A's Hall of Famer has unusual reaction to team leaving Oakland

Oakland A’s legend and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson was in attendance for the team’s final game at the Oakland Coliseum on Thursday ahead of the franchise’s eventual move to Las Vegas. While there, he offered up a quintessential Rickey quote about the team’s departure.

Henderson admitted he was not sad to see the team leave Oakland, even though he grew up rooting for them and famously played for them. MLB’s stolen base king said that could change eventually, but for now, he accomplished too much and made too much money to be sad.

“I can’t be sad,” Henderson said, via Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. “I have too much money, and I did too much here, all these great things here. I’m more happy than sad. Maybe later it will hit you when it’s all said and done. But, honestly, today I’m going to have fun.”

Henderson added that he does not foresee MLB ever returning to Oakland, and that he was largely sad for stadium staff who have worked for the A’s for decades.

“The sad part about it is all these people that work here that I saw for decades,” Henderson said. “Some of them, working here is what enables them to get out of bed to go do something. I’m sad for them.”

The A’s did put together a pretty nice farewell for their final game in Oakland, but the sadness and anger from fans will not be going away anytime soon.