Rickey Henderson, baseball’s greatest leadoff hitter of all time, died Saturday at the age of 65.
His wife and three daughters offered a statement, confirming his passing.
“A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul,” the family statement read. “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.”
During his playing days, there was absolutely no mistaking Rickey Henderson, who brought a flare and flash to the game few ever saw.
Henderson is one of only two position players to appear in 25 MLB seasons, playing 3,081 games over that span, fourth in MLB history.
During his nearly 25-year career, he stole 468 more bases than anybody else.
His 2,190 walks sit second all time, behind only Barry Bonds.
And among position players to debut after integration in 1947, Henderson’s 111.1 bWAR (wins above replacement) ranks fifth, behind Bonds, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron and Alex Rodriguez.
Henderson was one of the best baseball players of all-time. And he did things with a typical “Rickey being Rickey” flash.
Henderson was famous for wearing neon-green batting gloves and a gold necklace with a diamond pendant with the number 130, after his record-setting stolen-base total in 1982.
Henderson was known for his swagger, often admiring his home runs famously referring to himself, on occasion, in the third person.
Former Oakland A’s general manager Sandy Alderson said of Henderson, “I traded Rickey Henderson twice and brought him back more times than that. He was the best player I ever saw play. He did it all — hit, hit for power, stole bases, and defended — and he did it with a flair that enthused his fans and infuriated his opponents. But everyone was amused by his personality, style, and third-person references to himself. He was unique in many ways.”
“Rickey stories are legion, legendary, and mostly true. But behind his reputation as self-absorbed was a wonderful, kind human being who loved kids. His true character became more evident over time. Nine different teams, one unforgettable player. Sandy gonna miss Rickey.”
After breaking Lou Brock’s stolen base record, Henderson channeled his boyhood hero, Muhammad Ali, exclaiming, “Lou Brock was the symbol of great base stealing. But today, I’m the greatest of all time. Thank you.”
And of course there is this story of Henderson about his first big paycheck.
“At the time I got a signing bonus for $1 million, I go, ‘Wow, I’m a millionaire!’” Henderson told ESPN’s Mike & Mike in 2009.
“So I’m gonna frame this here check. The Oakland A’s finally called me when they was doing they book in December and asked where was the check, and I said it was on my wall. They said, ‘Can you take it down, go cash it and then put a duplicate in the frame?’ So I eventually took the check down and cashed it.”
There was only one Rickey Henderson. You can watch a complete catalog of his best career highlights.