Rickey Henderson, MLB’s greatest base stealer, has died at the age of 65.
Henderson was a 10-time All-Star and spent most of his 14-year career with the Oakland Athletics.
Henderson would have turned 66 on Christmas Day; he was reportedly battling pneumonia.
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Former Oakland Athletics player Rickey Henderson before his MLB game against the St. Louis Cardinals at the Coliseum in Oakland, Calif., Monday, April 15, 2024. (Jane Tyska/Digital First Media/East Bay Times via Getty Images)
Henderson is also the all-time leader in runs scored. He was named American League Most Valuable Player in 1990 after leading the American League with a 1.016 OPS, 65 stolen bases and 119 runs scored.
He played for the Yankees, Padres, Mets, Mariners, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Angels and Dodgers.
“For multiple generations of baseball fans, Rickey Henderson was the gold standard in stealing bases and hitting leadoff. Rickey was one of the most successful and beloved athletes of all time,” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. in a statement. “He also had an impact like no other with many other clubs during a career spanning a quarter of a century. Rickey epitomized speed, power and entertainment by setting the tone at the top of the lineup. When we consider new rules for the game In recent years, we had the Rickey Henderson era in mind.
“Rickey earned the universal respect, admiration and awe of sports fans. On behalf of Major League Baseball, I send my deepest condolences to Rickey’s family, his friends and former teammates, the fans of the A’s and to baseball fans everywhere.
Henderson won two World Series: one with the A’s in 1989 and another with Toronto four years later.
Former Oakland Athletics outfielder Rickey Henderson speaks during a ceremony before the game against the San Francisco Giants at RingCentral Coliseum. (Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports)
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Henderson became MLB’s all-time stolen base leader on May 1, 1991, when he stole third base at Oakland; he finished with 1,406 for his career, beating Lou Brock by almost 500 bags. Henderson also retired with 2,295 runs scored, 50 more than Ty Cobb. His 3,055 hits also rank 27th all time.
His 130 stolen bases in 1982 are the most in the live-ball era: he and Vince Coleman are the only players since 1920 to have three seasons of at least 100 stolen bases. Henderson stole 50 bags in 13 seasons, the most in his history.
Rickey Henderson of the Oakland Athletics emerges victorious after posting his 938th career stolen base and tying Lou Brock’s record during game against the California Angels, Oakland, CA 04/27/1991. (Richard Mackson/Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
He debuted in 1979 and finally hung up his cleats in 2003, accumulating 111.1 WAR in his 25 MLB seasons.
