Thousands of fans, family, and friends gathered at Oakland Arena to celebrate the life of legendary Oakland Athletics player Rickey Henderson. Stories of his impact on the game and his genuine connection with fans were shared, highlighting his legendary status and enduring legacy.
Former MLB player Ken Griffey Jr. shares stories about his relationship with Oakland Athletics’ Rickey Henderson during his celebration of life at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. Henderson, the greatest Oakland A’s player of all time, died at age 65. He would have been 66 on Christmas Day. for A’s legend Rickey Henderson at the Oakland Arena.
With that, she began crying again before composing herself enough for a short laugh to say, “I’ve been crying over Rickey since I was 9 years old so this isn’t anything new.” Mike Moffitt of Fremont is like a lot of folks who were at the Arena — a lifelong A’s fan who adored Rickey. “I shed a lot of tears when he died,” admitted Moffitt, who brought his family to the event.
It took Rickey 25 years in the majors to capture those records. It took Rickey about 25 minutes to capture the heart of 5-year-old Erin States at the Coliseum in 1989. She still remembers walking down to her family’s seats in Section 130, Row 7 for her first A’s game that day and being instantly mesmerized by Rickey – for his hitting, running and, mostly, his playful interactions with the fans in the left-field corner.
She’d go on to make other signs and hold them up for her hero to see over the next five years. Rickey, who made a point of seeking out the young girl at most every game for a chat or a wave, got something out of their friendship as well. In his 1992 autobiography, “Off Base: Confessions of a Thief,” Rickey called Erin his “No. 1 fan.”
When he visited the Coliseum with the Blue Jays later that season, Rickey met Erin before the game and hugged her while she broke down in tears. He assured Erin that she’d always be his No. 1 fan. Two hours later, he hit a home run down the left field line, not far from where Erin and her family were seated.
A Hall of Fame executive later approached Erin and asked if she would consider donating her sign so that it could be displayed there in Cooperstown, N.Y. Erin and her family got to see her sign again when they visited the Hall and saw it prominently displayed there in 2018. Rapper MC Hammer performs during the culmination of Oakland Athletics Rickey Henderson’s celebration of life at the Oakland Arena in Oakland, Calif., on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. Henderson, the greatest Oakland A’s player of all time, died at age 65. He would have been 66 on Christmas Day.
RICKEY HENDERSON OAKLAND ATHLETICS CELEBRATION OF LIFE BASEBALL LEGENDS FANS MEMORIALS
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