Stewart honors lifelong friend Henderson with heartfelt message originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area
As the baseball world mourns the passing of the legendary Rickey Henderson, lifelong friend and former Athletics teammate Dave Stewart delivered a touching tribute to honor the legacy of a larger-than-life icon.
“I can’t explain what someone who was present in every memory, childhood to today, means to me or what it means to cope with having no more tomorrows alongside him,” Stewart said on X, formerly known as Twitter. “Rickey Henderson was the best ball player many know, but that is nothing in comparison to the brother he is to me.”
I can’t explain what someone who was present in every memory, childhood to today, means to me or what it means to cope with having no more tomorrows alongside him. Rickey Henderson was the best ball player many know, but that is nothing in comparison to the brother he is to me. pic.twitter.com/mAg79fpxhA
— Dave “Smoke” Stewart (@Dsmoke34) December 22, 2024
Henderson and Stewart first met playing Little League together in Oakland, forming a tight-knit bond that spanned over the next five decades as the two rose to baseball superstardom.
The duo were cornerstone pieces of the Athletics’ 1989 World Series championship squad, spending five seasons together with Oakland from 1989-1992 and 1995.
Stewart spoke with USA Today’s Bob Nightengale on Saturday, detailing his special relationship with Henderson.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Stewart told Nightengale, “I still can’t. I can’t wrap my head around it. We’ve known each other practically our entire lives.
“That was my dude.”
Stewart shared that during their younger years, Henderson wasn’t lighting up the diamond the way many grew accustomed to seeing during his 25-year MLB career, making his iconic baseball accomplishments even more impressive.
“Growing up, he wasn’t that good of a baseball player,” Stewart told Nightengale. “He had great ability. He could run and do things. But he would probably admit that of three major sports, he was best at football, then baseball, then basketball. He had a lot to learn because his first choice was to be a great running back.”
Stewart won three World Series titles during his storied career, but his number being retired by the Athletics alongside Henderson’s still remains one of his most cherished moments.
“I respected and loved Rollie [Fingers] and Reggie [Jackson] and Catfish [Hunter], but when my number was retired by the A’s, too, alongside Rickey,” Stewart told Nightengale, “that was a big, big deal for me.
“I still remembered when I decided to retire in 1995, he didn’t talk to me for two, maybe three weeks. He kept telling me I should retire when he retired. He wanted me to keep playing as long as he did [2003]. So, when my number was retired, what made it so special is that he and I were together, two kids from Oakland, and having our numbers retired together by the organization we loved.”
Henderson played 25 MLB seasons with the Oakland Athletics, New York Yankees, San Diego Padres, New York Mets, Seattle Mariners, Boston Red Sox, Toronto Blue Jays, Anaheim Angels and Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Oakland Tech alum was selected by the Athletics in the fourth round of the 1976 MLB Draft, and three years later, he made his big league debut with Oakland.
It didn’t take Henderson long to establish himself as one of MLB’s best players. In 1980, his first full season, he earned an AL All-Star selection and finished 10th in MVP voting.
Arguably the greatest leadoff hitting MLB history, Henderson holds the MLB record for most runs scored with 2,295. He also finished with 297 home runs and 1,115 RBI.
