Statement from the Henderson Family:

It is with profound sadness that we share the passing of my husband, Rickey Henderson. A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul. 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.

We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, support, and heartfelt memories from family, friends, and fans — all of which have brought immense comfort. We also extend our sincere gratitude to MLB, the Oakland A’s, and the incredible doctors and nurses at UCSF who cared for Rickey with dedication and compassion. Your prayers and kindness mean more than words can express.

In this difficult time, we kindly ask for your respect and privacy as we adjust to life without Rickey, holding on to the legacy he left for all of us.

With gratitude,
Pamela Henderson and his daughters

Statement from the A’s:

Rickey Henderson is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His on-field accomplishments speak for themselves, and his records will forever stand atop baseball history. He was undoubtedly the most legendary player in Oakland history and made an indelible mark on generations of A’s fans over his 14 seasons wearing the Green and Gold.

For those who knew him personally, Rickey was much more than a franchise icon and a Baseball Hall of Famer. He was a friend and mentor to every player, coach, and employee who passed through the Oakland Coliseum or played a game on the field that came to bear his name.

We are shocked and heartbroken by his passing. His loss will be felt not only by A’s fans but also by baseball fans around the world. The entire A’s organization sends its sincere condolences to Rickey’s family and loved ones at this time.
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Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the brash speedster who shattered stolen base records and redefined baseball’s leadoff position, has died at the age of 65.

Henderson died on Friday. The Athletics said Saturday they were “shocked and heartbroken by his passing,” but did not specify a cause of death.

Known as baseball’s “Man of Steal,” Henderson had a lengthy list of accolades and accomplishments over his nomadic 25-year career — an MVP, 10 All-Star selections, two World Series titles.

But it was stealing bases where Henderson made his name and dominated the sport like no other.

He broke through with 100 steals in his first full season in the majors in 1980, topping Ty Cobb’s AL single-season record with Billy Martin’s “Billy Ball” Oakland Athletics. He barely slowed playing for nine franchises over the next two decades. He broke Lou Brock’s single-season record of 118 by stealing 130 bases in 1982 and led the league in steals for seven straight seasons and 12 overall.

He broke Brock’s career record when he stole his 939th base on May 1, 1991, for Oakland. He famously pulled third base out of the ground and showed it off to the adoring crowd before giving a speech that he capped by saying: “Lou Brock was a great base stealer, but today I am the greatest of all time.”

Henderson finished his career with 1,406 steals. His 468-steal edge over Brock matches the margin between Brock and Jimmy Rollins, who is in 46th place with 470.

Henderson said in September he would have had many more steals in his career and in the record-breaking 1982 season if rules introduced in 2023 to limit pickoff throws and increase the size of bases had overlapped with his career.

“If I was playing today, I would get 162, right now, without a doubt,” he said. “Because if they had had that rule, you can only throw over there twice, you know how many times they would be throwing over there twice and they’d be going, ‘Ah, (shoot), can y’all send him to third? Give him two bases and send him to third.’ That would be me.”

Henderson’s accomplishment that record-breaking day in 1991 was slightly overshadowed that night when Nolan Ryan threw his record seventh career no-hitter. Henderson already had been Ryan’s 5,000th career strikeout victim, which led him to say, “If you haven’t been struck out by Nolan Ryan, you’re nobody.”

That was clearly not the case for Henderson. He is also the career leader in runs scored with 2,295 and in leadoff home runs with 81, ranks second to Barry Bonds with 2,190 walks and is fourth in games played (3,081) and plate appearances (13,346). He finished his career with 3,055 hits over 25 seasons spent with Oakland, the New York Yankees, Toronto, San Diego, Anaheim, the New York Mets, Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

He fittingly finished his career with the Dodgers at age 44 in 2003 by scoring a run in his final play on a major league field.

Henderson is the third prominent baseball Hall of Famer with ties to the Bay Area who died this year, following the deaths in June of former Giants stars Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda.

Henderson was the rare position player who batted from the right side and threw with his left arm — but then again, everything about Henderson was unique.

He batted out of an extreme crouch, making for a tighter strike zone that contributed to his high walk total. He struck fear in opponents with his aggressive leads off first, his fingers twitching between his legs inside his batting gloves as he eyed the pitcher and the next base.

Born on Christmas Day in 1958 in Chicago in the back of his parents’ Chevy, Henderson grew up in Oakland and developed into a star athlete. He played baseball, basketball and football at Oakland Tech High School and was a highly sought-after football recruit who could have played tailback at Southern California, where he could have played eventually with football Hall of Famer Marcus Allen.

But Henderson said his mother loved baseball and thought it would be the safer career in a decision that proved to be prescient.

“She didn’t want her baby to get hurt,” Henderson told the San Francisco Chronicle in 2019. “I was mad, but she was smart. Overall, with the career longevity and the success I had, she made the right decision. Some of the players in football now have short careers and they can barely move around when they’re done.”

Henderson was selected in the fourth round of the 1976 amateur draft by the hometown A’s and made his big league debut in 1979 with two hits — and, of course, one stolen base.

He became a star for the A’s the following season and remained in Oakland through 1984 before being traded to the New York Yankees. He was part of some talented teams in New York that never made the postseason. In 1985, he scored 146 runs in 143 games to go along with a league-leading 80 steals and 24 homers, helping start the “80-20 club” that season with Cincinnati’s Eric Davis.

He was traded back to Oakland in June 1989, leading to his greatest successes. He topped the AL that season with 113 runs, 126 walks and 77 steals, was named the ALCS MVP and helped lead the A’s to the World Series title in the Bay Bridge series against the Giants.

Henderson then won the AL MVP the following season for Oakland before the A’s lost the World Series to Cincinnati.

He set the career steals record in 1991 and then was traded two years later to Toronto, where he won his second World Series. He spent the final decade of his career bouncing around the majors and still led the AL with 66 steals and 118 walks at age 39 with Oakland in 1998.

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Rickey Henderson, born on December 25, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois, was a legendary Major League Baseball (MLB) player renowned for his exceptional base-stealing abilities and dynamic leadoff hitting. Raised in Oakland, California, Henderson was a standout athlete in baseball, basketball, and football during his high school years.He chose to pursue a career in baseball, signing with the Oakland Athletics in 1976.

Henderson made his MLB debut with the Athletics on June 24, 1979 his 25-season career, he played for multiple teams, including the New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, and New York Mets, but had four separate tenures with the Athletics. He was a ten-time All-Star and won the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) award in 1990. Henderson holds MLB records for career stolen bases (1,406), runs scored (2,295), and leadoff home runs.His single-season record of 130 stolen bases in 1982 remains unmatched.

Beyond his base-stealing prowess, Henderson was known for his charismatic personality and profound impact on the game, often referred to as the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.

Tragically, Rickey Henderson passed away on December 20, 2024, at the age of 65, due to complications from pneumonia.His death marks a significant loss to the baseball community, as he was widely regarded as one of the most dynamic and influential players in the sport's history.
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