<p>Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/report-rickey-henderson-has-passed-away-at-the-age-of-65">passed away</a> yesterday morning, leaving a legacy that will live on in baseball lore. The &#8216;Man of Steal&#8217; was set to turn 66 years old on Christmas Day, passing away after a brief battle with pneumonia.</p>
<p>A quick trip to Henderson&#8217;s <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henderi01.shtml">Baseball Reference</a> page makes it abundantly clear how special and unique of a player he was. Major League Baseball&#8217;s career record holder for steals (1406) and runs scored (2295), and second all-time in walks (2190), he set the gold standard for leadoff hitters over his 25-year career. The ten-time All-Star also blasted 297 career home runs, earning first ballot Hall of Fame entry in 2009 and a 111.1 bWAR &#8211; ranking 19th in MLB history.</p>
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<p>It&#8217;s unlikely that anyone will be able to put up the kind of stolen base volume that Henderson produced during his career, even with the new stolen base rules. He stole 100 bases in a single season three times, leading the AL 12 times, including seven straight seasons from 1980-1986. He ended his career with 468 more steals than Lou Brock, who remains a distant second on the all-time list. He truly changed the game when it came to baserunning, having the ability to go whenever he wanted to, many times stealing both second and third after getting on base to start an inning.</p>
<p>Drafted in the fourth round of the 1976 draft, Henderson holds the distinction of throwing left-handed while batting right-handed. He&#8217;s one of only 70 players in MLB history to do that, another thing that made him a unicorn on the diamond.</p>
<p>Sports Illustrated&#8217;s Joe Posnanski shared a mind-boggling stat from his 2021 book <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Baseball-100-Joe-Posnanski/dp/1982180587">The Baseball 100</a>, in which he ranks Henderson as his 24th greatest player in baseball history. Posnanski mentions how he walked 796 times while leading off an inning. This is more walks than other Hall of Famers like Roberto Clemente, Kirby Puckett, and others had in their entire careers. When considering the game-changing speed that Henderson possessed, pitchers would have been on high alert not to put him on base, especially when the bases were empty. The fact that he was still able to walk that many times to open a frame is one of the wildest stats in baseball history.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">&quot;Who taught you that? I&#39;ve never heard that!&quot;</p>
<p>Rickey = the 🐐 <a href="https://t.co/ibK8QpqgfE">pic.twitter.com/ibK8QpqgfE</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1870628889644425587?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 22, 2024</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>The numbers certainly put into perspective just how great the &#8216;Style Dog&#8217; was, but it doesn&#8217;t tell the whole story of him as a player. He was truly one of the larger-than-life characters in the game, with his extreme confidence and cool demeanour making him one of the more beloved players of his generation. Many would argue that his confidence came off as cockiness, especially considering that he famously referred to himself in the third person. But this was all part of the package with Rickey Henderson. He was as much of an entertainer as he was a baseball player.</p>
<p>Having gone to high school in Oakland, Henderson was a natural fit as the face of the Oakland Athletics. Easily the most famous and revered player in team history, he had four separate stints with the club over his career. Something is sadly poetic about the fact that Henderson passed away mere months after the team played its <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/mlb-notebook-athletics-leave-oakland-with-an-emotional-win">final game in Oakland</a>. In the penultimate home series of the season, the team gave out Rickey Henderson bobbleheads and he and Dave Stewart threw out the final ceremonial first pitches at the Coliseum.</p>
<p>Blue Jays fans will remember the Hall of Famer from his half-season stint with the club during the World Series winning team of 1993. He was standing on second base when Joe Carter hit his famous walk-off home run. Many credit Henderson for the home run, since he was distracting Philadelphia Phillies closer Mitch Williams to the extent that he was rushing his delivery to Carter using a slide step and ultimately hung a slider to the Jays slugger.</p>
<p>Given the confidence and bravado, and especially his speaking in the third person, it&#8217;s easy for someone to conclude that all Henderson cared about was himself. What&#8217;s often not spoken about is the generosity that he displayed throughout his career. In Mike Piazza&#8217;s <a href="https://x.com/FoolishBB/status/1870554728540610647">autobiography</a>, he explained how Henderson was the most generous guy he ever played with. Bonus pool money is given out to teams for playoff or World Series appearances and then divided up amongst the teams. There are always ballpark employees and &#8216;fringe&#8217; people who may receive a small portion, but Henderson would <a href="https://x.com/mitchellfchan/status/1870638995551469831">fight for them</a> to get a full share.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Everyone knows about Joe Carter’s homer. But who was on second? RICKEY.<a href="https://twitter.com/NewEraCap?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NewEraCap</a> <a href="https://t.co/Ya1LOVsuIN">pic.twitter.com/Ya1LOVsuIN</a></p>
<p>&mdash; MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/893155025257611264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 3, 2017</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p>
<p>Whenever a Major League legend dies, something special happens afterwards. Stories, highlights, and random anecdotes all make their way onto social media, allowing the superstardom of that player to shine bright as people from all corners of the sport share what that player meant to them.</p>
<p>For fans who lived through the greatness, it&#8217;s a chance to reminisce on memories and relive what it was like to watch them play. For younger fans, it may be the first time that they are exposed to that player&#8217;s greatness. We saw an outpouring of kind words and legendary stories about Willie Mays when he passed away in June. Six months later, it&#8217;s now Rickey&#8217;s turn to be back in the spotlight. While it&#8217;s unfortunately due to his passing, that&#8217;s where he&#8217;s always been the most comfortable and fans will always remember him for the amazing player that he was &#8211; the &#8216;Man of Steal&#8217;.</p>
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Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/report-rickey-henderson-has-passed-away-at-the-age-of-65">passed away</a> yesterday morning, leaving a legacy that will live on in baseball lore. The 'Man of Steal' was set to turn 66 years old on Christmas Day, passing away after a brief battle with pneumonia.

