RIP Rickey Henderson

Rickey Henderson, baseball’s all time stolen base leader and the greatest leadoff batter in major league history, died in San Francisco on December 21st, 2024, five days short of his 66th birthday. Henderson died at the University of California Medical Center, where he had been battling pneumonia.

Born in Chicago on Christmas Day 1958, Henderson spent most of his time growing up in Oakland, California. He was drafted by his home town Oakland Athletics in 1976, and made his major league debut on June 24th, 1979. In 89 games that year, Henderson hit .274 with a homer and 26 RBIs, plus 33 stolen bases. In 1980, he stole 100 bases while hitting .303 and drawing 117 walks for an on base percentage of .420. In 1982, Henderson stole 130 bases, breaking Lou Brock’s 12 year old single season record of 118 steals. He stole 108 the following season, his final year hitting triple digits. He stole 60 or more seven more times in his career, including a league leading 66 at age 39. He lead the American league in steals 12 times.

Henderson also led the American League in walks four times, led the league in runs scored five times and had a lifetime on base percentage of .401, all great data points for a leadoff man. But he could also hit for power at the top of the order, with 14 or more homers in 10 seasons, including as many as 28 in 1986 and 1990. He was the American League Most Valuable Player in that 1990 season. Henderson led the American League in steals with 65, and led the majors with 119 runs, .439 on base percentage, and a 1.016 OPS. He also hit a career high .325.

Henderson played for Oakland 14 years in four different stints. He also played for both the New York Yankees and Mets, the Toronto Blue Jays, the San Diego Padres, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, finally ending with 30 games with the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2003 at age 44. Henderson is the all time career stolen base record holder with 1406. Lou Brock is second at 938. Starling Marte of the Mets is the active player leader with 354. Henderson also is the career leader for runs scored with 2295. Henderson played in three World Series, two with Oakland (winning it in 1989, losing in 1990), and winning with Toronto in 1993. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.