Baseball Corridor of Famer and stolen base king Rickey Henderson has handed away. He was 65. Henderson’s good friend and teammate Dave Winfield was amongst these to announce the tragic information, which was later confirmed by the New York Publish.
Henderson was born in Chicago on Christmas Day in 1958. Nonetheless, he spent a lot of his childhood in Oakland. The Athletics arrived within the metropolis not lengthy after Henderson, and as soon as he completed highschool, his hometown workforce referred to as his title within the fourth spherical of the 1976 MLB draft. Three years after that, he arrived on the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum to make his main league debut.
Following an underwhelming rookie season, Henderson broke out with a celebrity efficiency in 1980. The 21-year-old outfielder confirmed off terrific bat-to-ball expertise and a pointy eye on the plate, rating third amongst certified batters in stroll price and OBP. In fact, he put that OBP to good use, main the majors with 100 stolen bases. It was the primary of seven instances he would lead the majors in steals. He additionally made his first of 10 All-Star groups that summer time and completed tenth in MVP voting that fall. Looking back, nevertheless, he deserved to complete a lot increased. In keeping with each FanGraphs and Baseball Reference, the one AL participant with a better WAR that season was MVP George Brett.
Henderson was even higher in his third season, the strike-shortened 1981 marketing campaign. He led the majors in runs scored and led the AL in hits and stolen bases. On the finish of the 12 months, he received a Gold Glove and a Silver Slugger. Nonetheless, he was nonetheless, arguably, neglected in MVP voting. He completed a detailed second behind Brewers nearer Rollie Fingers, however fashionable stats like fWAR and bWAR recommend he was the most efficient participant within the American League that season. Certainly, this was typically the story of Henderson’s profession. He was persistently wonderful 12 months in and 12 months out, and though he acquired no scarcity of reward and acclaim, he was nonetheless in some way neglected. He made 10 All-Star groups and received three Silver Sluggers, one Gold Glove, and one MVP. But, all that may not have been sufficient to correctly acknowledge his greatness.
Henderson grew to become a star in his early twenties. He remained productive on the sector into his forties. Over his 15 finest seasons from 1980-94, he was nearly undeniably the most effective participant in baseball. Whether or not you take a look at runs scored, stolen bases, fWAR, or bWAR, no different participant was anyplace near as productive. Along with his mixture of pace, defensive vary, contact expertise, plate self-discipline, and ultimately above-average energy, he might affect a ballgame in all types of the way. He’s finest remembered because the all-time and modern-era single-season stolen base chief, however he additionally holds the all-time MLB data for runs, unintentional walks, and leadoff house runs.
Along with these profession accolades, Henderson was a transformational participant within the postseason. A two-time World Sequence champion who hoisted the Commissioner’s Trophy for each Oakland in 1989 and Toronto in 1993, his 11 stolen bases in the course of the 1989 postseason is tied with Kenny Lofton for probably the most steals by a participant in a single postseason, and his 33 profession steals within the playoffs had been probably the most by a participant in historical past till Lofton broke that document in the course of the 2007 ALCS.
Along with the havoc Henderson prompted on the basepaths, he was a prolific hitter when the lights had been brightest with a .284/.389/.441 slash line in 60 postseason video games. Spectacular as that work within the playoffs is, Henderson’s work throughout his 14 profession World Sequence video games boggles the thoughts: he hit .339/.448/.607 with extra walks than strikeouts whereas going seven-for-nine on the basepaths. These unbelievable numbers translate to a 194 wRC+ that leaves him sandwiched between Babe Ruth (195) and Lou Gehrig (194) on the profession leaderboard for wRC+ within the World Sequence amongst gamers who made at the least 60 journeys to the plate in the course of the Fall Basic.
Whereas Henderson was the best participant of the ’80s and early ’90s, the legend of the sport saved his profession going properly previous the age the place most gamers grasp up the spikes. After his age-35 season in Oakland, Henderson went on to play in an extra 1,001 video games within the majors whereas bouncing between the A’s, Padres, Angels, Mets, Mariners, Padres, Purple Sox, and Dodgers. These ultimate 9 years of Henderson’s profession had been naturally not on the extent of his seemingly superhuman peak in Oakland the Bronx, however he remained a productive participant by means of the tip of his main league profession. From 1995 by means of 2003, Henderson hit .254/.390/.369 with a 111 wRC+ whereas swiping 289 luggage, making him properly above common each on the plate and on the basepaths. Even throughout his 30-game stint with the Dodgers on the age of 44, Henderson produced above replacement-level worth in keeping with each Fangraphs (0.1 fWAR) and Baseball Reference (0.2 bWAR).
Henderson continued enjoying in Unbiased Leagues even after he performed his ultimate main league sport as posted an .897 OPS within the Atlantic League and an .856 OPS within the Golden League earlier than calling it a profession in 2005 on the age of 46. The love of the sport that prompted him to proceed enjoying in indy ball following the tip of his large league profession additionally led him to depart the door open to returning to a significant league subject even after his enjoying days had been behind him. He maintained an curiosity in suiting up for a significant league workforce once more after being employed by the Mets as a hitting teacher in 2006 and famously urged following his first-ballot induction into the Corridor of Fame again in 2009 that even on the age of fifty he could lead on the league in stolen bases.
It’s that coronary heart and love of the sport that endeared Henderson to his teammates, coaches, and all these across the sport who interacted with him whereas making him beloved by hundreds of thousands of followers around the globe. Henderson’s otherworldly expertise and keenness for the sport led him to gather 3,055 hits, steal 1,406 bases, rating 2,295 runs, swat 873 extra-base hits, and handle a profession .401 on-base share in his 3,081 video games as a significant league participant. MLBTR extends our condolences to Henderson’s household, pals, and teammates as we be part of the remainder of the baseball world in mourning his passing.
