General Manager Reggie McKenzie and MLB Hall of Famer Rickey Henderson
Canton converged with Cooperstown Saturday afternoon at the Raiders' Napa Valley Training Complex, as Hall of Fame outfielder, and Major League Baseball's all-time stolen base leader Rickey Henderson was on hand to watch the Silver and Black go through their second practice of Training Camp 2016.
The 10-time All-Star has been a Raiders season ticket member for over 20 years, and during practice he chatted with General Manager Reggie McKenzie, and after practice concluded, he spent some time with Head Coach Jack Del Rio and quarterback Derek Carr.
"I think he's done a great job building the team as is," said Henderson of McKenzie. "I'm just trying to get a little knowledge on which way he [McKenzie] is going, what he feels like, but I think he's doing a hell of a job, and I think he's bringing the unity back. We're just hoping that we can build this team."
The former Oakland Athletic has seen his fair share of ups and downs with the Raiders over the past two decades, but now that the team has found a franchise quarterback in Derek Carr, Henderson believes that things are trending upwards for the Silver and Black.
Now heading into Carr's third season under center, Henderson thinks it's all about managing expectations for the young signal caller.
"I saw him [Carr] last year a lot, he's a great quarterback, and it's just a learning process," Henderson explained. "We already know what he can do out there, and he just has to keep taking it to that next level, and I think he wants to win. He knows that people expect a lot from him, and he knows what he expects out of himself, and once you understand what you expect out of yourself, you're going to be a good player."
Henderson was quick to note that he was a former football player himself, and watching Saturday's field work made him a tad nostalgic to his days playing running back.
The Chicago-native was a professional baseball player for 25 years, playing the game until he was 43 years old. So now at age 57, does the former speedster think he has anything left in his legs to compete on the gridiron?
The ever-confident Henderson's answer shouldn't come as a surprise – of course he does.
"If I had to put on these pads, and helmet, and stuff like that, I still think I have something left in my legs," Henderson said. "My legs have been healthy and great. I haven't had any injuries with them, so I could probably still go out there and move around, do a little thing, and have some fun, that's the main thing."
