Rickey Henderson, the baseball Hall of Famer who holds the record for most career stolen bases and most runs scored and whose 25 Major League seasons included two separate stints with the San Diego Padres, has died at the age of 65 after a bout with pneumonia, according to multiple reports Saturday.
Henderson died Friday in the Oakland area, according to TMZ. His death was also reported by the New York Post.
Henderson broke into the big leagues in 1979 with the Oakland A's, and enjoyed some of his best years for the team, including 1982, when he set the single-season record for stolen bases with 130.
For his career, Henderson stole 1,406 bases, far ahead of the No. 2 player, Lou Brock, who had 938.
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In addition to his prowess on the basepaths, the Chicago native was one of the most feared leadoff hitters in the history of the game, compiling 3,055 hits and 297 home runs over his long career and twice smacking 28 home runs in a season.
We mourn the passing of former Padres legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson.
— San Diego Padres (@Padres) December 21, 2024
Rickey played for the Padres from 1996-1997 and again in 2001. He broke Ty Cobb’s All-Time Runs Scored record with a home run late in the ‘01 season and recorded his 3,000th… pic.twitter.com/m3JmsscyEM
Henderson also holds the record for most runs scored in a career with 2,295. He played for two World Series champions: The 1989 Oakland A's and the 1993 Toronto Blue Jays.
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Henderson signed with the Padres as a free agent prior to the 1996 season and hit .241 in 148 games, with 37 stolen bases and 110 runs scored.
The Padres traded him to the Angels in August 1997, but he signed another free-agent deal with San Diego prior to the 2001 season. He appeared in 123 games for the Padres in 2001, batting .227 with 25 stolen bases and 70 runs scored.
While playing for the Padres on the final day of the 2001 season, Henderson collected his 3,000th career hit, a double off Colorado Rockies pitcher John Thomson.
In 2003, Henderson was called up by the Los Angeles Dodgers during the All-Star Break, batting .208 over 30 games in his last Major League action.
On Saturday afternoon, the Padres released a statement on social media regarding Henderson's death that said, in part:
"We mourn the passing of former Padres legend and National Baseball Hall of Famer, Rickey Henderson.... He broke Ty Cobb’s all-time runs scored record with a home run late in the '01 season and recorded his 3,000th career hit on the final day. He also set a Major League record with 81 career leadoff home runs and finished with an MLB-record 1,406 stolen bases.
"Our thoughts and prayers are with his loved ones during this difficult time."
Dave Winfield, a fellow Hall of Famer who began his career with the Padres, confirmed the news of Henderson's passing.
"I still cannot believe I've lost one of my favorite teammates and great friend Rickey Henderson. Rest in peace,'' Winfield posted Saturday on Instagram alongside a photo of the two of them.
