“Man of Steal” Dies

“If my uniform doesn’t get dirty, I haven’t done anything in the baseball game.”- Rickey Henderson. Major League Baseball’s all-time leader in stolen bases, Rickey Henderson died on December 20th, 2024, five days before his birthday, at 65. Henderson was recognized for his speed and dominance on the field. He was known as the “Man of Steal.” He was famous for his speed and record-breaking stolen bases. An important figure in Black history, shaping baseball beyond the contributions of Black players who came before him. & Henderson played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 25 years, studies show the average MLB player only plays for 5.6 years. He played for nine teams over the course of his career, but he is most remembered for his time with the Oakland Athletics. He spent 14 seasons with the athletics where he broke records and won a championship.  & Henderson understood his athleticism early on, born in the back of a car on the way to the hospital, he later said “I was already fast I couldn’t wait.” He played baseball, basketball, football and briefly ran track in high school. He received many scholarship offers to play football but decided against it because...