Tribute to Rickey Henderson, MLB’s undisputed greatest leadoff hitter originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
Undisputed singular superlatives are rare in sports because debate is natural and constant turnover always delivers a counterpoint. The physical evolution of humanity declares that today’s greatest of all time can expect to be surpassed.
Rickey Henderson was among the rare exceptions. He rose from the youth baseball diamonds of Oakland to become the undisputed greatest leadoff batter in the history of baseball.
The news that Rickey passed away Friday, confirmed by NBC Sports California, hit like a sledgehammer to the gut. He’s so fit. So vivid. So built to last. Only 65 years old. He is gone, but the exploits that landed him in the National Baseball Hall of Fame on the first ballot will live forever.
No one was as likely to give his team an immediate edge. Home run, hit or walk, it’s pitcher’s choice and neither was attractive. Pitching to Rickey was like walking a tightrope. One mistake and you’re done. His strike zone, courtesy of a signature crouch, was the size of a postage stamp. Pitches that dared to enter it often left the ballpark, leaving little more than a vapor trail as he strutted around the bases.
Pitches that avoided Rickey’s strike zone put him on first base, where he was peerless at annoying opposing managers, unnerving opposing pitchers and delighting fans of his team.
Rickey lived for star moments on big stages and under bright lights, so the sight of him walking to first base was an event unto itself. Like Stephen Curry pulling up for a 3 with the Warriors trailing by two inside the final minute. Or Shohei Ohtani stepping into the batter’s box with the bases loaded. Or vintage Tiger Woods, two strokes back, teeing off on Sunday morning at Augusta National.
Spectators collectively leaned forward while scooting toward the seat’s edge. The show was about to begin. The pitcher and catcher were on high alert. The following batter was irrelevant. It was all about Rickey. What would he do? Everybody knew. He would steal a base. He did it anyway. He was a peacock in uniform, with hubris and bravado at the center of his identity.
Consider that when Rickey became Major League Baseball’s all-time stolen base leader, eclipsing Hall of Fame outfielder Lou Brock, the year was 1991. Rickey was 32 years old. In his prime. He played another 12 seasons.
Who on God’s green earth sets a career record – any career record – in…