Rickey Henderson, the greatest leadoff hitter and base-stealer in Major League Baseball history whose blazing speed, discerning eye and unusual home run power complemented an irrepressible swagger that led him from the sandlots of Oakland to the Baseball Hall of Fame, has died, MLB announced Saturday. He was 65.
In a sport that relies on the historical consistency of its numbers, Henderson obliterated the record book, owning the all-time stolen-base record with 1,406, an astounding 468 more than the St. Louis Cardinals great Lou Brock, who held the record of 938 for a dozen years before Henderson surpassed him in 1991.
Henderson holds the records for the most stolen bases in a single season with 130 in 1982, the most times leading the league in steals with 12 and most consecutive years leading the league in steals with seven.
Following his final season in 2003, Henderson finished with 3,055 hits and left the game holding the all-time marks in steals, runs scored (2,295) and walks (2,190), a record now held by Barry Bonds (2,558).
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