Baseball Hall-of-Famer Rickey Henderson dies at age 65

Dec. 21 (UPI) — Baseball Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, hailed as the greatest leadoff hitter and base-stealer in the sport’s history, has died at age 65, Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred announced Saturday.

Henderson, who was nicknamed the “Man of Steal” and accomplished his greatest feats while playing for the Oakland Athletics, died just short of his 66th birthday on Christmas Day.

“For multiple generations of baseball fans, Rickey Henderson was the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting,” Manfred said in a statement. “Rickey was one of the most accomplished and beloved Athletics of all-time. He also made an impact with many other clubs during a quarter-century career like no other.

“He epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup. When we considered new rules for the game in recent years, we had the era of Rickey Henderson in mind.”

His wife, Pamela Anderson, called him “a legend on and off the field.”

“Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul,” she said. “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.”

No cause of death was given, although TMZ reported he had been hospitalized with pneumonia.

Henderson played 14 of his 25 major league seasons with the Athletics. He also suited up for the Los Angeles Angels, New York Yankees, Toronto Blue Jays, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, and Los Angeles Dodgers.

He is MLB’s all-time stolen base leader with 1,406 bags. His 130 stolen bases for Oakland in 1982 set the single-season major league record.

Henderson also hit .279, with 297 career home runs, and won two Worlds Series titles, including one with the A’s in 1989.

He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009, with 94.8 percent of the vote on his first ballot.

“I love the game of baseball,” Henderson at his induction ceremony on July 26, 2009. “It is an honor to be inducted … and have my name next to players like Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Lou Gehrig, Roberto Clemente and the list goes on and on.”

In 2017, he was honored by the team when the field at the Oakland Coliseum was named “Rickey Henderson Field.”

“Rickey Henderson is the greatest Athletic of all time. It is fitting we honor and recognize his impact on our franchise by naming our playing field after him,” Oakland A’s president Dave Kaval said at the time.

Henderson was born in Chicago on Christmas Day 1958 and moved with his family to Oakland at the age of 7, where he grew up in the shadows of the Coliseum.

His first love was football while starring at Oakland Technical High School and he hoped to one day play for the Raiders. But he instead opted for baseball and was drafted by the A’s out of high school in the fourth round of the 1976 Draft.