⚾ 🥎 Rickey Henderson, MLB's greatest base stealer and widely considered its greatest leadoff hitter, has died at the age of 65.

Rickey Henderson, 'greatest of all time,' dies at 65

Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer in MLB history, died Friday. He was 65.

www.espn.com

 

[TerryP]

Ricky was playing back when I was a big MLB fan. I've never been an A's fan but I've always been a Ricky fan.

Funny, with that franchise...I think about the best players that have been through there and I think of Rollie and I think of Eckerslay. Reggie played there, but he will always be a Yankee.

Speaking of the A's ... when I was playing Little League as a kid the ball glove I was using was from Vida Blue merch.

 

[mando]

@TerryP from your post I know you grew up in Huntsville so you know the Huntsville stars were affiliated with the A's. Did you make it to the games when they cam to Joe Davis staidum back in the 80's? I know Conseco was on the team then I assume Ricky was also but do not recall for certain.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

Ricky was playing back when I was a big MLB fan. I've never been an A's fan but I've always been a Ricky fan.

Funny, with that franchise...I think about the best players that have been through there and I think of Rollie and I think of Eckerslay. Reggie played there, but he will always be a Yankee.

Speaking of the A's ... when I was playing Little League as a kid the ball glove I was using was from Vida Blue merch.

I was big As fan. And they were aaa in Birmingham ....oakland/kc ...cant remember which..came to rickwood in Birmingham....and played exhibition game....

Man it was sold out. All stars played .... blue moon odom...campy campineres???....
Vida blue... mid 60s...... if i thought hard i could remember others...65/64 maybe...
What a night...... haven't thought about that night in years...

I am sue when ricky died...he went out fast...he did everything fast

 

[Rolltide24]

Huge Henderson fan. Every number I’ve ever worn on organized teams was 24, baseball, basketball, softball the last 25 years, etc. I’m going to break out my card collection after church, I’ve got 100 or so of his cards, 2 are the rookie Topps card. When I was a kid, on Christmas mornings I’d tell my family it was Rickey Henderson’s birthday. They didn’t appreciate that like I did. And like they should have! I even molded my batting stance to be like his until my coach made me stand up a little more my sophomore year. He was an absolute beast, legs as thick as tree trunks. Wish I’d had the chance to cross paths with him and shake his hand.

 

[TerryP]

@TerryP from your post I know you grew up in Huntsville so you know the Huntsville stars were affiliated with the A's. Did you make it to the games when they cam to Joe Davis staidum back in the 80's? I know Conseco was on the team then I assume Ricky was also but do not recall for certain.

No. I didn't. They played their first game a few weeks before I graduated high school and I moved to Memphis within a matter of a few days.

I remember Canseco was on that first squad H-ville put together. I remember he hit a slammer in their teams' debut game.

 

[SnakeFan]

As a kid I remember coming home from school and watching playoff/world series games. Vida Blue, Rollie Fingers…The Mobile paper did an article about the A’s owner, Charlie Finley? staying in Point Clear. Which I thought was cool back then. When I was in the Navy, my first ship was homeported in Alameda; say a few games in 82 & 83. Came back through in late 89/early 90 and saw the Bash Brothers. I saw Ricky steal bases live. Guy was cagey fast. Gave pitchers and catchers fits.

 

[Brandon Van de Graaff]

Ricky and Pete in the same year doesn't seem right. There's a lot of great Ricky stories out there, a couple of which are urban legends, but all of which are great.

Here's one told by my all time favorite, Will Clark...



Another from Harold Reynolds...

 

[rick4bama]

Ricky was playing back when I was a big MLB fan. I've never been an A's fan but I've always been a Ricky fan.

Funny, with that franchise...I think about the best players that have been through there and I think of Rollie and I think of Eckerslay. Reggie played there, but he will always be a Yankee.

Speaking of the A's ... when I was playing Little League as a kid the ball glove I was using was from Vida Blue merch.

I watch Jackson play with the A's and when he with the free agent way. He almost came to the Braves. But he wanted Hank number and the Braves told him no. So he when to the Yankees. yes he will always be a Yankees. Ricky I love to watch him sealing bases. RIP.

 

[Rolltide24]

Funny Henderson quotes:
“Nothing is impossible for Rickey. You don’t have enough fingers and toes to count Rickey out.”

“Kevin, this is Rickey calling on behalf of Rickey. Rickey wants to play baseball.”

When asked about someone estimating that 50% of baseball players were using steroids “well, Rickey is not one of them, so that’s 49% right there”.

Interestingly, Henderson walked in the 9th inning of game 6 of the 1993 World Series to set up Joe Carter’s walk off, series winning, home run. The reliever Mitch Williams went to a slide step pitching motion that he’d not used before because of Henderson being on base. He later said his pitching coach made him switch to that motion once Henderson got on. He was not comfortable using it and said his velocity was not the same in that motion. After a pop up and a single by another player, we know what Carter did.

 

[Rsedge72]

 

[alabama mike]

He was also one of the best, if not the best leadoff hitters.

 

[50+yeartidefan]

He was also one of the best, if not the best leadoff hitters.

Copy that

 

[TerryP]

He was also one of the best, if not the best leadoff hitters.

Who would could you rank higher?

 

[mando]

Who would could you rank higher?

I was a fan of Rod Carew and was thinking he hit lead off but did a quick google and it showed that he hit in the 2nd and 3rd hole mostly but did leadoff some. He had great stats also but Henderson hit with more power and certainly had more stolen bases.

 

[Rolltide24]

Henderson walked to lead off an inning well over 700 times. He had more walks to lead off an inning than some hall of famers had career walks. And the last things pitchers wanted to do was walk him to lead off an inning.