Appreciating Rickey Henderson’s legacy as a player and larger-than-life character

The numbers certainly put into perspective just how great the ‘Style Dog’ was, but it doesn’t tell the whole story of him as a player. He was truly one of the larger-than-life characters in the game, with his extreme confidence and cool demeanour making him one of the more beloved players of his generation. Many would argue that his confidence came off as cockiness, especially considering that he famously referred to himself in the third person. But this was all part of the package with Rickey Henderson. He was as much of an entertainer as he was a baseball player.

Having gone to high school in Oakland, Henderson was a natural fit as the face of the Oakland Athletics. Easily the most famous and revered player in team history, he had four separate stints with the club over his career. Something is sadly poetic about the fact that Henderson passed away mere months after the team played its final game in Oakland. In the penultimate home series of the season, the team gave out Rickey Henderson bobbleheads and he and Dave Stewart threw out the final ceremonial first pitches at the Coliseum.

Blue Jays fans will remember the Hall of Famer from his half-season stint with the club during the World Series winning team of 1993. He was standing on second base when Joe Carter hit his famous walk-off home run. Many credit Henderson for the home run, since he was distracting Philadelphia Phillies closer Mitch Williams to the extent that he was rushing his delivery to Carter using a slide step and ultimately hung a slider to the Jays slugger.

Given the confidence and bravado, and especially his speaking in the third person, it’s easy for someone to conclude that all Henderson cared about was himself. What’s often not spoken about is the generosity that he displayed throughout his career. In Mike Piazza’s autobiography, he explained how Henderson was the most generous guy he ever played with. Bonus pool money is given out to teams for playoff or World Series appearances and then divided up amongst the teams. There are always ballpark employees and ‘fringe’ people who may receive a small portion, but Henderson would fight for them to get a full share.

Whenever a Major League legend dies, something special happens afterwards. Stories, highlights, and random anecdotes all make their way onto social media, allowing the superstardom of that player to shine bright as people from all corners of the sport share what that player meant to them.

For fans who lived through the greatness, it’s a chance to reminisce on memories and relive what it was like to watch them play. For younger fans, it may be the first time that they are exposed to that player’s greatness. We saw an outpouring of kind words and legendary stories about Willie Mays when he passed away in June. Six months later, it’s now Rickey’s turn to be back in the spotlight. While it’s unfortunately due to his passing, that’s where he’s always been the most comfortable and fans will always remember him for the amazing player that he was – the ‘Man of Steal’.