Rickey Nelson Henderson, born December 25, 1958 in Chicago, IL, was a major league baseball player from 1979-2003. Henderson lived in Pine Bluff, AR as a young child.1
Biography
Henderson was the son of John L. Henley (1934-1979)2 and Bobbie (nee Earl) Henley Henderson. Bobbie grew up in Pine Bluff, AR with her mother Ella Earl (1894-1989).3 4 5 6
After John Henley abandoned his family, Henderson was sent to live with his grandmother Ella Earl in Pine Bluff, AR. Henderson lived in Pine Bluff between about ages 2 to 10.7 He attended Coleman Elementary School and played for the Brown Funeral Home little league baseball team.8
Henderson stole a record 1,406 bases and hit .279 with nine different teams during his 25-year big league career. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Henderson died on December 20th, 2024.
Excerpts
"With Momma's husband taking off like he did. Momma packed up the family and moved back to Arkansas, a little rural town called Pine Bluff. We lived on my grandma's farm. That was a good time. It was the backcountry. A lot of cultivated land and pastures, with animals everywhere, mostly pigs, chickens, and rabbits. I used to ride the animals all over the farm, but they'd usually get the best of me. The hogs would throw me off every time I came around; a pony once rode me into a tree; and I once cut open my foot on some glass while chasing chickens around the coop. The chickens were my favorite. I could play with those chickens all day long. I'd chase them, then they'd chase me. Man, those chickens were fast. Put dozens of chickens together in one coop, and they run every which way. I had to be fast to keep up with them, but there wasn't a chicken on that entire farm that could outrun me. And I was teeny-weeny. I think that's when Momma realized I was going to be faster than most kids. On the farm, Grandma was very protective of her grandkids. When Momma wanted to do something with us, Grandma wouldn't let her. She'd say, "You can go wherever you want to, but these kids are staying right here." There were five boys — my sisters hadn't been born yet — but there was no adult male to look after us, so Momma and Grandma took care of us the best they could. Grandma supported us by working for a big white family. I was only a little kid then, but I was wondering if this was like the slavery days, living on the plantation and taking care of the white folks. I later found out it was only a job Grandma had; she was making money to help us survive. We learned a lot from Grandma. We learned to look after ourselves, to do our own jobs and chores. She taught us to cook and clean and take care of ourselves. With no father in the house, that was important. With Momma set on bringing us to California, she went away for a while to find us a place to live and a job to support us. But she was just doing what was best for us. It wasn't easy. We didn't have much money in those days. Momma did meet a man in California, Paul Henderson. They got married, and Momma sent for the family. I was ten when she brought us all out to Oakland. Everyone came except my younger brother, Doug, because Doug didn't want to leave Grandma. Pretty soon. Grandma made it out and brought along Doug. In Oakland, the family continued to grow. Momma had Paula and Glynnes. The girls were born as Hendersons after the five boys had been born to three different fathers. The Henley's were me and Tyrone, but we all became Hendersons when Momma remarried. Paul Henderson adopted the five boys, and we became one big family. That was nice while it lasted. . . . I first played baseball only because I was forced to by Tyrone. It was back in Arkansas. He was the only other athlete in the family, and sometimes he'd have nobody else to play catch with. So he'd throw a glove on me and drag me along. I didn't want to play, but he made me. And then he fired the ball at me. I'd get mad and fire it back. He'd throw it harder at me, and I'd throw it harder back at him. That's how I started playing baseball. I was forced to learn how to use my glove; otherwise, Tyrone's throws would've killed me. When I learned how to play catch, Tyrone got me on his Little League team U.S. Brown Funeral Home. Nice name for a kid's very first baseball team"9
Biography
Henderson was the son of John L. Henley (1934-1979)2 and Bobbie (nee Earl) Henley Henderson. Bobbie grew up in Pine Bluff, AR with her mother Ella Earl (1894-1989).3 4 5 6
After John Henley abandoned his family, Henderson was sent to live with his grandmother Ella Earl in Pine Bluff, AR. Henderson lived in Pine Bluff between about ages 2 to 10.7 He attended Coleman Elementary School and played for the Brown Funeral Home little league baseball team.8
Henderson stole a record 1,406 bases and hit .279 with nine different teams during his 25-year big league career. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2009.
