WEST SACRAMENTO -- To begin the next chapter of Athletics baseball in a new city, Lawrence Butler made sure to bring the legacy of a franchise icon with him to the field.
To honor A¡¯s legend and Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson, who passed away in December at age 65, every A¡¯s player and coach wore No. 24 on the back of their jerseys for Monday night¡¯s home opener -- the A¡¯s inaugural game at Sutter Health Park, their temporary home for the next three seasons -- against the Cubs.
Butler took the tribute a step further.
With the help of acclaimed shoe designer Dan Gamache, better known for his work under the name ¡°Mache,¡± Butler received a pair of customized Rickey-themed Nike cleats. They include an image of Henderson, MLB¡¯s all-time stolen base leader, fittingly swiping a bag in an A¡¯s uniform with ¡°1958-2024¡± on one side. The other side features Henderson rocking his famous sunglasses and holding a bat. The left cleat reads ¡°Man of¡± on the back of the heel, while the right cleat reads ¡°Steal¡± to form Henderson¡¯s nickname.
¡°I got ¡®Man of Steal¡¯ on the back of them,¡± Butler said before Monday¡¯s game. ¡°Hopefully, I steal two or three bases today with them. You know ¡®Angels in the Outfield,¡¯ well, this is Rickey in the outfield with me.¡±
Butler was one of many young A¡¯s who used to gather around during Henderson¡¯s frequent visits to the clubhouse and listen as their ¡°OG¡± held court, cracked jokes and imparted wisdom. Henderson fit right in with the rest of the group, often challenging players to a game of cards when he wasn¡¯t sharing tales from his 25-year Hall of Fame career.
¡°Rickey was always himself,¡± Butler said. ¡°He was always authentic. That¡¯s kind of where I get a little bit of myself from. He goes out there and he¡¯s going to say what he wants to say, and he doesn¡¯t care what anybody else thinks about him. I feel like that¡¯s what he taught me: to be myself. Don¡¯t try to change for anybody or any situation. I really miss Rickey. I¡¯m pretty sure we¡¯re all going to miss him.¡±
The idea for the Rickey cleats was actually brought to Butler by Gamache, who grew up idolizing Henderson and has designed shoes for several big-name athletes in MLB, NBA and NFL. Through Butler¡¯s manager Amber Sabathia, the two first connected in 2023 in Seattle when Butler played in the All-Star Futures Game.
At the time, Butler, who had yet to play in the big leagues, was a sneakerhead who dreamed of one day getting his own customized shoe. Less than two years later, that dream has turned into reality.
¡°He just told me, ¡®Hey, I want to do some cleats for you -- Opening Day for Rickey,¡¯¡± Butler said. ¡°I don¡¯t have my own shoe yet, but just to get custom shoes, that¡¯s a big thing. I love looking good on the field. Custom cleats is one way us players can express ourselves and do different things¡±
Butler did not give too much input on the design. He trusted Gamache would provide a worthy product, and he certainly was pleased with the end result.
¡°They look nasty,¡± Butler said. ¡°He did a really good job. He¡¯s known for doing a good job. I just appreciate him for picking me to make some dope cleats for.¡±
Butler also had a chance to interact with Henderson¡¯s family before Monday¡¯s opener. Following a pregame video tribute honoring Henderson, his daughters Angela, Alexis and Adrianna threw out simultaneous ceremonial first pitches. On the receiving end of those pitches were Butler, Dave Stewart and Henderson¡¯s childhood best friend Fred Atkins.
¡°It¡¯s beyond cool,¡± Butler said. ¡°That¡¯s the least we can do to honor him for the great person he was and the great career he had. Wearing that No. 24 is the minimum we can do to pay our respects to his family.¡±