Major League Baseball announced on Saturday that Rickey Henderson, one of the game’s most lasting stars and the best base stealer in its history, has passed away. Henderson was sixty-five.
In a statement expressing the league’s sympathies on Saturday, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred referred to Henderson as the “gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting.”
At the top of the lineup, Rickey established the standard for speed, power, and entertaining. Henderson was without a doubt the most illustrious player in Oakland history, according to the Athletics, who will play in Sacramento the next season after leaving Oakland.
Henderson, a standout high school athlete from Oakland, California, was selected by the Oakland Athletics in the 1976 MLB Draft and made his Major League debut three years later at the age of twenty. His final Major League Baseball game occurred in 2003 at the age of 44, following a career that was almost unmatched, ten All-Star selections, and World Series titles with Oakland and Toronto.
Henderson, who goes by the nickname “the Man of Steal” and frequently uses the third person to describe himself, leads all time in both stolen bases (1,406) and runs scored (2,295). When Henderson broke Lou Brock’s MLB single-season record by stealing 100 bases in his first full season in 1980, it was instantly clear that he had a gift of speed and anticipation on the base paths.
After breaking Brock’s career record eleven years later, Henderson made it clear where he belonged on the field in Oakland. Henderson, who was holding a microphone, declared that Lou Brock was the epitome of brilliant base stealing. I am the best of all time, though, today.
Henderson’s patience at the plate to reach base, in addition to his speed, made him a feared leadoff hitter. Henderson overtook Babe Ruth as the all-time walks leader in Major League Baseball in 2001 while playing for San Diego, one of the nine teams he played for throughout his 25-year career. With 2,129 unintentional walks drawn, Henderson still leads the field, although he currently trails Barry Bonds in second place.
Henderson was awarded the American League’s most valuable player in 1990 after tying his career high of 28 home runs and leading the league in runs, stolen bases, and on-base percentage.
Henderson informed reporters at the time that he believed he had performed better in at least three additional seasons after receiving the award.
Henderson, who was born in Chicago but attended high school in Oakland, gained notoriety for his four stints with the Athletics, who were somewhat of a hometown team. Henderson’s name is still on a field close to Oakland Tech, his high school. During the postseason, Henderson hit.441 with nine walks, helping the Athletics win the 1989 World Series.
There are only 33 players with 3,000 hits, including Henderson. Henderson attempted to return to the majors through the lower leagues in 2002, one year after he became a member of that select club. He began with a little-league contract with Boston.
Only Pete Rose, Carl Yastrzemski, and Henry Aaron have ever made more plate appearances in Major League Baseball than Henderson, who amassed 13,346 in 3,081 career games.
The Baseball Hall of Fame quotes former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner as saying, “There was only one Rickey Henderson in baseball.” He was the all-time outstanding leadoff hitter.
When MLB showed little interest in him in 2003, he played for the Newark Bears, an independent league team. Eventually, he found success with his last Major League Baseball team, the Dodgers.
Henderson’s old colleague Dave Winfield shared the news of Henderson’s passing on Instagram.
Rickey Henderson was one of my best friends and teammates, and I still can’t believe he’s gone. Peace be with you, Winfield made a post.
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