ricky hendersonThe Major League Baseball Hall of Famer and the league's all-time stolen bases leader has died at the age of 65, MLB announced Saturday.,
MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred confirmed Henderson's death in a statement, calling him “the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting.”
Manfred wrote, “Ricky was one of the most accomplished and beloved athletics of all time.” “He also made an impact on so many other clubs during a career spanning a quarter of a century like no other. Ricky epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup. When we saw the game in recent years For the new rules, we had the Rickey Henderson era in mind.”
Jeff Chiu/AP
Henderson would have been 66 on Christmas Day.
No cause of death was immediately stated. Henderson's wife, Pamela Henderson, released a statement through the Oakland Athletics in which she described her husband as “a devoted son, father, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle and a truly gentle soul.”
He expressed on behalf of the family “our heartfelt gratitude to MLB, the Oakland A's and the incredible doctors and nurses at UCSF who cared for Ricky with dedication and compassion. Your prayers and kindness mean more than words.”
The Chicago native, nicknamed the “Man of Steel”, was one of the greatest players to wear an A's jersey and was widely considered one of the best leadoff hitters and base stealers in the history of the game. During his 25-year career, he compiled 2,055 hits, 297 home runs, and 1,115 RBI. His 1,406 stolen bases and 2,295 career runs left Major League Records,
He was a 10-time All-Star and won league MVP in 1990 with the A's, where he played the bulk of his career – 14 years over four different stints. He also spent seven years in New York – five with the Yankees and two with the Mets. He played with several other teams, including the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers.
Henderson won two World Series titles, one of which Oakland in 1989and again Toronto in 1993, After retiring from playing, Henderson coached for one year with the Mets.
He was inducted into Cooperstown as a First-ballot Hall of Famer in 2009And just six days later, the A's got his jersey back.