OAKLAND, Calif. — When Ken Griffey Jr.’s father, who would one day be his teammate in Major League Baseball, struggled to get through to the talented teen, Rickey Henderson somehow could.
The younger Griffey, a National Baseball Hall of Fame outfielder who considers himself fortunate to this day to have roamed the New York Yankees clubhouse as a kid and hit on their field alongside so many all-time greats, made sure to listen and learn.
“I was 15 years old when I met Rickey, and he accepted me in the locker room along with Dave (Winfield) and a couple other guys,” Griffey shared. “When they talk about it takes a village to raise a kid, I’m thankful for Rickey and Dave and everybody else who raised me.”
Henderson died Dec. 20 at age 65, shortly before his Christmas birthday. He was celebrated by former teammates, executives, friends and fans Saturday at the arena next door to the Oakland Coliseum where he played for the Athletics for so many years and, later, had a field named for him.
From managers Dusty Baker, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre to former teammates Winfield, Jose Canseco, Dennis Eckersley, Carney Lansford and Dave Stewart, Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Frank Thomas and MLB home run king Barry Bonds, nearly 3,000 people made their way through steady rain to honor Henderson, MLB’s all-time leader in stolen bases.