Rickey Henderson, known affectionately as the “Man of Steal” was the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer in Major League Baseball history, known for his fearless, flamboyant playing style, “blazing speed, discerning eye and unusual home run power” will be remembered for thrilling fans and players alike for 25 consecutive seasons.
Rickey Nelson Henley was born on December 25, 1958, in Chicago, Illinois to John L. Henley and Bobbie Henley, a nurse during a Christmas snowstorm. He was named Rickey Nelson Henley, after the pioneer in country rock, singer-actor Ricky Nelson. Henley was the fourth of his mother’s five boys. According to the family, Henley’s mother delivered him with the help of a nurse outside a hospital, in the backseat of her Oldsmobile. When his father arrived at the hospital, demanding to see his wife, nurses told him, "Calm down! The boy's already in the back seat." Throughout his career, Henley would relay the story as proof that he was destined to be baseball's greatest base stealer, stating "I was born fast."
In 1960, when he was two years old, his father left the family and moved to Oakland, California. Henley’s mother left Chicago and moved the family to her mother's farm in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. Henderson lived in Pine Bluff while his mother looked for work in California until he was seven years old.
In his 1992 autobiography, Off Base, when speaking about living on his grandmother’s farm in Pine Bluff, Henley wrote, "The chickens were my favorite. I could play with those chickens all day long. I'd chase them, then they'd chase me. Man, those chickens were fast. Put dozens of chickens together in one coop, and they run every which way. I had to be fast to keep up with them, but there wasn't a chicken on that entire farm that could outrun me. And I was teeny-weeny. I think that's when Momma realized I would be faster than most kids." At seven, his mother relocated the family to Oakland, California. His mother married Paul Henderson in Henley’s junior year of high school and the family adopted the Henderson surname.
Henderson attended Oakland Technical High School, following in the footsteps of baseball greats Joe Morgan, Curt Flood, Vada Pinson, and Frank Robinson. Henderson wasn’t just good at baseball. He was a standout on the football field and the basketball court. He received numerous scholarships and was heavily recruited to college football teams. Though Henderson preferred football and dreamed of being drafted by the Oakland Raiders, he followed his mother’s advice, choosing baseball over football. In 1976, he was drafted in the fourth round of the Major League Baseball draft by his hometown Oakland Athletics.
While Henderson was in his senior year at Oakland Tech, he met Pamela Palmer, a freshman who kept statistics for the track and football teams. The two dated and would be together for the next 50 years. In 1983, the two high school sweethearts married. They went on to have three daughters, Angela, Alexis, and Adrianna.
In 1979, Henderson made his major-league debut with the Athletics (A's). In 1980, he earned the first of his 10 All-Star selections. In 1981 he won the Golden Glove while playing left field with the A’s. In 1989, he won the MLB World Series with the Athletics. In 1993, he won the World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays. In 1989, Henderson was the American League Championship Series Most Valuable Player. In 1990, he was MLB’s Most Valuable Player, when the A's made their third straight World Series.
Henderson had an incredible 25-year MLB career, playing with the Oakland Athletics (1979-1984, 1989-93, 1994-95, 1998), New York Yankees (1985-89), Toronto Blue Jays (1993), San Diego Padres (1996-97, 2001), Anaheim Angels (1997), New York Mets (1999-2000), Seattle Mariners (2001), Boston Red Sox (2002) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2003). In 2003, he played four stints with the A’s before retiring.
During his career, Henderson is the only player with more than 1,000 career stolen bases (1,406). In second place was El Dorado, Arkansas-born Lou Brock, who had 938 career stolen bases. Henderson scored 2,295 runs, scoring 50 more than Ty Cobb in second place. He also batted .279 with 3,055 hits, 297 home runs, and 1,115 runs batted in. On July 26, 2009, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in front of 21,000 fans alongside Jim Rice and Joe Gordon.
On December 11, 2024, Henderson was one of the six initial inductees and All-Time Greats chosen by the Bill Carr Museum & Jefferson County Sports Hall of Fame, along with NFL linebacker and University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff Coach Monte Coleman, MLB outfielder Torii Hunter, Green Bay Packers wide receiver Don Hutson, NFL offensive tackle Willie Roaf and Pine Bluff High School multisport great Basil Shabazz.
On December 20, 2024, five days before his 66th birthday, Henderson died at a San Francisco hospital after fighting pneumonia. On December 21, his family released this statement confirming his death, "A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul," the statement from his wife Pamela and his three daughters read. "Rickey lived his life with integrity, and his love for baseball was paramount. Now, Rickey is at peace with the Lord, cherishing the extraordinary moments and achievements he leaves behind."
Henderson, known affectionately as the “Man of Steal” was the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer in Major League Baseball history, known for his fearless, flamboyant playing style, “blazing speed, discerning eye, and unusual home run power” will be remembered for thrilling fans and players alike for 25 consecutive seasons.
Sources:
www.pbcommercial.com - Henderson, baseball’s stolen base leader who once lived in Pine Bluff, dies at 65
Written by: Ninfa O. Barnard