rickey henderson is one of the greatest baseball players of all-time. Known for his flash and his speed, he earned the nickname "The Man of Steal" and was voted into the Hall of Fame without a second thought. He'll be adding a new honor to his legacy, as the Oakland Athletics plan to name their field "Rickey Henderson Field" as soon as the start of the upcoming baseball season.
Naming the stadium
"Rickey Henderson Field" will be bestowed its new title on the opening night of the 2017 MLB season, when the Oakland Athletics will host the Los Angeles Angels on April 3.
There will be a dedication ceremony as the team dumps the previous name, "The Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum." The event will be the first of the season to honor Henderson, but not the last, as the team will have an official day in his honor on July 15, complete with a jersey giveaway.
All of this comes as Henderson begins a high-profile role with the organization he once called home - he will become a special assistant to Oakland Athletics president Michael Crowley in the coming season.
Hall of Fame game
Henderson earned the honor he is about to receive due to his years of incredible play in baseball. He had a batting average of .288 with the Oakland Athletics, which also included 167 homes runs, 648 RBIs, and an absurd 867 stolen bases.
In a career that included stints with eight other teams, Henderson set records that still stand today, including career stolen bases, career runs scored, career unintentional walks, and career leadoff home runs.
Still, Henderson spent the brunt of his career with Oakland and became a team legend in the process. The team retired his jersey in a ceremony back in August 2009.
Just a few weeks earlier, he was celebrating another accomplishment -- being inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, a status he achieved during his first year on the ballot, garnering 94.8% of the votes. It's no wonder the Athletics plan to name a field after Rickey Henderson -- he's the best player in team history.
