The New York Yankees are mourning the loss of Rickey Henderson, who passed away on Friday, Dec. 20, at the age of 65.
Henderson, widely regarded as the most electrifying player of his era, joined the Yankees on Dec. 5, 1984, in a trade with the Oakland Athletics, which also brought pitcher Bert Bradley and cash considerations in exchange for outfielder Stan Javier and pitchers Tim Birtsas, Jay Howell, Eric Plunk, and Jose Rijo. Over four and a half seasons in New York, Henderson compiled a .288 batting average (663 hits in 2,302 at-bats), 513 runs, 119 doubles, 16 triples, 78 home runs, 255 RBIs, and 326 stolen bases. He posted a .395 on-base percentage and an .850 OPS across 596 games. Henderson was a four-time All-Star for the Yankees, won a Silver Slugger Award in 1985, and led the majors in runs scored in both 1985 (146) and 1986 (130). He also holds the top three single-season stolen base records in franchise history: 93 in 1988, 87 in 1986, and 80 in 1985, leading the American League each season. His 326 career steals as a Yankee rank second on the franchise’s all-time list, behind only Derek Jeter (358). Henderson also hit 24 leadoff home runs for the Yankees, a record surpassed only by Jeter’s 29. On June 21, 1989, he was traded back to the Athletics for outfielder Luis Polonia and pitchers Greg Cadaret and Eric Plunk.
STATEMENT FROM THE NEW YORK YANKEES
“Rickey Henderson was an all-time great player who commanded our attention like few players before or since, transcending our traditional understanding of how elite and thrilling a single player could be in the batter’s box and on the basepaths. When he stepped across the white lines, he was magnetic. Opponents, teammates, and fans simply couldn’t take their eyes off him. Though he spent just four and a half seasons in pinstripes, Rickey left an indelible mark on our record book, and he entertained us not only with his baseball talent but with a no-nonsense personality and knack for showmanship that were ahead of its time. We will deeply miss Rickey for everything he brought to the game, and we offer our heartfelt condolences to his wife, Pamela, daughters Angela, Adrianna, and Alexis, and all his family and friends.”
STATEMENT FROM DON MATTINGLY (YANKEES TEAMMATE 1985-89)
“Rickey was simply the best player I ever played with. He could change the outcome of a game in so many ways. It puts a smile on my face just thinking about him. I will miss my friend.”
STATEMENT FROM RON GUIDRY (YANKEES TEAMMATE 1985-88)
“When you’re old and grey, sitting around with your buds talking about your career in baseball, you are going to talk about Rickey. He was just amazing to watch. There were great outfielders. There were great base stealers. There were great home run hitters. Rickey was a combination of all of those players. He did things out there on the field that the rest of us dreamed of.”
STATEMENT FROM WILLIE RANDOLPH (YANKEES TEAMMATE 1985-88)
“People always ask me who was the best player I’ve played with. I played with so many tremendous players through the years that I hate picking just one. But pound for pound, Rickey Henderson was the greatest player I ever played with. He possessed so many talents that could positively impact the outcome of a game. I’m going to treasure the memories Rickey and I shared together. He was a special man.”
STATEMENT FROM BUCK SHOWALTER (PLAYED AGAINST RICKEY IN THE MINORS, COACHED RICKEY DURING YANKEES SPRING TRAINING)
“I played against Rickey when he was with Jersey City in the Eastern League in 1978. He batted .310 but didn’t hit a home run in 133 games. People don’t realize how dedicated he was to being the best he could be. He took great care of his body and was ahead of his time in nutrition and conditioning. In my opinion, he was the best leadoff hitter of all time.
“He was in my first big league camp, and my first time throwing to big league hitters was to his batting group. He had a strike zone the size of a thimble, and I had never seen anyone run the way he did, with powerful strides that were fluid and violent at the same time. As a young coach working with the outfielders, Rickey laughed easily and made me feel comfortable. I can’t believe he’s gone. He was one of a kind.”
