Fans, sport icons remember A's great Rickey Henderson
OAKLAND, Calif. - All across the Bay Area, fans mourned the loss of Oakland Athletics' great Rickey Henderson on Saturday. At the Oakland Coliseum, fans left flowers for the Hall of Famer.
"I just wanted to pay my respects to Rickey," said lifelong A's fan Gabriel Hernandez, who headed to the Coliseum on Saturday afternoon following the news of Henderson’s passing.
Pins on his jacket and hat honored the Oakland great.
"Stolen base bandit. 1990-1991," Hernandez read off his pin.
The A's legend graced the turf at the Coliseum for over 14 seasons, beginning in 1979.
"2024 was already a tough year for Oakland A’s fans, and number 24 is getting taken away from us," said Hernandez.
Across town at George and Walt’s bar in Oakland's Rockridge neighborhood, fans were sullen following the news.
"I was here, and kind of got caught by surprise. Couldn’t believe it. I’ve seen him around Oakland just in the last couple of months," said Ron Bullard Jr., who grew up watching the star left fielder in the 80s. "I was there for the game where he got 130, where he stole the second and third base."
Rickey Henderson, Oakland A's great and hall-of-famer, dead at 65
Hall of Famer and Oakland Athletics great Rickey Henderson has died at age 65, according to reports.
Sitting nearby at the bar was another super fan, bartender Dan Real.
"He was my favorite baseball player growing up. I had all of his baseball cards," said Real, who years later had a chance encounter at the bar with the slugger that he said he’ll never forget.
"We played pool at that pool table after hours. I told my boss about this today, because it’s like Rickey Henderson. I actually beat him on that pool table over there," said Real. "He was really nice. I mean you wouldn’t assume that he was this mega superstar."
Similar stories were told a few miles away in San Leandro at Rickey’s Sports Lounge.
"It’s sad, he’s a legend," said bartender Kellie Tillman, who said he was known to stop by, always modest and friendly. "Real low-key…he’d sit right here."
"He played so hard, he played with so much heart," said another fan at the bar."
Outside of local fans, other players within the MLB and beyond also expressed their condolences on the "Man of Steal's" passing, including his family.
In a statement from Henderson's wife and daughters, they said they are grateful for the "outpouring of love, support, and heartfelt memories from family, friends, and fans" which has brought them comfort.
The A's called Henderson one of the greatest baseball players of all time and said his on-field accomplishments speak for themselves. They shared they were heartbroken to hear of the news of his death.
Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr spoke about Henderson's death, offering his condolences on behalf of the team to Henderson's family and calling him a Bay Area legend and one of the all-time great athletes in U.S. history.
The MLB shared their condolences on Henderson's death, saying they were devastated to hear the news and shared his accomplishments with the league.
Fellow hall-of-famer Dave Winfield shared his thoughts on his teammate's passing.
And baseball great Alex Rodriguez also spoke about his devastation.