Rickey Henderson, Oakland A’s great and hall-of-famer, dead at 65

BY GREG LEE AND O. GLORIA OKORIE

OAKLAND, Calif. (KTVU-TV) - Oakland Athletics’ legend, MLB Hall-of-Famer and one of the greatest players in baseball history, Rickey Henderson has passed at the age of 65. 

His death was confirmed by MLB on FOX's ‘X’ account. 

Henderson was days shy of turning 66 on Christmas Day.

Born Rickey Nelson Henley Henderson, he was nicknamed "Man of Steal." Henderson played for nine teams from 1979 to 2003, including four separate stints with the A’s. 

His primary position was left fielder. Henderson led the American League in steals 12 times and went on to be the all-time record holder with 1,406, earning him his moniker.

Henderson also holds the MLB records for career stolen bases, runs, unintentional walks, and leadoff home runs. 

And that isn't the only record he holds. During his first season with the MLB, he broke the American league stolen base record of 96 with 100 swipes. Previously, the record was held by Ty Cobb with the American League for 65 years.

The Oakland native won the 1990 American League MVP and was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2009.

He was born in Chicago, Illinois on Dec. 25, 1958. Henderson spent most of his childhood in Oakland, graduating from Oakland Tech. He was a talented running back in high school, but he turned down multiple scholarships to sign with the Oakland A’s in 1976.

On the A's last day in Oakland, Henderson was in attendance.

After retiring from baseball in 2007, he continued to be a major part of the franchise, greeting fans, stopping by the stadium on game days to meet with players and staying close to the game he loved.