Hall of Fame outfielder Rickey Henderson, known for breaking the single-season stolen base record and all-time stolen base record, has died at the age of 65, according to Fox Sports.
Born in 1958 in Chicago, Henderson was the last player selected in the fourth round of the 1976 MLB Draft. He spent most of his childhood growing up in Oakland, California.
He played for nine MLB teams — the Athletics, Yankees, Padres, Mets, Red Sox, Dodgers, Angels, Mariners and Blue Jays — throughout his 25-year career.
Henderson’s success running the bases peaked in 1982 when he tallied 130 steals, smashing the previous record of 118 held by Lou Brock.
FILE – In this Sept. 18, 1987, file photo, New York Yankees’ Rickey Henderson, bottom, steals second base below Toronto Blue Jays shortstop Tony Fernández during a baseball game in New York. Fernández, a stylish shortstop who made five All-Star teams during his 17 seasons in the major leagues and helped the Blue Jays win the 1993 World Series, died Sunday, Feb. 16, 2020, after complications from a kidney disease. He was 57. (AP Photo/G. Paul Burnett, File)AP
He led the American League in steals 12 times, including three seasons over 100 bases, and finished his career with a record 1,406 stolen bases, earning him the nickname “The Man of Steal.”
His 2,295 runs scored are an MLB record to this day.
With all of his stolen-base accolades, it’s no surprise Henderson also holds the record for most times caught stealing with 335. From 1980 through 1989, Henderson’s 838 stolen bases would still put him at fifth all-time.
Henderson won the MLB MVP one time in 1990 after claiming a World Series title with the Athletics in 1989. He took home another World Series with the Blue Jays in 1993.
Getting hits certainly makes it a lot easier to steal bases, and Henderson made sure to take care of business at the plate. On Oct. 7, 2001, he hit a double off John Thompson for his 3,000th career hit.
He was widely considered one of the greatest lead-off hitters in MLB history and finished his career with 3,055 hits.
Henderson was inducted into the MLB Hall of Fame in 2009 after receiving 94.8% of the votes on his first ballot. His career stats include a .279 batting average, .401 OBP, 3,055 hits, 297 home runs, 2,295 runs scored, 1,406 stolen bases, an MVP, 10 All-Star games, a Gold Glove, 3 Silver Sluggers and two World Series rings.
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