Rickey Henderson, MLB Hall of Famer and league’s all-time stolen bases leader, dies at 65

Rickey Henderson, a Major League Baseball Hall of Famer who was the league’s all-time stolen bases leader, has died at age 65, the MLB announced Saturday.

MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred confirmed Henderson’s death in a statement, calling him “the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting.”

“Rickey was one of the most accomplished and beloved Athletics of all-time,” Manfred wrote. “He also made an impact with many other Clubs during a quarter-century career like no other.  Rickey epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup.  When we considered new rules for the game in recent years, we had the era of Rickey Henderson in mind.”

Jeff Chiu / AP

Henderson would have been 66 on Christmas Day.

No cause of death was immediately provided. Henderson’s wife, Pamela Henderson, released a statement through the Oakland Athletics in which she described her husband as “a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul.”

She also extended the family’s “sincere gratitude to MLB, the Oakland A’s, and the incredible doctors and nurses at UCSF who cared for Rickey with dedication and compassion. Your prayers and kindness mean more than words can express.”

The Chicago native, who was one of the greatest players to don the A’s jersey, was also widely considered to be one of the best leadoff hitters and base stealers in the sport. During his 25-year career, he compiled 2,055 hits, 297 home runs and 1,115 RBIs. His 1,406 stolen bases and 2,295 career runs remain Major League records.

He was a 10-time All-Star and won the league MVP in 1990 with the A’s, where he played the bulk of his career — 14 years over four different stints. He also spent seven years in New York — five with the Yankees and two with the Mets. He played with several other teams including the San Diego Padres, Toronto Blue Jays, Anaheim Angels, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.

Henderson won two World Series titles, one with Oakland in 1989, and again with Toronto in 1993. After retiring from playing, Henderson coached one year with the Mets.

He was inducted into Cooperstown as a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 2009, and just six days later, the A’s retired his jersey.

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Lucia Suarez Sang is an associate managing editor at CBSNews.com. Previously, Lucia was the director of digital content at FOX61 News in Connecticut and has previously written for outlets including FoxNews.com, Fox News Latino and the Rutland Herald.

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