Remembering Rickey Henderson

Dear Editor,

Like so many Oakland A’s fans, we all have our on-the-field memories of Rickey Henderson.  Simply one of the best of all time. 

My favorite memory of Rickey is off-the-field.   

For years the A’s had a Christmas party for kids from the various shelters and youth programs in Oakland.  Lots of games, autographs, players like Reggie Jackson, Carny Langford, Ray Fosse and others. 

Redwood Christian Schools elementary Royal Choir was asked to be part of the program singing Christmas Carols and then sharing in the fun.  This happened multiple years.

More than thirty years ago at one of these events, Bettina Flores, who worked for the A’s and knew me from RCS as well as Redwood Chapel, came up to me and said “Watch the door over in the back corner.”  The door opened and in came Rickey leading an entire group of other kids.  Mrs Flores then told me “Rickey has been out on the streets of Oakland and these are kids from the street.”

I always admired Rickey Henderson.  At that moment I became one of his mega-fans as he sought absolutely no recognition for himself, and simply wanted these so easily overlooked kids included in the event. 

We lost so much more than a Hall of Fame baseball player.

My thoughts and prayers are with his entire family.

–Bruce D. Johnson, Castro Valley