Rickey Henderson - the One and Only

Rest in Peace, Rickey Henderson – A Story before He became a Legend

When It Rains… The Good Die Young

So many reminders about mortality come to me these days, and the last half of this year has been particularly brutal. It was tough to stomach teammate Fernando Valenzuela's passing, and now the passing of the incomparable Rickey Henderson is just “piling on.” THIS IS NOT FUN.

RIP, Rickey, you were amazing and way too young to leave. Rickey Henderson was one of the players that you heard, “Do not go to the bathroom now,” Rickey’s coming up this inning.” He was a “must watch,” and not just on the base paths, but also up to bat. So. If you really had to go, you were in trouble because he was always on base, and you didn’t want to miss it. And because the opposing team never wanted to see him on the bases, Rickey often spared them by hitting the ball out of the park – electric in every phase of the game! I can only imagine how many more bags he would have swiped with the new base-stealing rules in the MLB today. Heck, he probably could have gone out there next season at his age and stolen bases. That’s how great he was. Of course, unfortunately, we cannot see him do it now.

I do not mean to make light of Rickey’s passing in any way but simply to say how remarkable an athlete and player he was. Having played against him, I was not a friend but marveled at his play and accomplishments like a fan. He was another player where I shake my head, “Was that really me on the same field with a legend those many years ago?”

And the Winner is?

However, I may have a story not known by many that occurred before he became a legend. It was 1977, and Rickey and I were in our second year in professional baseball. I was with the Lodi Dodgers, and Rickey was with the Modesto A’s. A look back at Rickey’s spectacular career stats shows that his .466 on-base percentage that year was the best of his career. In other words, he was on base almost half the time he came to the plate. Are you kidding me? Those are little league numbers, and he continued such extraordinary on-base prowess throughout his phenomenal career. I digress. Anyway, back to the story. As a promotion before one Lodi vs. Modesto game, they held a race with our fastest player, Marvin Garrison, the A’s fastest, Rickey Henderson, and a RACEHORSE. It was quite funny, and the perfect ending to the story would be that Rickey won the race, but the racehorse blew by both runners. It was my first memory of Rickey's explosiveness and a precursor to him becoming the greatest leadoff hitter in the long history of baseball. Some players, you look back and think, “Who knew he would become so incredible?” That’s not the case with Rickey – it was evident.

No one ever had to cheer, “Go, Rickey, Go” because he was going. This one time, we wished he had stayed. Rickey Henderson, you are unforgettable. Thanks for the memories, for Rickey always being Rickey, and for the Hall of Fame smile!

Like Fernando, I feel fortunate to have been touched by greatness. Both were Hall of Famers, not just on the field but also off it. My thoughts and prayers go to his family and friends.