A quick trip to Henderson's <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henderi01.shtml">Baseball Reference</a> page makes it abundantly clear how special and unique of a player he was. Major League Baseball's career record holder for steals (1406) and runs scored (2295), and second all-time in walks (2190), he set the gold standard for leadoff hitters over his 25-year career. The ten-time All-Star also blasted 297 career home runs, earning first ballot Hall of Fame entry in 2009 and a 111.1 bWAR - ranking 19th in MLB history.
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It's unlikely that anyone will be able to put up the kind of stolen base volume that Henderson produced during his career, even with the new stolen base rules. He stole 100 bases in a single season three times, leading the AL 12 times, including seven straight seasons from 1980-1986. He ended his career with 468 more steals than Lou Brock, who remains a distant second on the all-time list. He truly changed the game when it came to baserunning, having the ability to go whenever he wanted to, many times stealing both second and third after getting on base to start an inning.

Drafted in the fourth round of the 1976 draft, Henderson holds the distinction of throwing left-handed while batting right-handed. He's one of only 70 players in MLB history to do that, another thing that made him a unicorn on the diamond.

Sports Illustrated's Joe Posnanski shared a mind-boggling stat from his 2021 book <a href="https://www.amazon.ca/Baseball-100-Joe-Posnanski/dp/1982180587">The Baseball 100</a>, in which he ranks Henderson as his 24th greatest player in baseball history. Posnanski mentions how he walked 796 times while leading off an inning. This is more walks than other Hall of Famers like Roberto Clemente, Kirby Puckett, and others had in their entire careers. When considering the game-changing speed that Henderson possessed, pitchers would have been on high alert not to put him on base, especially when the bases were empty. The fact that he was still able to walk that many times to open a frame is one of the wildest stats in baseball history.

https://twitter.com/MLBNetwork/status/1870628889644425587

The numbers certainly put into perspective just how great the 'Style Dog' was, but it doesn't tell the whole story of him as a player. He was truly one of the larger-than-life characters in the game, with his extreme confidence and cool demeanour making him one of the more beloved players of his generation. Many would argue that his confidence came off as cockiness, especially considering that he famously referred to himself in the third person. But this was all part of the package with Rickey Henderson. He was as much of an entertainer as he was a baseball player.

Having gone to high school in Oakland, Henderson was a natural fit as the face of the Oakland Athletics. Easily the most famous and revered player in team history, he had four separate stints with the club over his career. Something is sadly poetic about the fact that Henderson passed away mere months after the team played its <a href="https://bluejaysnation.com/news/mlb-notebook-athletics-leave-oakland-with-an-emotional-win">final game in Oakland</a>. In the penultimate home series of the season, the team gave out Rickey Henderson bobbleheads and he and Dave Stewart threw out the final ceremonial first pitches at the Coliseum.

Blue Jays fans will remember the Hall of Famer from his half-season stint with the club during the World Series winning team of 1993. He was standing on second base when Joe Carter hit his famous walk-off home run. Many credit Henderson for the home run, since he was distracting Philadelphia Phillies closer Mitch Williams to the extent that he was rushing his delivery to Carter using a slide step and ultimately hung a slider to the Jays slugger.

Given the confidence and bravado, and especially his speaking in the third person, it's easy for someone to conclude that all Henderson cared about was himself. What's often not spoken about is the generosity that he displayed throughout his career. In Mike Piazza's <a href="https://x.com/FoolishBB/status/1870554728540610647">autobiography</a>, he explained how Henderson was the most generous guy he ever played with. Bonus pool money is given out to teams for playoff or World Series appearances and then divided up amongst the teams. There are always ballpark employees and 'fringe' people who may receive a small portion, but Henderson would <a href="https://x.com/mitchellfchan/status/1870638995551469831">fight for them</a> to get a full share.

https://twitter.com/MLB/status/893155025257611264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E893155025257611264%7Ctwgr%5Ecf26e2c9749abd015cb4abb20cf58e86fb65e85e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fjaysjournal.com%2F2017%2F08%2F05%2Fblue-jays-rickey-henderson-takes-credit-for-joe-carters-home-run%2F

Whenever a Major League legend dies, something special happens afterwards. Stories, highlights, and random anecdotes all make their way onto social media, allowing the superstardom of that player to shine bright as people from all corners of the sport share what that player meant to them.

For fans who lived through the greatness, it's a chance to reminisce on memories and relive what it was like to watch them play. For younger fans, it may be the first time that they are exposed to that player's greatness. We saw an outpouring of kind words and legendary stories about Willie Mays when he passed away in June. Six months later, it's now Rickey's turn to be back in the spotlight. While it's unfortunately due to his passing, that's where he's always been the most comfortable and fans will always remember him for the amazing player that he was - the 'Man of Steal'.

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Appreciating Rickey Henderson’s legacy as a player and larger-than-life character

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