Thousands pay tribute to late Rickey Henderson in Oakland - ESPN

OAKLAND, Calif. — When Ken Griffey Jr.'s own baseball-star father struggled to get through to the talented teen, Rickey Henderson somehow could.

The younger Griffey, who considers himself fortunate to this day to have roamed the New York Yankees clubhouse and hit on their field alongside so many all-time greats, made sure to listen and learn.

«I was 15 years old when I met Rickey, and he accepted me in the locker room along with Dave (Winfield) and a couple other guys,» Griffey Jr. said. «When they talk about it takes a village to raise a kid, I'm thankful for Rickey and Dave and everybody else who raised me.»

Henderson died Dec. 20 at age 65 shortly before his Christmas birthday. He was celebrated by former teammates, executives, friends and fans Saturday at the arena next door to the Oakland Coliseum where he played for so many years and, later, had a field named for him.

From Dusty Baker, Tony La Russa and Joe Torre to ex-teammates Jose Canseco, Carney Lansford, Dennis Eckersley, Dave Stewart and Winfield, Hall of Famers Reggie Jackson and Frank Thomas and home run king Barry Bonds, nearly 3,000 people made their way through steady Bay Area rain to honor the one-of-a-kind Hall of Famer.

MC Hammer and wife Stephanie performed the Oakland rapper's tune «Goin' up Yonder.»

Another Oakland star, Basketball Hall of Famer Gary Payton, credited Henderson for inspiring his success, albeit in another sport.

«It came from him. It came from me looking at him,» Payton said. «That man right here, that is Oakland: Rickey Henderson.»

Former Athletics general manager Sandy Alderson recalled how most conversations with Henderson began with the brazen base-stealer «telling me bluntly, 'Rickey needs a new contract.'»

«I'm only one