Rickey Henderson, who established himself as arguably the greatest leadoff hitter in MLB history, and unquestionably the greatest base stealer during a career that lasted a quarter-century, died on Friday at the age of 65.
Henderson’s Major League Baseball career stretched from 1979 to 2003, and he set a number of all-time records, many of which still stand today. He is baseball’s all-time leader in stolen bases (1,406), runs scored (2,295), and leadoff home runs (81). At the time of his retirement, he was also first all-time in walks (2,190), a mark which has since been surpassed by Barry Bonds, but Henderson remains the all-time leader in unintentional walks (2,129).
Henderson’s wife, Pamela, and his children released a statement on his passing through the Oakland Athletics, the team Henderson is most associated with.
“It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of my husband, Rickey Henderson. A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul,” Pamela Henderson said. “Rickey lived his life with integrity, and his love for baseball was paramount. Now, Rickey is at peace with the Lord, cherishing the extraordinary moments and achievements he leaves behind.”
Henderson played for nine franchises during his career, but he will always be linked with the A’s, who he played with for 14 years over four different stints. Not only is he tied to the A’s, but he was an Oakland native as well, growing up in the city and starring at Oakland Technical High School. He was drafted out of Oakland Tech by his hometown team in 1976, made his A’s debut three years later, and it would be apropos to say he hit the ground running.
Henderson led the league in stolen bases in his first full season—one of 12 years he topped the league in thefts. He first did so as a 21-year-old in 1980 and last accomplished the feat as a 39-year-old in 1998. His 130 swiped bags in 1982 remains the most in a single season in MLB history, as he had more stolen bases than 10 entire teams that season.
Commissioner Rob Manfred noted in a statement that many of the recent rule changes in MLB, related to an increase in base size to generate more action on the base paths, were implemented with players like Henderson in mind.
“For multiple generations of baseball fans, Rickey Henderson was the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting,” Manfred said. “Rickey was one of the most accomplished and beloved Athletics of all-time. He also made an impact with many other Clubs during a quarter-century career like no other. He epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup.”
Henderson’s ability on the base paths overshadowed his uncanny power for a leadoff. He had 297 career home runs, which far and away eclipsed the totals of other prolific base stealers. Of the other nine players in MLB history with at least 700 stolen bases—which was half of Henderson’s total—they averaged 83 homers over their careers.
A 10-time All-Star, three-time Silver Slugger, and two-time World Series champion, Henderson also won the 1990 American League MVP, one year after being traded back to Oakland from the New York Yankees. That season, Henderson hit a career-high of 28 home runs, while also leading the AL in stolen bases, runs scored, and on-base and slugging percentage.
Henderson bounced around to many different teams during the tail end of his career, playing for seven franchises over his last seven seasons. However, he reached the magical 3,000-hit milestone on the final day of the 2001 MLB season with the San Diego Padres. Henderson was 42 years old—with his longevity being another defining trait of his career—and he’d last in the majors until he was 44 years old in 2003.
Even after MLB teams stopped calling him, Henderson still continued playing the game in independent leagues until the 2005 season. Even at 46 years old, Henderson hit .270 with 16 stolen bases for the San Diego Surf Dawgs of the Golden League. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year on the ballot in 2009, garnering 94.8 percent of the vote.
Once he did finally retire, Henderson had stints as a special instructor with both the Athletics and the New York Mets, while also serving as a first-base coach with the latter.
The A’s honored Henderson in 2017 by naming the playing surface at Oakland Coliseum “Rickey Henderson Field,” and he was chosen by the franchise to essentially say goodbye to the Oakland fans prior to their ongoing relocation to Sacramento and then Las Vegas. Henderson was also enlisted to throw out the ceremonial first pitch for the last A’s game at the Coliseum just three months ago.
