rice said, confirming that his remarks in Cooperstown this summer are likely to match his personality. "Believe me, it's going to be short and quick. I don't think you need to go there and talk for 15 or 20 minutes when you can get right to the point."

That never stopped Henderson -- but neither did opposing pitchers or catchers during his 25-year career.

The undisputed standard for leadoff hitters, Henderson received 94.8 percent of the vote from the Baseball Writers' Association of America in balloting announced Monday, well above the 75 percent needed. Henderson, baseball's career leader in runs scored and stolen bases, became the 44th player elected in his first year of eligibility.

Rice, among the game's most feared sluggers in the late 1970s and early 1980s, got 76.4 percent in his 15th and final year on the ballot.

The pair will be inducted into the Hall during ceremonies on July 26 in Cooperstown, N.Y. They'll be joined by former Yankees and Indians second baseman Joe Gordon, who was elected posthumously last month by the Veterans Committee.

"I feel great about it. It's been a long time coming," Henderson said. "I was nervous, waiting."

Henderson spoke on a conference call before boarding a flight to New York. He was rushing right along, even on this day.

Only fitting.

Next up, his highly anticipated induction speech. Known for his confounding comments, Henderson has a penchant for referring to himself in the third person -- at any point during an amusing stream of sometimes indecipherable chatter.

"It's really just an honor to me. I'm really just spaced out," he said. "I haven't really thought about what I'm going to say."

Mark McGwire, stigmatized by accusations he used performance-enhancing drugs, received 118 votes (21.9 percent) in his third year of eligibility, down from the 128 votes he got in each of his first two tries. Henderson, who played with McGwire in Oakland, said the first baseman was one of the best people he's ever been around.

"He played the game the right way to me," Henderson said. "I feel he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame."

Henderson, the 1990 AL MVP, was a 10-time All-Star who swiped 1,406 bases. Henderson batted .279 with 297 homers, 1,115 RBI, 2,190 walks and 2,295 runs. He owns the modern-day season record with 130 steals in 1982 and the career mark with 81 leadoff homers. He played for nine teams in his stories career. If it were up to Henderson, now 50, he'd still be playing.

"They said I have to be retired to go in the Hall of Fame," he said. "Maybe they give me that day or two that I come back and it wouldn't mess up anything."

Henderson wasn't sure which team's cap will go on his Hall of Fame plaque. He gets some say in the matter, but ultimately it's the Hall's decision.

Henderson was with his family when he got the call and pointed out that they have been with him through "all the glory and the headaches."

"They enjoyed it probably as much as I enjoyed it, probably even more," he said.