Baseball world mourns loss of legendary Rickey Henderson
Credit: AP Photo
Former Padre and baseball legend Rickey Henderson passed away at the age of 65.
News broke on Saturday of the passing of Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He was one of those players where you needed only to say “Rickey,” and everyone in baseball knew to whom you referred. An eccentric personality, always good for a eye-grabbing quote, Henderson was many things, but never boring, on or off the field.
RIP Rickey Henderson 🙏
▫️10x All-Star
▫️2x World Series Champion
▫️All-Time Stolen Base Leader
▫️All-Time Runs Scored Leader
▫️1990 AL MVP
▫️3x Silver Slugger
▫️First Ballot Hall of Famer pic.twitter.com/CkhCrVj9sl— FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX) December 21, 2024
He played for the San Diego Padres on two different occasions. The Padres signed him as a free agent ahead of the 1996 season. He was a main cog of that Padres squad that won 91 games and the NL West. Henderson led that talented team in walks and stolen bases. As the team faded down the stretch the following season, San Diego dealt him to the Angels.
He would return to San Diego in 2001 to play alongside Tony Gwynn in Mr. Padre’s final season with the franchise. By then, he was 42 years old and past his prime. Yet, his final campaign with the Padres was literally one for the record books. He broke Babe Ruth‘s record of 2,062 career walks, Ty Cobb‘s record of 2,245 career runs, and Zack Wheat‘s record of 2,328 career games in left field.
The most memorable of all came on the final day of the season. It was supposed to be all about Tony Gwynn in his final home game of his own Hall of Fame career. However, in classic Henderson fashion, he stole a bit of that spotlight and collected his 3,000th career hit. He initially wanted to sit out the game to not distract from Gwynn’s swan song, but Mr. Padre wanted him in the lineup. The two legends shared an unforgettable game together that day at Qualcomm Stadium.
Henderson’s final career stats are eye-popping, to say the least. He still remains the all-time leader in runs scored with 2,295. For reference, the current active leader is Freddie Freeman, with 1,298.
Known for his prowess in stealing bases, his 1,406 career stolen bases may never be broken. Not unlike his single-season stolen base mark of 130, which he set in 1982 (MLB record post-1890). It boggles the mind to see he stole at least 100 bases in three separate seasons. He stole at least 50 bases in 13 different seasons.
If he is known for something else on the field other than stolen bases, it’s being an elite leadoff man. He still holds the record for career leadoff homers.
In 1990, he won the AL MVP with the Oakland Athletics. That year, he posted 9.9 WAR, with an MLB-leading 1.016 OPS and 189 OPS+. Overall, he earned 10 All-Star selections, winning three Silver Slugger Awards and a Gold Glove in left field.
He finished his career with a whopping 111.1 WAR. That is more than the likes of Mickey Mantle, Albert Pujols, Frank Robinson, and Cal Ripken Jr, and ranks 19th all-time.
You could make an argument that Henderson is one of the 15 best baseball players to ever leave. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame on his first try in 2009.
Native of Escondido, CA. Lived in San Diego area for 20 years. Padres fan since childhood (mid-90s). I have been writing since 2014. I currently live near Seattle, WA and am married to a Seattle sports girl. I wore #19 on my high school baseball team for Tony Gwynn. I am a stats and sports history nerd. I attended BYU on the Idaho campus. I also love Star Wars.