Rickey Henderson, the legendary 'Man of Steal,' was celebrated with a heartfelt memorial in his hometown of Oakland. Fans and former teammates gathered to remember his incredible talent and infectious joy for the game.
On December 20, 2024, the sports world was shaken by the passing of Rickey Henderson, a native of Oakland who rose to become one of the most exceptional all-around players baseball has ever witnessed. However, he never forgot his hometown, and on Saturday, his hometown honored him with a heartfelt celebration of life. As fans streamed into Oakland Arena to pay tribute to the man who earned the moniker 'The Man of Steal,' Lola Leal from Hayward expressed that her presence was indispensable.
'Oh, I have to be here today,' she shared. 'Rickey was a big part of my life when I was little, with the '89 championship, and just growing up with him with the Bash Brothers and Dennis Eckersley. So, I had to be here to pay my respects for Rickey.' Henderson etched his name into baseball history with a stolen base record of 1,406, a feat widely considered unbreakable. 'Going to the games, watching him steal a base was just amazing,' remarked Joel Lacsina from Union City. 'It was a work of art. He was the best to ever do it, so it was just amazing, just amazing. He was the 'Man of Steal,' the greatest all-time baseball player. If you were to ask me, who's my favorite baseball player, it's Rickey Henderson...all day, all day.' But Henderson's contributions transcended stolen bases. He scored more runs and hit more lead-off home runs than any player in MLB history, accomplishing these feats with an air of swagger before swagger became commonplace. Henderson idolized Muhammad Ali, and this admiration was evident in his 1991 proclamation after surpassing Lou Brock's stolen base record at Yankee Stadium. 'Lou Brock was the symbol of great base-stealing,' he declared to the crowd. 'But today, I am the greatest of all time!' 'He had that swagger about him that was always one of the best things about him,' said Leo Urbi, a fan from San Leandro. 'No one will ever break his stolen base record, ever. That's done.' Despite his legendary status, those who encountered him described him as approachable and down-to-earth. Rodney Patterson met Henderson at a softball event in 2024 at the Coliseum. He captured a picture with his idol and was awestruck by his physical presence. 'When I saw him, his arm was as big...his bicep was as big as my head!' Patterson exclaimed. 'Then, I realized those were the guns that hit home runs! And he chuckled, shook my hand and said, 'Thank you, sir.' Hall of Fame slugger Dave Winfield, a former teammate of Henderson's during his time with the New York Yankees â one of nine teams Henderson played for throughout his 25-year career â also attended the event. 'What I really, really enjoyed about Rickey is that every day, he came to work full of joy, happiness, energy, positivity,' Winfield shared. 'He was a winner. He was a friend. He was a brother. One of the best that ever played the game.' Henderson was part of the A's when they triumphed over the Giants in the 1989 World Series. The following year, he signed a new contract, making him the highest-paid player in Major League Baseball at the time. However, despite his numerous accomplishments, in his Hall of Fame speech in 2009, Henderson urged people to remember him for his profound love of the game. 'When you think of me,' he stated, 'I would like you to remember that kid from the inner city that played the game with all his heart and never took the game for granted.' Rickey Henderson was 65 years old when he passed away. It was with heartfelt sincerity that the fans remembered the kid from Oakland who played for the sheer joy of the game, and no one who witnessed him will ever take him for granted
RICKEY HENDERSON BASEBALL OAKLAND CELEBRATION OF LIFE STEAL BASE RECORD HALL OF FAME NEW YORK YANKEES A's
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