Rickey Henderson, one of the most prolific players in MLB history and known as the greatest leadoff hitter and base stealer of all time, died on Friday at the age of 65 years old.
Henderson’s family released a statement to confirm the death and praised the Hall of Famer for his time both on and off the baseball field, though the statement did not disclose the cause of death.
“A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul,” said his wife and three children, per ESPN.
“Rickey lived his life with integrity, and his love for baseball was paramount. Now, Rickey is at peace with the Lord, cherishing the extraordinary moments and achievements he leaves behind.”
Henderson was drafted to the league by the Oakland Athletics in the fourth round of the 1976 MLB Draft and quickly became one of the most electrifying players in the sport, quickly earning the “Man of Steal” nickname after stealing nearly 200 bases within his first three seasons.
This nickname would prove to be incredibly accurate for Henderson as he shattered the record for the most stolen bases of all time, collecting a total of 1,406 stolen bases to outperform the previous record of 938 stolen bases by Lou Brock.
Henderson’s career also involved playing for nine teams across a 25-year span that resulted in an American League MVP Award in 1990, 10 total All-Star selections, two World Series victories, three Silver Slugger Awards, and one Gold Glove Award in 1981, per MLB.com.
The illustrious career put together by the Man of Steal helped guide him into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009, becoming a first-ballot inductee with 94.8% of votes cast.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred released a statement explaining the level of impact that Henderson had on the league, saying that the MLB “considered new rules for the game in recent years” and kept the “era of Rickey Henderson in mind.”
“Rickey was one of the most accomplished and beloved Athletics of all-time. He also made an impact with many other Clubs during a quarter-century career like no other. He epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup,” he added, according to MLB.com.