Rickey Henderson, MLB's all-time stolen base king, dies at 65

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Saturday, December 21, 2024 11:04PM
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Rickey Henderson, the baseball Hall of Famer who holds the record for most career stolen bases and played the last of his 25 Major League seasons for the Los Angeles Dodgers, has died at the age of 65 after a bout with pneumonia, according to multiple reports Saturday.

Henderson died Friday in the Oakland area, TMZ reported.

Henderson broke into the big leagues in 1979 with the Oakland A's, and enjoyed some of his best years for the team, including 1982, when he set the single-season record for stolen bases with 130.

For his career, Henderson stole 1,406 bases, far ahead of the No. 2 player, Lou Brock, who had 938.

In addition to his prowess on the basepaths, the Chicago native was one of the most feared leadoff hitters in the history of the game, compiling 3,055 hits and 297 home runs over his long career and twice smacking 28 home runs in a season.

Henderson also holds the record for most runs scored in a career with 2,295. He played for two World Series champions: The 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.

He also played 32 games for the Anaheim Angels in 1997.

In 2003, Henderson was called up by the Dodgers during the All-Star Break, batting .208 over 30 games in his last Major League action.

Dave Winfield, a fellow Hall of Famer who played for the Angels and San Diego Padres among other teams, confirmed the news of Henderson's passing.

"I still cannot believe I've lost one of my favorite teammates and great friend Rickey Henderson. Rest in peace,'' Winfield posted Saturday on
Instagram alongside a photo of the two of them.

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