OAKLAND — The lifetime of Rickey Henderson was saluted Saturday on the Oakland Area.
It was half celebration of life, half non secular revival, half memorial service. Principally, it was Oakland by way of and thru.
As former NBA star and Oakland native Gary Payton mentioned as he stood on the podium and pointed again to an image of Henderson hoisting his 939th stolen base, “That man, right there, is Oakland.”
The gang most likely numbered within the 5,000 vary due to a gradual rain when it started at 1 p.m., however it did little to dampen the passion of those that confirmed as much as watch or those that have been there to talk in an official capability after being cleared by the household.
Henderson died on Dec. 20 at age 65 after issues from pneumonia, abandoning a legacy as one of many biggest ballplayers of all-time who captured the collective coronary heart and spirit of his residence city with a method all his personal.
There have been followers in A’s gear in addition to these sporting their Sunday finest. It opened with a prayer from Bishop Gregory Bernard Payton, Gary Payton’s older brother, and completed with Gospel rap from Oakland’s MC Hammer — a former A’s batboy within the Charles O. Finley years — and his spouse Stephanie.
The occasion was co-hosted by Renel Brooks-Moon, a former Bay Space radio character and Giants’ P.A. announcer, together with two former Main League gamers with Oakland roots: Shooty Babbitt (Berkeley Excessive) and Leon “Bip” Roberts (Skyline).
Flowers in A’s colours adorned the stage, with Henderson’s since retired “No 24” within the background plus a photograph of him in dugout the and the shot of him holding aloft third base on the Coliseum the day he broke Lou Brock’s main league file with No. 939 on Might 1, 1991.
Audio system included Corridor of Famer Dave Winfield, a former teammate with the New York Yankees, and Ken Griffey Jr., whom Henderson befriended whereas taking part in together with his father Ken Sr. with the Yankees.
Others included former A’s basic supervisor Sandy Alderson, shut buddy and former A’s pitcher Dave Stewart and childhood buddy and fellow Oakland Tech alum Fred Atkins, who regaled the group with greater than 20 minutes of tales of being finest pals with a dwelling legend rising up in Oakland.
Rickey’s spouse Pamela and mom Bobbie have been seated up entrance, together with youngsters and grandchildren.
Rapper MC Hammer performs on the conclusion of a memorial service honoring former A’s star Rickey Henderson. Ray Chavez/Bay Space Information Group
“Rickey had a way of making life more fun,” Stewart mentioned. “No matter where he was, who he was with. Always had a story to tell and always found himself in situations that only Rickey could find himself in.”
Different luminaries in attendance included former main league supervisor Dusty Baker, Barry Bonds, Joe Torre and Harold Reynolds. Former A’s teammates included Reggie Jackson, Dennis Eckersley, Jose Canseco, Mike Norris, Mike Davis, Dwayne Murphy, Carney Lansford and supervisor Tony La Russa.
Statements have been learn on behalf of a few of Henderson’s different stops within the majors — the Toronto Blue Jays, the and Los Angeles Dodgers and from Main League Baseball Alumni Gamers Related President Jim Thome.
Alderson, who conceded Henderson might be troublesome at contract time, mentioned, “I don’t like to to be known as the guy who traded Rickey. I like to be known as the guy who brought him back.”
Henderson is the all-time main league chief for stolen bases (1,406), runs scored (2,295), and leadoff residence runs (81). He set the key league file with 130 steals in 1982, was a 10-time All-Star, two-time World Collection champion and 12-time American League chief in stolen bases.
In 2009, Henderson was chosen to the Baseball Corridor of Fame.
“He got 95 percent of the vote, and for the 28 who didn’t vote for Rickey, you ought be ashamed of yourself,” Alderson mentioned.
The primary time Alderson traded Henderson it was in 1984, and it was the place he and Winfield, who can be inducted into Cooperstown in 2001, turned good pals in a typically hostile Bronx atmosphere.
“Every day, he came to work full of joy, happy, with energy, and positivity,” Winfield mentioned. “New York wasn’t always a comfortable place, but it would brighten my day.”
Winfield recalled being close to tears in laugher on the pregame banter between Henderson and Claudell Washington, one other participant with Oakland roots and died in 2020. And on the sphere, Winfield believed Henderson had few friends.
“Rickey made his teammates better, made his teams better,” Winfield mentioned. “In the 70’s I played against Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Willie McCovey. I would say Rickey carved out his own space in this game of baseball. He was one of the best and it hurts me he’s no longer with us.”
Griffey, elected to the Corridor of Fame in 2016, mentioned he thought of Henderson “part older brother, part uncle” and was put by way of a exercise by Rickey whereas shagging flies within the outfield throughout spring coaching in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.
“Rickey would hit balls to me and I’d think, ‘Why is he hitting them only to me?,’” Griffey mentioned. “I found out he told my dad later on, ‘He’s got a special talent, I wanted to see how far he could go.’ I was 15 years old. I slept well that night.”
The underlying heartbreak of Oakland dropping the A’s, the empty Coliseum subsequent door and the specter of strikes to Sacramento and Las Vegas was for probably the most half stored within the background.
Alderson managed to sneak in that at one level he made Henderson the best paid participant within the majors and thanked earlier proprietor Walter Haas, and mentioned of Rickey’s dying, “We all lost a little bit of our childhood. Rickey was an iconic link to A’s history and he was a human bridge to an uncertain A’s future.”
At one other level, when Brooks-Moon was studying an announcement from the A’s, a reference to proprietor John Fisher was instantly met with boos. Brooks-Moon shut it down shortly, saying, “Not today! Save that for another day.”
Within the latter moments of the ceremony, tape rolled of Henderson addressing the group on April 3, 2017, the day the Coliseum diamond was rededicated as “Rickey Henderson Field.”
“My heart and soul is forever in Oakland,” Henderson mentioned. “Thank you Oakland and I love you.”
