Rickey Henderson, one of the most celebrated MLB stars ever, is dead at the age of 65.
Henderson’s death was confirmed by Negro Leagues Baseball Museum president Bob Kendrick on X.
Saddened by the passing of our friend, Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff hitter in @MLB history! Was proud to induct him into our Hall of Game in 2015 along with Fergie Jenkins, Ozzie Smith and the late Luis Tiant. Condolences to his family, friends and legion of fans! pic.twitter.com/ZlVyjHwETY
— Bob Kendrick (@nlbmprez) December 21, 2024
TMZ reported that Henderson died Friday after a brief bout with pneumonia, for which he had been recently hospitalized. He had made a number of public appearances recently, and was a major part of the ceremonies surrounding the Athletics’ final games in Oakland this past season.
Henderson is widely considered the greatest leadoff hitter of all time, and is remembered for both his outspoken nature and his on-field accomplishments. His 1,406 career stolen bases are the most in MLB history and stand as a record that is unlikely to be broken anytime soon. In a remarkable 25 MLB seasons, he was a .279 lifetime hitter with 297 career home runs. All but four of them came out of the leadoff spot.
Henderson is most associated with the Oakland A’s, where he played 14 of his 25 seasons. He won AL MVP honors in 1990 as a member of the team, and was a part of the team’s 1989 World Series championship. He won another title in 1993 as a member of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Henderson was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame overwhelmingly in 2009, his first year of eligibility.
