Rickey Henderson Passes Away at 65

Baseball has lost another legend in 2024 with the passing of Rickey Henderson. He was only 65.

Henderson was born December 25, 1958, in Chicago. He later moved to Oakland at age seven, where he grew up a fan of the Oakland Raiders. Henderson played football, baseball, and ran track at Oakland Technical High School, and decided to go the baseball route after some wise advice from his mother.

Nicknamed the Man of the Steal, Henderson had a historic career over his 25 years in Major League Baseball. The Hall-of-Famer was a 10-time All-Star, three-time silver slugger, two-time World Series Champion with the Athletics and Blue Jays, gold glove winner, and 1990 American League Most Valuable Player.

Along with his accolades, Henderson racked up an MLB-leading 1,406 stolen bases and 2,295 runs scored in his career. Henderson led the league 12 times in stolen bases, including the 1982 season where he set the record for the most stolen bases in a single season with 130 (Modern Era).

Off the field, Henderson was just as entertaining. He often referred to himself in the third person, putting himself uptop the likes with Yogi Berra in baseball culture and lore.

“There are certain figures in American history who have passed into the realm of cultural mythology, as if reality could no longer contain their stories,” Tom Verducci of Sports Illustrated wrote in 2003. “Johnny Appleseed. Wild Bill Hickok. Davy Crockett. Rickey Henderson. They exist on the sometimes narrow margin between Fact and Fiction.”

One of those moments came on May 1, 1991, when Henderson passed Lou Brock as the all-time leader in steals and famously referred to himself as the greatest of all time.

“It took a long time, huh. First of all, I would like to thank God for giving me the opportunity. I was to thank the Haas family, the Oakland organization, the city of Oakland, and all you beautiful fans for supporting me. Most of all, I’d like to thank my mom, my friends, and loved ones for their support. I was to give my appreciation to Tom Trebelhorn and the late Billy Martin. Billy Martine was a great manager. He was a great friend to me. I love you, Billy. I wish you were here. Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I’m the greatest of all time. Thank you.”

Rickey, as the outfielder referred to himself, had many instances and stories come out where the truth was convoluted. One personal favorite was during the 2000 season with the Mariners, where Henderson commented on  John Olerud wearing a batting helmet on defense, commenting that he’d played with another man who did the same.

“That was me,” Olerud replied. Or so the story goes. Henderson and Olerud had also played together on the Mets during the 1999 season and won a championship together in 1993.

While mostly known for his time with the Athletics, Blue Jays, and Yankees, Henderson’s career included multiple pit stops in Queens. The first came as a player when Henderson was signed to the club prior to the 1999 season. That year, Henderson slashed .315/.423/.466 and stole 37 bags at age 40, taking home the National League Comeback Player of the Year award.

Then, after retirement, Henderson returned to the Mets organization in 2006 as a special instructor to work with hitters on their approach and stealing bases. Henderson’s work that season was noted to aid José Reyes, who was a first-time All-Star that season and led MLB with 64 steals. Henderson returned as a Mets coach in 2007 and was promoted as the first base coach mid-season.

Henderson is survived by his wife Pam, and his daughters Angela, Adrianna, and Alexis. He joins a list of players to pass away in 2024, including Willie Mays, Orlando Cepeda, Whitey Herzog, and Fernando Valenzuela.

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