In Memoriam: Rickey Henderson
About Rickey Henderson, author Bill James once wrote, “If you could split him in two, you’d have two Hall of Famers. The greatest base stealer of all time, the greatest power/speed combination of all time (except maybe Barry Bonds), the greatest leadoff man of all time. … Without exaggerating one inch, you could find fifty Hall of Famers who, all taken together, don’t own as many records, and as many important records, as Rickey Henderson.”
Henderson set the single-season mark for stolen bases when he was 23 years old, he broke the career steals record in his early 30s, and he was still reaching base — and then stealing more of them — in nearly half of his plate appearances in his mid-40s, toiling in independent professional leagues with teammates who weren’t born yet by the time he made his major-league debut with his hometown Oakland Athletics in 1979.
Henderson — who died at the age of 65 on December 20, 2024 — spent 25 seasons in the big leagues, earning admirers and winning over critics with his flashy play and generous personality.
His numbers are extraordinary enough on their own. He was the all-time career record holder at the time of his last game in 2003 in stolen bases (1,406), runs scored (2,295), and walks (2,190). He also had 3,055 hits, 510 doubles, and 297 home runs, including a record 81 when leading off a game, in 3,081 games played. He won a Gold Glove Award, three Silver Sluggers, an American League Championship Series MVP award in 1989, and an overall league MVP in 1990. He was a catalyst for two World Series-winning teams, the Oakland A’s in 1989 and the Toronto Blue Jays in 1993. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
But it’s all the stories about Rickey Henderson on and off the field that leave the most lasting memories. Talking in the third person. His signature “snap” catch that he first unveiled to close out a teammate’s no-hitter. The million-dollar bonus check that he framed on the wall. Sliding into home plate to set the runs-scored record. Offering to bench himself to keep the spotlight on Tony Gwynn’s final game, then reaching the 3,000-hit milestone the same day.
Above all, his public proclamation that he was the “greatest of all time” immediately after he surpassed Lou Brock with his 939th career stolen base in 1991. The simple but accurate statement, delivered with Brock looking on in attendance, struck some observers as boastful and disrespectful. Henderson later said he regretted how the words came out and tried to make amends by emphasizing his gratitude and humility during his Hall of Fame induction speech. Then he spent the next decade resetting the record books every time he reached base. His 467 stolen bases after he broke Brock’s record would rank in the top 50 all-time on their own.
Rickey’s words may have rankled some, but he was only telling the truth. He was the son of a single mother and product of Oakland Technical High School who grew up to have the field in Oakland named after him. He was the undersized speedster who forced opposing teams to change every game plan to account for his unique abilities. He played longer and better than just about anyone who has ever put on a baseball uniform.
Lou Brock himself said it best on the day Henderson broke his record: “Today you are the greatest competitor that ever ran the bases in the big leagues.”
Photos: SABR-Rucker Archive.
Originally published: December 22, 2024. Last Updated: December 22, 2024.