Rickey Henderson, Hall of Fame outfielder and the all time MLB leader in runs and stolen bases, has died at the age of 65, it was announced today. Henderson was suffering from pneumonia. This is a sad day for MLB.
Henderson is one of the all time great major leaguers, one of the top five left fielders ever. He is the all time major league leader in stolen bases and runs, has a career .279/.401/.419 slash line, and a 111.1 career bWAR>
Henderson had a rough rookie season, slashing .274/.338/.336 in 89 games in 1979 as a 20 year old, though he was 33 for 44 in stolen bases that year for the Oakland A’s. As a sophomore he was MVP caliber, putting up an 8.8 bWAR while stealing 100 bases and slashing .303/.420/.399. His best years were with the A’s and the Yankees, for whom he spent his first 14-plus seasons.
Henderson spent time with the Padres, the Mets, the Mariners, the Red Sox, the Jays, the Angels and the Dodgers. He ultimately spent 25 years in the majors.
