The best ever to bat leadoff has died at 65.
He was the coolest dude in an era of cool dudes. My teammates and I used to mimic his flourish after a catch in the outfield. We also took a tremendous amount of pride in stealing bases. His influence was all over myself and my fellow outfielders in high school. I always wanted to hit a home run to lead off a game, which was Henderson’s coolest record.
Baseball, and this fan in particular, will miss him.
For what it’s worth, the stories that are passed around about him are entertaining, but have always felt off. Maybe they’re a bit racist or just generally punching downward. Or maybe it’s me.