It’s all woven together into an engaging package, a fascinating read for anyone who loves baseball. The roots of so many criticisms of Rickey were born of racism, both inherent and explicit Bryant doesn’t shy away from that reality, acknowledging that many in baseball at that time viewed Rickey’s behaviors and style of play as somehow less than simply because of the color of his skin. Thanks to a stunning number of interviews – including some with the man himself – Bryant is able to assemble a complex and comprehensive look at a complicated legacy. The triumphs of Rickey are here, but so too are the tribulations, as we’re given insight into the struggles that marked Rickey’s life both on the field and off it. Bryant – a gifted writer who spent a good chunk of time covering baseball in the Bay Area during Rickey’s myriad stints there – gives us a soup-to-nuts rendering of the man, from his humble beginnings in Oakland to his rapid ascent into stardom to his arrival the apex of the baseball world to his slow evolution into a hardball folk hero. a deep and definitive look at one of the greatest to ever play the game of baseball. The result is an indelible account of a one-of-a-kind player and personality. The book most succeeds in its rich historical context, underscoring Rickey’s outsize influence in a new vanguard of “great Black talents” that shook up the hallowed white halls of baseball.

Tracing Henderson’s road to baseball’s Hall of Fame, Bryant skillfully weaves in detailed analyses of the athlete’s game-from his famous “swagger” to his reputation as a speedster, stealing 100 bases in his first full season.

Though underestimated by scouts, Henderson’s raw talent led him to play for the A’s on four separate stints-including in the team’s 1993 World Series championship-as well as the Yankees, Dodgers, and Red Sox, among other teams. After being convinced by a guidance counselor to join his school’s baseball team-upon Henderson’s initial resistance, she offered to pay him a quarter for every one of his hits and runs-Henderson quickly rose through the ranks in his teens and was signed to the minor league’s Oakland Athletics in 1979. A part of the 1960s “Black migration” to California, 10-year-old Henderson and his family moved from Arkansas to Oakland in 1969. Bryant ( The Last Hero), a senior writer for, delivers a solid and comprehensive take on the life and career of Rickey Henderson, Major League Baseball’s all-time stolen base leader.

Rickey howard bryant