The latest case of unusual reporting involves the passing of former MLB legend Rickey Henderson at 65. That news officially came out early Saturday afternoon, with the New York Post and TMZ key early sources there:
Rickey Henderson, Hall of Famer and MLB’s all-time stolen bases leader, dead at 65 https://t.co/e554V5CzCU pic.twitter.com/IwUTZnZZQ0
— New York Post (@nypost) December 21, 2024
Oakland A’s Legend Rickey Henderson Dead at 65 | Click to read more 👇 https://t.co/2HlQNsapEl
— TMZ (@TMZ) December 21, 2024
However, this came after almost a day of rumors around Henderson’s passing spreading all over social media. And while many of the accounts spreading those weren’t particularly prominent, at least two were. Those would be former MLB manager (and current White Sox studio analyst) Ozzie Guillen and former MLB player Dave Winfield, who both discussed this much earlier Saturday:
RIP Rickey my condolences to the Henderson family. One of the best to ever do it.
— Ozzie Guillen (@OzzieGuillen) December 21, 2024
As per TMZ, Henderson passed Friday in the Oakland area after battling pneumonia. So the incident happened long before the reporting, and some of the potential lag there is about the timing of when the family wanted to announce this. Casey Pratt, the chief of communications for the Oakland mayor’s office (and a former sports broadcaster at Bay Area ABC affiliate ABC7 who was known to be plugged in to the A’s) hinted at something along those lines Friday night:
Regarding the rumors going around… I’ve checked and heard it from a couple places now. But respectfully, we should wait for the family to give word.
— Casey Pratt (@CaseyAPratt) December 21, 2024
And we’ve certainly seen that recently, including with ESPN NFL analyst Randy Moss’ specific health news being announced (and somewhat incorrectly so) by writer and broadcaster Larry Fitzgerald Sr. before Moss and his family were ready to release it, leading to pushback from Moss’ son Thaddeus. Still, it’s unusual to see this amount of lag between rumors of a death (including some from very prominent baseball figures) and actual published reporting on it.
At any rate, Henderson’s passing is certainly a sad one for baseball. He played 24 major league seasons with nine teams from 1979-2003, including four separate stints with Oakland. He holds MLB records for career stolen bases (1,406), runs (2,295), unintentional walks (2,129) and home runs to lead off a game (81), as well as the most stolen bases in a season (130).
And Henderson’s passing is notable for Oakland as well, especially after the A’s have now ended their time there. Indeed, the city’s USL team announced Saturday that they plan to honor him going forward while playing at the Coliseum, which saw its playing surface dedicated as Rickey Henderson Field in 2017.
RIP to the Man of Steal.
Rickey is Oakland. The swagger The Town is known for today ran through him.
• Stolen Base Record
• Runs Record
• Leadoff Home Run Record1990 AL MVP and 2x World Series Champion.
We will honor his legacy and his importance to our community as we… pic.twitter.com/dBKc2siVfz
— Oakland Roots (@oaklandrootssc) December 21, 2024
The A’s also eventually offered their own tribute to him:
24 Forever 💚💛 pic.twitter.com/a4C2J3jpSW
— Athletics (@Athletics) December 21, 2024
Statement from the A’s:
Rickey Henderson is one of the greatest baseball players of all time. His on-field accomplishments speak for themselves, and his records will forever stand atop baseball history. He was undoubtedly the most legendary player in Oakland history and made an…
— Athletics (@Athletics) December 21, 2024
Henderson was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility back in 2009. And he was a larger-than-life personality, an incredible quote, and a notable figure who brought so much interest to the game. Our thoughts go out to his family and friends.