Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, widely regarded as the greatest base stealer in history, passed away on Friday at the age of 65, as confirmed by his family on Saturday. Over his remarkable 25-year career, spanning four decades from 1979 to 2003, Henderson stole a record 1,406 bases. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009 after playing for nine different teams, including four separate stints with the Oakland Athletics, the team that drafted him in 1976.
Henderson had recently been hospitalized and passed away due to complications from pneumonia.
His wife, Pamela Henderson, shared a statement describing him as a “legend” both on and off the field. She added that Rickey was a devoted family man, deeply loved as a son, father, friend, grandfather, brother, and uncle, and that he was a humble soul.
“Rickey lived with integrity, and his passion for baseball was always his top priority. Now, he rests peacefully with the Lord, holding onto the remarkable moments and accomplishments he leaves behind.”
Born in Chicago and raised in Oakland, Henderson was one of the rare players who batted right-handed and threw left-handed. He set the modern single-season stolen base record with 130 steals in 1982 and achieved 100 steals in three of his first four full MLB seasons. Additionally, his 81 leadoff home runs remain the most in baseball history.
In 1991, Henderson broke Lou Brock’s career stolen base record with his 939th steal.
“Lou Brock represented the pinnacle of base stealing,” Henderson said at the time. “But today, I am the greatest of all time.”
Henderson played his last MLB game in 2003 at the age of 44, securing a midseason contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers after a stint with the Newark Bears in the independent Atlantic League.
“I played for a long time and with many great players,” said Dennis Eckersley, the Hall of Fame pitcher who was Henderson’s teammate in Oakland. “I once told Rickey this, though I’m not sure he heard me. He’s the greatest player I’ve ever played with.”
Known as one of the most colorful players of his time and famous for speaking in the third person, Henderson won World Series championships with the Oakland Athletics in 1989 and the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993.
“(Rickey) once told me that he enjoyed being entertaining because it made the game more fun,” said Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, who was Henderson’s teammate in Toronto.
Henderson, also the MLB career leader in runs with 2,295, won the American League MVP award in 1990 while playing for Oakland. That season, he hit 28 home runs, stole 65 bases, and posted a league-leading 1.016 OPS. He achieved his 3,000th career hit with the San Diego Padres on the last day of the 2001 season.
“Rickey Henderson was the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting for multiple generations of baseball fans,” said MLB commissioner Rob Manfred in a statement. “He was one of the most accomplished and cherished players in Athletics history.
“Rickey also left a lasting impact with several other teams during his unmatched 25-year career. He defined speed, power, and entertainment, setting the tone at the top of the lineup.”
Henderson’s declaration of being “the greatest of all time” after breaking Brock’s stolen base record caused quite a stir, but he had already discussed the comment with Brock beforehand. Henderson later admitted that the remark continued to “haunt” him and even referenced it in his memorable Hall of Fame induction speech.
“My favorite hero was Muhammad Ali. He declared, ‘I am the greatest!’ and that was something I always aspired to be,” Henderson said in Cooperstown, New York, in 2009. “Now, with the Association voting me into the Baseball Hall of Fame, my journey as a player is complete. I am now among the greatest players of all time. At this moment, I feel truly humbled.”
Henderson passed away on Friday due to complications from pneumonia after being admitted to the hospital.