Last night UK time, a rumour that had been circulating online since Friday night was confirmed to be true; Rickey Henderson had sadly passed away.
A ten-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion, Henderson is also the holder of three different MLB records – career stolen bases, career runs and stolen bases in a single season. He played in MLB between 1979-2003, and is probably best-known for playing for his hometown Oakland Athletics during four different stints.
Here is what Oakland native and lifelong A’s fan Ian Darlington had to say when I asked for his thoughts last night;
Rickey was the first baseball player whose name I learned as a kid, him and Babe Ruth. I loved watching him play in Oakland and listen to my dad’s story about being at the game when Rickey broke the stolen bases record and lifted the bag over his head … I also have a Ricky jersey, as he was one of the only A’s players I saw play, he made his career with the team, and didn’t personally tarnish his record either.
In total though, Henderson played for nine different teams.
In addition to winning the World Series with the A’s in 1989, Henderson won the World Series a second time with the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993. Here is what the Blue Jays had to say on social media following last night horrible news;
In between his first and second stints at the A’s, Rickey played for the New York Yankees for four-and-a-half seasons. Here’s what the Bronx Bombers had to say via their Twitter account last night;
Moreover, Yankees fan and fantasy baseball writer Jamie Steed had this to say;
Henderson’s legacy is a reminder of how special of a talent he was. Despite playing less than five full seasons in the Bronx, Henderson still ranks second all-time on the Yankees stolen base leaders list.
Only Derek Jeter stole more bases in pinstripes, a testament to how big of a threat Henderson was on the bases.
RIP to the greatest base stealer, run scorer, and lead-off hitter to ever play the game.
In addition, here are the thoughts of Yankees fan and host of The Empire Strikes Back Podcast, Mark Blakemore;
It’s easy to characterise Rickey as just being a base stealer. And, yes, he was the best that there has ever been at that. However, he was so much more. His on-base skills were exemplary (.401 for his career), he had over 3,000 base hits and he also hit 297 homers in his career.
So, to classify Rickey as just a speed guy is to understate his value. The contact, on-base and power tools, allied of course to that speed, made him simply the best lead-off hitter ever.
Or, as Rickey himself said in that clip that we’ve seen countless times between innings on MLB TV: “Tonight I am the greatest of all time. Thank you”.
Actually, Rickey, thank you.
The Man of Steal ended his MLB career with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003. Here’s what Dodgers fan and co-host of the Dodging Sleep Podcast, Ian Blease, had to say following Henderson’s passing;
Henderson last appearances in MLB were with the Dodgers in 2003, aged 44. He had started the year with the Newark Bears in the Atlantic League, but had made no secret of his desire to keep playing in MLB … In Dodger Blue, Henderson managed 15 hits in 30 games (including his 297th and final home run). He also stole his final three bases. The desire never left him, and that was there for all to see.
Such was Henderson’s talent, he had the admiration of fans across baseball. Atlanta Braves fan and Bat Flips and Nerd Team Editor Charlie Deeks summed this up pefectly last night;
Conclusion
Rickey Henderson was one of the game’s greatest players. Such was his impact on the Oakland A’s, the organisation named the field at the Oakland Coliseum after him. As you’ve seen from the tributes above, he is also held in high regard around the baseball world.
In short, Rickey didn’t just steal bases, he captured fans’ hearts.
Our thoughts are with Rickey Henderson’s family, friends and fans at this horrible time.
Brett is the Oakland Athletics team contributor for Bat Flips & Nerds, and can be found on Twitter @BrettChatsSport. He is also now on Bluesky.
Featured image – Eric Risberg/Associated Press
