Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer of all time, has died, the league announced on Saturday. He was 65.
Henderson played for nine teams during a 25-year career spanning 1979-2003. He is the all-time leader in runs scored (2,295), stolen bases (1,406), and leadoff home runs (81), among other things. Henderson retired with 3,055 hits and 297 home runs, and he helped the 1989 Oakland Athletics and 1993 Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series.
As the baseball world began to mourn Henderson, an outpouring of tributes and heartfelt messages came in from former teammates and players, and others in baseball. On social media, fellow Hall of Famer Dave Winfield wrote, “I still cannot believe I’ve lost one of my favorite teammates and great friend Rickey Henderson. Rest in peace.”
Wade Boggs, who competed against Henderson throughout the 1980s and 1990s, and stood alongside him at Hall of Fame induction weekend many times over the years, called Rickey one of the greatest to ever play the game.
Hall of Famer Mike Piazza shared a similar sentiment:
Don Mattingly, a teammate of Henderson’s with the Yankees, called him the “best player” he ever played with.
“Rickey was simply the best player I ever played with. He could change the outcome of a game in so many ways. It puts a smile on my face just thinking about him. I will miss my friend,” Mattingly said in a statement.Â
Willie Randolph, another teammate of Henderson with the Yankees, said the same.
“People always ask me who was the best player I’ve played with. I played with so many tremendous players through the years that I hate picking just one. But pound for pound, Rickey Henderson was the greatest player I ever played with,” Randolph said. “He possessed so many talents that could positively impact the outcome of a game. I’m going to treasure the memories Rickey and I shared together. He was a special man.”
Longtime MLB manager Buck Showalter said Henderson was “one of a kind.”
“I played against Rickey when he was with Jersey City in the Eastern League in 1978. He batted .310 but didn’t hit a home run in 133 games. People don’t realize how dedicated he was to being the best he could be. He took great care of his body and was ahead of his time in nutrition and conditioning. In my opinion, he was the best leadoff hitter of all time,” Showalter said.Â
“He was in my first big league camp, and my first time throwing to big league hitters was to his batting group. He had a strike zone the size of a thimble, and I had never seen anyone run the way he did, with powerful strides that were fluid and violent at the same time. As a young coach working with the outfielders, Rickey laughed easily and made me feel comfortable. I can’t believe he’s gone. He was one of a kind.”
Here are a few more reactions to Henderson’s death: