The Angels were blessed to have rostered an illustrious player like Rickey Henderson

There are players that transcend the sport of baseball, and even sports as a whole. Rickey Henderson undoubtedly is one of them. Baseball fans are mourning the loss of Henderson, who passed away at 65-years-old. One of the best athletes and human beings in the history of the game is gone far-too-soon.

While Henderson only graced the Angels organization with his presence for a total of 32 games, his status will forever be remembered amongst the fans. When a player of his stature even breezes through, it is a massive deal. His influence cannot be overstated -- he is the type of player you do not take your eyes off of, and when he spoke you are focusing like you never have before.

The Angels employed a unicorn named Shohei Ohtani for many years, but Henderson is one of the original unicorns. Everything that people said/gawked at regarding Ohtani's otherworldly performance perfectly mirrors the Rickey Henderson experience back in the day (particularly when he played for Oakland). After watching players of their ilk, fans could not help but ask questions like "how does he do it?," "how sustainable is this?," and "is this guy real?"

What made Rickey who he was had a lot to do with his off-the-field personality, and larger than life persona. He spoke of himself in the third person, for one. "Rickey does this, Rickey does that." Anybody can go look up his numbers or all the records he held, but Henderson was a titan of the sport because of an absolutely fearless display of individualism and being true to himself. Baseball statistics come second to one's character, and Henderson was the ultimate character because of how much he had.

ESPN's Howard Bryant and Jeff Passan succinctly detailed his one-of-a-kind personality:

"Henderson often sneered at baseball's conventions and did what he wanted to do, which made him a legend to younger baseball fans and players. For the game's establishment struggling through a tumultuous era of labor strife, however, Henderson represented a new generation of player in the new world of free agency and the millions of dollars now available to players. Unlike previous generations, Henderson was unafraid to demand the high salaries he believed his play merited."

Bryant and Passan

On-field performances do not mean as much when you are already written into baseball lore. Whether it was Fernando Valenzuela, Don Sutton, or Henderson, the Angels are a better organization for rostering these legends. Even if it was for a fleeting moment in time. To carry on their memories and bolster their influence amongst the fans is an honor and a privilege in of itself.

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