Former MLB outfielder Dave Henderson died Sunday, a month after undergoing a kidney transplant. He was 57.
MLB Communications on Twitter confirmed the news. Henderson played 14 seasons of pro ball with five teams. He made the 1991 All-Star team, won the 1989 World Series with the Oakland Athletics and was a color commentator for the Seattle Mariners after his playing career.
Henderson debuted in 1981 with the Mariners and played his first five-plus seasons in Seattle before a 1986 trade to the Boston Red Sox. In Boston, Henderson became an instant star after helping lead the Red Sox back from a 3-1 deficit against the California Angels in the 1986 American League Championship Series. His ninth-inning home run in Game 5 helped extend the series, and Boston won Games 6 and 7 before losing to the New York Mets in the World Series.
The best stretch of Henderson’s career came during his six-year run with the Athletics. He not only made his only All-Star team, but also helped Oakland to its first World Series title in 15 years. He had four 20-homer seasons with the A’s, including 1988, when he finished 13th in MVP voting.
After a one-season stint with the Kansas City Royals in 1994, Henderson left the game. He finished his career with 197 home runs and 708 runs batted in. Had it not been for injuries—Henderson missed extended time in nearly every season he played in—he may have finished with far better numbers. Still, Henderson remained a beloved figure in Boston, Oakland and Seattle.
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