The passing of Athletics legend Rickey Henderson tugged everyone’s heartstrings one week ago -- especially within the Bay Area sports community.
One person particularly touched by Henderson’s death was 49ers president of football operations and general manager John Lynch. On Friday, he discussed Henderson’s legacy with KNBR’s Greg Silver and Derek Papa.
“That was really sad,” Lynch told Silver and Papa. “[49ers vice president] Keena Turner told me in Miami that Rickey Henderson had passed.
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“We have Michael Zagaris, the photographer that’s been around the 49ers forever; Z was close with Rickey and, you know, and we were talking in the locker room prior to that [Miami Dolphins] game, he said he had just seen Rickey a month ago and [Henderson] still looked like he could play.”
Lynch very much admired the Man of Steal.
As a longtime Bay Area athlete -- and former baseball standout turned Florida Marlins second-round draft selection -- Lynch misses Henderson and will cherish his impact on countless sports fans and ordinary community members.
“I’m a [San Diego] Padres fan and grew up in San Diego, and Rickey had some time there,” Lynch added to Silver and Papa. “There are a lot of retired baseball players that live down in San Diego. … A lot of those guys are my buddies -- the love they had for Rickey as a teammate [and] the admiration for the player and then the humor of Rickey.”
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“I had an occasion to meet him once or twice, and he’s just one of those legends. … He’s a guy who looked like a football player playing baseball. His hamstrings were popping out of his uniform. Just a unique athlete who had speed, who had power, who was really a special baseball player -- sounds like a special human being. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family, and we’ll miss him, for sure.”
Henderson stood 5-foot-10 and 180 pounds and is one of, if not the, greatest pound-for-pound athletes of all time. Lynch, who evaluates NFL talent for a living, probably wasn’t joking when suggesting Henderson’s ability to play professional football.
Regardless, there will never be another Rickey Henderson. Lynch is honored to have met and admired Henderson, and the San Francisco executive will miss his presence.
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