The Athletics announced on Monday that every player will wear the No. 24 to honor late franchise legend Rickey Henderson when the team opens its home schedule on March 31 against the Chicago Cubs. That contest will serve as the first the A’s play at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento, Calif.
Henderson, who died on Dec. 20, appeared in parts of 14 seasons with the Athletics when the franchise was located in Oakland. Additionally, he attended nearby Oakland Technical High School, making him a local product. He was perhaps the greatest leadoff hitter in Major League Baseball history, tallying a .279/.401/.419 slash line (127 OPS+) with 297 home runs and 1,406 stolen bases across his 25-year career. Henderson’s contributions were worth an estimated 111.1 Wins Above Replacement and to this day he remains the all-time career leader in stolen bases, caught stealings, and runs scored.
“For multiple generations of baseball fans, Rickey Henderson was the gold standard of base stealing and leadoff hitting,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement after Henderson’s death was announced. Rickey was one of the most accomplished and beloved Athletics of all-time. He also made an impact with many other clubs during a quarter-century career like no other. Rickey epitomized speed, power and entertainment in setting the tone at the top of the lineup. When we considered new rules for the game in recent years, we had the era of Rickey Henderson in mind.”
Earlier this offseason, the A’s announced that they would wear a patch honoring Henderson’s life. The 2025 jerseys will also include a Sacramento patch, though the team’s name and jerseys will otherwise not acknowledge their residence in West Sacramento as part of a multi-year layover before they relocate again to Las Vegas, Nevada.
The new era of A’s baseball will begin on March 27 with a series in Seattle against the Mariners.
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