Rickey Henderson: 1958-2024

A dominant force in the game in the 1980s and beyond, and Chicago-born, dies of pneumonia four days before his 66th birthday

Some startling news as the holidays approach, Christmas baby Rickey Henderson, born in Chicago 66 years ago, has passed away from pneumonia.

Henderson was a force on the field for 25 seasons, playing until age 44 in a position and with a skill set that players 20 years younger struggle to maintain. He became the game’s all-time stolen base leader in 1991 — just 12 years into his career — and remains the only player in baseball history with more than 1,000 steals. With 1,406 career steals, Henderson leads the next-closest base-stealer, Lou Brock, by almost 500 swipes. And Henderson wasn’t just a bulk stealer, either: His 80.8% success rate ranks 69th all-time on leaderboards and 59th among players with at least 100 steal attempts.

He was also a colorful character, punctuating his every word with braggodocio. Henderson, who habitually spoke of himself in the third person, could be excused for such confidence, because if ever there was a player who could back it up, it’s him: His 111.1 WAR ranks 19th all-time in the game and 14th among hitters.

In the words of legendary statistician Bill James: “If you could split him in half, you’d have two Hall-of-Famers.”

Personally, he ranks as one of my all-time favorite players; he and his “twin,” Tim Raines, both being active in the game made up the “golden years” of my fandom.