Baseball

ificandream

(10,779 posts) Sat Dec 21, 2024, 02:45 PM Dec 21

Rickey Henderson, the greatest Oakland A's player of all time, has died at age 65 (East Bay Times/local paper)

By Laurence Miedema | lsmiedema@bayareanewsgroup.com | Bay Area News Group
UPDATED: December 21, 2024 at 11:40 AM PST

OAKLAND — Rickey Henderson, the Oakland kid who became the greatest leadoff hitter in baseball history and his hometown A’s biggest star has died.

Henderson would have turned 66 on Christmas Day.

After a frenzy of social media speculation overnight, multiple sources confirmed to the Bay Area News Group on Saturday morning that Henderson had died. The family is expected to make an announcement later in the day. Henderson had been in the hospital battling pneumonia, a source told the Bay Area News Group.

The left fielder with the unmistakable crouched batting stance and affable swagger set MLB career records with 2,295 runs and 1,406 stolen bases and is the single-season stolen base king. He was enshrined into the Hall of Fame in 2009, his first year of eligibility.

Read more: https://www.eastbaytimes.com/2024/12/21/rickey-henderson-oakland-as-died-yankees-hall-of-fame-mvp-man-of-steal/

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Rickey Henderson, the greatest Oakland A's player of all time, has died at age 65 (East Bay Times/local paper) (Original Post) ificandream Dec 21 OP

Played for my Mariners for a couple of seasons...so young...nt Wounded Bear Dec 21 #1

Holy cow, I didn't see this coming, Great ball player chicoescuela Dec 21 #2

Terrible news BeyondGeography Dec 21 #3

He wasn't shy about reminding everyone that he was the best base stealer of all time True Dough Dec 21 #4

Wow! This is a shocker. RIP, Rickey. LoisB Dec 21 #5

Biggest ego in baseball WestMichRad Dec 21 #6

Never saw a better leadoff hitter ... Auggie Dec 21 #7

He seemed invincible DeeDeeNY Dec 21 #8

Wounded Bear

(60,851 posts)

1. Played for my Mariners for a couple of seasons...so young...nt

Reply to ificandream (Original post)

Sat Dec 21, 2024, 02:47 PM

Dec 21

chicoescuela

(1,654 posts)

2. Holy cow, I didn't see this coming, Great ball player

Reply to ificandream (Original post)

Sat Dec 21, 2024, 02:48 PM

Dec 21

BeyondGeography

(40,072 posts)

3. Terrible news

Reply to ificandream (Original post)

Sat Dec 21, 2024, 02:51 PM

Dec 21

If there was a more exciting baseball player in the last 50+ years than Rickey it would be news to me. I watched him on the telly and then many times in person in NY. He was so much fun, as a player and a person, and his talent-level was otherworldly. What a loss.

True Dough

(20,924 posts)

4. He wasn't shy about reminding everyone that he was the best base stealer of all time

Reply to ificandream (Original post)

Sat Dec 21, 2024, 02:54 PM

Dec 21

RIP, Rickey!

LoisB

(9,025 posts)

5. Wow! This is a shocker. RIP, Rickey.

Reply to ificandream (Original post)

Sat Dec 21, 2024, 02:59 PM

Dec 21

WestMichRad

(1,896 posts)

6. Biggest ego in baseball

Reply to ificandream (Original post)

Sat Dec 21, 2024, 03:18 PM

Dec 21

… with terrific talent to go with it. Not only the top base stealer of all time, but maybe the best leadoff hitter the game has seen. He may still hold the all time record for 1st inning leadoff homers, although I think Kyle Schwarber is getting close to Henderson’s mark.

Bummer to lose him so soon. RIP Rickey.