Unknown Date; Bronx, NY, USA; FILE PHOTO; Rickey Henderson of the New York Yankees in action against the Oakland A's at Yankees Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Photo By USA TODAY Sports © Copyright USA TODAY Sports

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Why is MLB legend Rickey Henderson called the ‘Man of Steal’?

Henderson is remembered as MLB's all-time leader in stolen bases.

Rickey Henderson, one of Major League Baseball’s greatest players, passed away Friday at the age of 65. Henderson, who would have turned 66 on Christmas Day, is remembered as MLB‘s all-time leader in stolen bases.

Henderson’s family confirmed MLB legend’s death in a statement.

“A legend on and off the field, Rickey was a devoted son, dad, friend, grandfather, brother, uncle, and a truly humble soul… Rickey lived his life with integrity, and his love for baseball was paramount. Now, Rickey is at peace with the Lord, cherishing the extraordinary moments and achievements he leaves behind.”

Henderson played 25 seasons in Major League Baseball for several teams, including the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, and others. But he will always be most remembered for his time with the Oakland A’s, where he spent 14 seasons across four different stints.

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He made his MLB debut in 1979 with Oakland and quickly became one of the league’s top players. In his first full season, 1980, he was named an All-Star and finished 10th in MVP voting.

He finished his career as a 10-time All-Star and a two-time World Series champion. Henderson was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first ballot in 2009.

Why Rickey Henderson is called ‘Man of Steal’?

Rickey Henderson earned the nickname ‘Man of Steal’ because of his incredible ability to steal bases. On May 1, 1991, he swiped his 939th base, breaking Lou Brock’s all-time record.

By the end of his career, Henderson had stolen a record 1,406 bases, a mark that still stands today.

He also holds the record for the most runs scored in MLB history, with 2,295. He finished his career with 297 home runs and 1,115 RBIs.

Image Credit: USA TODAY Sports

Rickey Henderson

Swati Bhatia

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I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.