Dave Henderson, who etched his name into postseason lore with multiple teams and blossomed into an All-Star in the latter part of a 14-year career, died Sunday at the age of 57.

Henderson underwent a kidney transplant last month and went into cardiac arrest before passing away Sunday.

Henderson was the Seattle Mariners’ first-ever draft pick, the first round pick (27th overall) in the 1977 Draft, and made his debut with the Mariners in 1981.

“On behalf of the Seattle Mariners, I want to extend our deepest sympathies to Chase and Trent and Nancy and to Dave’s many friends,” Seattle Mariners team president Kevin Mather said. “He was a devoted father to his two sons and always willing to help someone in need.”

“Dave was one of the most popular Mariners in our history, but Dave was also one of the most popular player’s in Red Sox and A’s history. He had a special ability to connect with people, both inside the game and in the communities in which he lived. I never saw him at the ballpark, or on the golf course, without a big smile on his face.”

“The A’s are saddened to hear of the passing of Dave Henderson,” the Oakland Athletics said in a statement. “Henderson was an instrumental part of the A’s 1989 World Series Championship club and an even more impactful member of the A’s family and community. Hendu and his smile will be sorely missed. Our thoughts are with his family.”

It was with the A’s that Henderson achieved his greatest fame, helping them to the 1989 World Series title and earning All-Star honors for the first time in 1991, at age 31. At 6-2 and 210 pounds, he played an able center field while averaging 24 home runs a season from 1988-91, during which Oakland won three American League pennants and the 1989 World Series.

While his physique and power numbers were overshadowed by his “Bash Brothers” teammates Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco, Hendu’s demeanor and ever-present smile endeared him to fans.

In 1986, as a member of the Boston Red Sox, he famously hit a two-out, game-tying home run off California Angels reliever Donnie Moore as the Angels were one strike from their first World Series berth. The Red Sox won Game 5 in extra innings and completed a comeback from a 3-1 ALCS deficit to win the pennant.

Henderson spent a decade as a broadcaster for the Mariners (from 1997-2006, and in 2011), and ran fantasy baseball camps for A’s and Mariners fans in Arizona.

He raised hundreds of thousands of dollars to support research into Angelman Syndrome (http://www.angelman.org/), a genetic disorder that affects his son, Chase. Henderson was also one of the founders of Ricks Toys For Kids, a charity which provides dozens of agencies and thousands of children who otherwise would not receive a gift Christmas presents each year.