Henderson died on December 20th, 2024.
Excerpts
"With Momma's husband taking off like he did. Momma packed up the family and moved back to Arkansas, a little rural town called Pine Bluff. We lived on my grandma's farm. That was a good time. It was the backcountry. A lot of cultivated land and pastures, with animals everywhere, mostly pigs, chickens, and rabbits. I used to ride the animals all over the farm, but they'd usually get the best of me. The hogs would throw me off every time I came around; a pony once rode me into a tree; and I once cut open my foot on some glass while chasing chickens around the coop. The chickens were my favorite. I could play with those chickens all day long. I'd chase them, then they'd chase me. Man, those chickens were fast. Put dozens of chickens together in one coop, and they run every which way. I had to be fast to keep up with them, but there wasn't a chicken on that entire farm that could outrun me. And I was teeny-weeny. I think that's when Momma realized I was going to be faster than most kids. On the farm, Grandma was very protective of her grandkids. When Momma wanted to do something with us, Grandma wouldn't let her. She'd say, "You can go wherever you want to, but these kids are staying right here." There were five boys — my sisters hadn't been born yet — but there was no adult male to look after us, so Momma and Grandma took care of us the best they could. Grandma supported us by working for a big white family. I was only a little kid then, but I was wondering if this was like the slavery days, living on the plantation and taking care of the white folks. I later found out it was only a job Grandma had; she was making money to help us survive. We learned a lot from Grandma. We learned to look after ourselves, to do our own jobs and chores. She taught us to cook and clean and take care of ourselves. With no father in the house, that was important. With Momma set on bringing us to California, she went away for a while to find us a place to live and a job to support us. But she was just doing what was best for us. It wasn't easy. We didn't have much money in those days. Momma did meet a man in California, Paul Henderson. They got married, and Momma sent for the family. I was ten when she brought us all out to Oakland. Everyone came except my younger brother, Doug, because Doug didn't want to leave Grandma. Pretty soon. Grandma made it out and brought along Doug. In Oakland, the family continued to grow. Momma had Paula and Glynnes. The girls were born as Hendersons after the five boys had been born to three different fathers. The Henley's were me and Tyrone, but we all became Hendersons when Momma remarried. Paul Henderson adopted the five boys, and we became one big family. That was nice while it lasted. . . . I first played baseball only because I was forced to by Tyrone. It was back in Arkansas. He was the only other athlete in the family, and sometimes he'd have nobody else to play catch with. So he'd throw a glove on me and drag me along. I didn't want to play, but he made me. And then he fired the ball at me. I'd get mad and fire it back. He'd throw it harder at me, and I'd throw it harder back at him. That's how I started playing baseball. I was forced to learn how to use my glove; otherwise, Tyrone's throws would've killed me. When I learned how to play catch, Tyrone got me on his Little League team U.S. Brown Funeral Home. Nice name for a kid's very first baseball team"9
1
It's not clear exactly what ages Henderson lived in Pine Bluff. In both his autobiography with John Shea, Confessions of a Thief and his biography by Howard Bryant, Henderson is said to have lived in Pine Bluff from ages 2 to 10, or about 1961-1969. Other sources, including a 1982 AP article by Steve Wilstein a 1990 syndicated article by John Shea, suggest that Henderson moved to Oakland when he was 7. Henderson's mother Bobbie had moved to Oakland by around 1963 where she met Paul Henderson and had their daughter Paula.
2
Also known as John Grandy. He grew up in Pine Bluff, AR. He was the son of Sam Henley and Verline Grandy.
3
"United States, Census, 1950", , FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6XBQ-R5ZF : Tue Mar 19 09:02:10 UTC 2024), Entry for Ella Earl and Bobbie Earl, 18 April 1950.
4
"Going the Distance / Well-traveled Rickey Henderson still chasing down Cobb, Ruth", by Ron Kroichick, SFGATE.com, 6/9/2000
5
"California, Death Index, 1940-1997," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VP6N-B4B : 26 November 2014), Ella Earl, 27 Mar 1989; Department of Public Health Services, Sacramento.
6
Nee Ella Butler. Also known under married names Ella Langston and Ella Odom.
8
Pine Bluff Commercial, 7/19/1996