Rickey Henderson, track and field icon and Hall of Famer, dies at 65. Original appearance on NBC Sports Bay Area

Rickey Henderson, one of the greatest players in Athletics franchise history and a 2009 inductee into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, died Friday at age 65, NBC Sports California confirmed.

The MLB leader in stolen bases would have turned 66 on Christmas Day.

Henderson played 25 MLB seasons with the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Anaheim Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Oakland Tech graduate was selected by the Athletics in the fourth round of the 1976 MLB Draft and three years later he made his big league debut with Oakland.

It didn’t take long for Henderson to establish himself as one of the best MLB players. In 1980, his first full season, he was selected to the AL All-Star selection and finished 10th in MVP voting.

Henderson’s first Athletics stint ended in 1984 when they traded him to the Yankees. After five seasons in New York, he was traded back to Oakland before the 1989 season. That year, he helped Oakland beat the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.

During his second stint in Oakland, Henderson broke Lou Brock’s all-time stolen bases record by capturing his 939th base against the Yankees on May 1, 1991. He lifted the bag from the ground and held it over his head.

Henderson gave a speech to the packed Oakland Coliseum and called himself the “Greatest of All Time.”

The Athletics traded Henderson again in 1993, this time to the Blue Jays on July 31, and he won his second World Series title a few months later.

Henderson finished his MLB career with 1,406 stolen bases, which remains the benchmark to this day.

Henderson is arguably the greatest leadoff in MLB history and holds the MLB record for most runs scored with 2,295. He also finished with 297 home runs and 1,115 RBI.

Henderson was selected to ten MLB All-Star Games, won the 1990 AL MVP, received three Silver Slugger Awards and won a Gold Glove.

The Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame inducted Henderson in 2020.

Henderson’s legacy in Oakland was cemented in 2017 when the Athletics renamed the field at the Coliseum “Rickey Henderson Field.” A logo remained on the field until the final game at the Coliseum in September.

The Athletics honored Henderson last season by presenting bobbleheads to fans in attendance on Sept. 20. Before the competition, Henderson’s daughter Adrianna threw the ceremonial first pitch to her father.

Henderson’s influence on current athletics continued in recent years as he advised Lawrence Butler and Esteury Ruiz.

Henderson left a mark on baseball and the city of Oakland that will not soon be forgotten.

The “Man of Steal,” stolen from the baseball world too soon.