Obituaries Obits
Baseball legend Rickey Henderson prior to the Major League Baseball game between the Los Angeles Angels and the Oakland Athletics on March 28, 2019 in Oakland. (Photo by Cody Glenn/Icon Sportswire)

Rickey Henderson, the baseball Hall of Famer who holds the record for most career stolen bases and most runs scored has died at the age of 65.

He died on Friday. The team with which he perhaps was most associated, the Oakland A’s, said Saturday they were “shocked and heartbroken by his passing,” but did not specify a cause of death.

The often flashy star also had two stints with the Padres – and hit major milestones while in San Diego.

“We mourn the passing of former Padres legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson …” the Padres posted on social media. “Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time.”

Henderson, born on Christmas Day in Chicago, grew up in Oakland and broke into the big leagues in 1979 with the A’s. He enjoyed some of his best years in the Bay area, 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, Henderson 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.

Henderson signed with the Padres as a free agent prior to the 1996 season and hit .241 in 148 games, with 37 stolen bases and 110 runs scored.

The Padres traded him to the Angels in August 1997, but he signed another free-agent deal with San Diego prior to the 2001 season.

He appeared in 123 games for the Padres in 2001, batting .227 with 25 stolen bases and 70 runs scored. He broke Ty Cobb’s record for runs scored with a home run late that season. And on the season’s final day, Henderson collected his 3,000th career hit, a double off Rockies pitcher John Thomson.

In 2003, Henderson was called up by the Dodgers during the All-Star Break, batting .208 over 30 games in his final season of Major League action. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2009.

Dave Winfield, a fellow Hall of Famer who began his career with the Padres, 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.

Former A’s general manager Sandy Alderson called Henderson “the best player I ever saw play. He did it all — hit, hit for power, stole bases, and defended — and he did it with a flair that enthused his fans and infuriated his opponents.”

Henderson is the third baseball Hall of Famer with ties to the Bay Area who died this year, following former Willie Mays and Orlando Cepeda. The former Giants died in June.

The Associated Press and Times of San Diego news editor Jennifer Vigil contributed to this report.

Updated 6:05 p.m. Dec. 21, 2024