The MLB world lost its all-time leader in stolen bases on Saturday with the death of Rickey Henderson, who was among baseball's brightest stars of the 1980s and 90s.
Henderson will always be remembered as the man who stole 1,406 bases, a mark that might stand as one of MLB's true unbreakable records. The active player to that mark is Starling Marte with 354, approximately a quarter of Henderson's total.
However, Henderson was so much more than a demon on the basepaths. He had power, with 297 career home runs. He had plate discipline, retiring as MLB's all-time leader in walks with 2,190 (only Barry Bonds has surpassed that mark). He had Gold Glove defense and two World Series rings. And he had a larger-than-life personality, while still being as generous as any star:
When a league loses a player like that, his peers feel it. Even before news of Henderson's death, tributes poured in from Henderson's past teammates, opponents and coaches in the big leagues, not to mention all the players who came up idolizing him.
Dave Winfield, Henderson's Hall of Fame teammate on the New York Yankees, was the first to do it: