Rickey Henderson – Baseball Hall of Famer, MLB’s all-time stolen base king and widely regarded as the greatest leadoff hitter of all time – has died at the age of 65.

Hall of Fame member Dave Winfield confirmed Henderson’s death to The New York Times on Saturday. A cause of death has not yet been announced.

Henderson played for nine franchises over his 25-year MLB career, including four stints with the Oakland Athletics. He won two World Series and was named AL MVP in 1990. A ten-time All-Star, Henderson was the AL stolen base leader twelve times and surpassed 100 steals in a single season three times – the only player to ever achieve this feat.

In May 1991, Henderson secured his place in baseball history with his base-stealing ability when he stole his 939th career base, breaking Lou Brock’s record. Henderson finished his career with 1,406 stolen bases in his final MLB season in 2003, solidifying his nickname “Man of Steal.”

It wasn’t just his feet that helped Henderson succeed, he did it with his bat too. Henderson hit 297 home runs, drove in 1,115 runs and batted .279 in 3,081 games played. Of those 297 home runs, 81 led off a game, an MLB record.

He also set MLB records for runs scored (2,295) and unintentional walks (2,129).

“If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything in the game of baseball,” Henderson once said.

An influential player all over the field

Henderson was born on Christmas Day 1958 on the way to the hospital in Chicago, which later led him to say, “I was already fast. I couldn’t wait.”

After moving to Oakland as a child, Henderson became a multi-sport star in baseball, basketball, track and football. After turning down several scholarships to play football in college, he signed with the Athletics in 1976 after being drafted in the fourth round.

Three years later, Henderson made his MLB debut. In his first full season with the A’s, he broke Ty Cobb’s AL stolen base record with 100 steals and followed that two years later with 130, the first record previously held by Henderson by Brock (118).

Henderson played his first six MLB seasons in Oakland before moving to the New York Yankees. He returned to Oakland in a trade in June 1989 that helped the A’s win a World Series title that year. After the deal, Henderson stole 52 bases, hit nine home runs and drove in 35 runs in 85 regular season games.

In the playoffs, he batted .441 with three home runs, eight RBI, 11 stolen bases and 32 total bases, earning ALCS MVP honors en route to his first World Series championship.

Henderson’s play in the 1989 postseason continued into the 1990 regular season when he won AL MVP after batting .325 with 65 stolen bases, 28 home runs, 119 runs scored and 61 RBI.

Henderson left Oakland for a second time in July 1993 when he was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays. Unlike the first time he was dealt, he struggled in Toronto, hitting .215 in 44 regular-season games because he suffered a broken bone in his hand. His problems at the plate continued into the postseason, when he hit .170 with two RBI and three stolen bases in 12 games. That October, he scored 10 runs, including one after being on base on Joe Carter’s World Series-winning home run in Game 6 against the Philadelphia Phillies.

After his time in Toronto, Henderson moved frequently throughout the rest of his career, including two more stops in Oakland. He also played for the San Diego Padres, Anaheim Angels, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and finally the Los Angeles Dodgers in his final MLB season in 2003.

After his time with the Dodgers, Henderson played as an independent for several years while delaying his retirement. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame as part of the 2009 class.

During his remarks after breaking Brock’s all-time steals record, Henderson alluded to his saying, “I’m the greatest of all time.” On stage in Cooperstown, he said his hero as a child was Muhammad Ali, who used the same saying during his boxing career.

“This is something I always wanted to be,” Henderson said. “And now that the association has elected me to the Baseball Hall of Fame, my journey as a player is complete.”

“I am now in the class of the greatest players of all time. And in this moment I am very, very humble.”