Rickey Henderson – Baseball Hall of Famer, all-time MLB stolen base king and widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter ever – has died at age 65.
Fellow Hall of Famer Dave Winfield confirmed Henderson’s death to the New York Times on Saturday. A cause of death has not yet been announced.
Henderson played for nine franchises during his 25-year MLB career, including four stints with the Oakland Athletics. He won two World Series and was named AL MVP in 1990. A 10-time All-Star, Henderson was the AL stolen base leader 12 times and surpassed 100 steals in a single season three times – the only player to ever accomplish that feat.
In May 1991, Henderson’s base-stealing prowess earned him a place in baseball history when he captured his 939th career base, breaking Lou Brock’s record. Henderson would finish with 1,406 stolen bases after his final MLB season in 2003, cementing the nickname “Man of Steal”.
It wasn’t just his feet that made Henderson successful, he did it with his bat too. Henderson hit 297 home runs, drove in 1,115 runs and batted .279 in 3,081 games played. Of those 297 home runs, 81 came to open a game, an MLB record.
He also set MLB records for runs scored (2,295) and unintentional walks (2,129).
“If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything at the baseball game,” Henderson once said.
An impactful player all over the field
Henderson was born on Christmas Day 1958 on the way to the hospital, which later led to him saying, “I was quick. I couldn’t wait.”
After moving to Oakland as a child, Henderson became a multi-sport star in baseball, basketball, track and field and football. After turning down multiple scholarships to play football in college, he signed with the Athletics in 1976 after being drafted in the fourth round.
Three years later, Henderson made his MLB debut. In his first full season with the A’s, he broke Ty Cobb’s AL stolen base record with 100 steals and followed that two years later with 132, the first record previously held by Brock (118) that Henderson would break.
Henderson would play his first six MLB seasons in Oakland before being traded to the New York Yankees. He would return to Oakland in a June 1989 trade that would help the A’s on their way to a World Series title. Henderson stole 52 bases, hit nine home runs and drove in 35 runs in 85 regular season games after the deal.
In the playoffs, he hit .441 with three home runs, eight RBI, 11 stolen bases and 32 total bases, earning ALCS MVP honors en route to his first championship.
Henderson’s play in the 1989 postseason continued into the 1990 regular season, where he won AL MVP after hitting .325 with 65 stolen bases, 28 home runs, 119 runs scored and 61 RBI.
Henderson would leave Oakland for a second time in July 1993 when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Unlike the first time he was dealt, he struggled in Toronto, hitting .215 in 44 regular season games while dealing with a broken bone in his hand. His troubles at the plate continued into the postseason when he hit .170 in 12 games with two RBI and three stolen bases. He did score 10 runs in October, including one when he was on the base for Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run in Game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies.
After his time in Toronto, Henderson would travel frequently for the rest of his career, including two more stops in Oakland. He would play for the San Diego Padres, Anaheim Angels, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and finally the Los Angeles Dodgers in his final MLB season in 2003.
After his time with the Dodgers, Henderson would play independently for several years while delaying his retirement.
Ultimately, Henderson retired and was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the class of 2009.
Henderson alluded to his line “I’m the greatest of all time” during his comments after breaking Brock’s all-time stealing record. On stage in Cooperstown, he said his hero growing up was Muhammad Ali, who used the same phrase during his boxing career.
“That’s something I always wanted to be,” Henderson said. “And now that the league has voted me into the Baseball Hall of Fame, my journey as a player is complete.
“I’m now in the class of the best players of all time. And right now I’m very, very humble.”
