Tom Henke

“He’s got that slow, easy delivery, and then – poof! – it’s on you. It’s very tough to hit. Very tough.” – Dave Winfield1

Winfield was far from the only hitter who found Tom Henke’s lively fastball problematic. Henke, a 6-foot-5, 215-pound right-hander, was one of the most dominant closers of his era. He debuted with the Texas Rangers in 1982 and came to prominence with the Toronto Blue Jays in the mid-1980s. The bespectacled stopper struck out hitters at a record-setting clip while leading the Blue Jays to the franchise’s first four playoff appearances, culminating with a World Series championship in 1992. He returned to the Rangers in 1993-94 and walked away from the game after an All-Star season with the St. Louis Cardinals in 1995. Henke retired with 311 career saves and is perhaps one of the more underrated players of his time.

Thomas Anthony Henke was born on December 21, 1957, one of 11 children born to Fred and Mary Jane (Grothoff) Henke.2 Fred had been a catcher in his younger days and piqued the interest of the St. Louis Cardinals before joining the Navy and serving during the Korean War.3 After his military service, he worked as a supervisor at various manufacturing companies and then at the Jefferson City Correctional Center. Mary Jane worked at a daycare and played organ at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church.

Henke was born in Kansas City, Missouri, and raised in Taos, a central Missouri town of less than 1,000 inhabitants. He grew up a fan of the Cardinals, specifically Bob Gibson and Orlando Cepeda, and had aspirations of playing for the team himself someday.4 Henke attended Blair Oaks High School, where he played basketball and baseball. A starting pitcher with an overpowering fastball, he routinely recorded double-digit strikeouts during his prep days. He graduated in 1976 and played for Taos in the South Missouri River League that summer.

Henke was reluctant to leave his hometown but eventually enrolled at East Central College in Union, Missouri, at the encouragement of the school’s baseball coach, Tim Dill. Henke studied building construction and excelled as a starting pitcher. One day while in Union, Henke ordered a Big Mac at McDonald’s. His server was Kathy Swoboda, a 6-foot-1 volleyball and softball player and fellow East Central student. As Henke later described it, “I was finished. It [was] almost like that proverbial love at first sight.”5 A couple of months passed before the 6-foot-5 Henke would gather up the courage to ask her out, but the pair eventually married.

During the 1979 season with East Central, Henke threw a no-hitter vs. Mineral Area College and was quickly drawing interest from major-league scouts.6 He had a tryout with the Cardinals at Busch Stadium, but the young fireballer let the team know he intended to finish college.7 He was selected by the Seattle Mariners in the 20th round of the June 1979 amateur draft and then by the Chicago Cubs in the first round of the  January 1980 draft-secondary phase. He declined to sign with either club, instead returning to East Central.8 In one contest in the spring of 1980, Henke’s fastball was clocked at 91 mph in the first inning and 93 in the eighth.9 His college teammates aptly nicknamed him “The Hose.”10 In June 1980 he was selected by the Texas Rangers in the fourth round of the amateur draft, and scout Lee Anthony signed him to a contract.

Henke was assigned to the Rangers’ rookie-level team in the Gulf Coast League to begin his professional career. After eight games, including four starts, he had thrown 38 innings and allowed only four runs for an ERA of 0.95. His early success earned him a promotion to the Asheville Tourists of the Class-A South Atlantic League. Henke was roughed up in his first go-round facing Sally League competition. In his five starts, he posted a 7.83 ERA and walked more batters than he struck out. He found his footing in 1981 when he returned to Asheville for a second season. Henke began the campaign as a starter and had a record of 5-2 when the organization decided to make him a reliever. “I was a one-pitch pitcher,” Henke later recalled. “They told me, ‘If you want to make it [to] the big leagues, you should go to the bullpen.’”11 He initially felt that going to the bullpen was a demotion, but he came to realize how impactful a reliever could be and grew to like the role.12 He compiled a record of 8-6 and a 2.93 ERA in 28 games (eight starts). Henke was moved up to the Double-A Tulsa Drillers of the Texas League in July and recorded an ERA of 3.94 in 15 relief appearances.

Henke was again assigned to Tulsa for the 1982 season. All but one of his 52 outings were in relief. The righty amassed a losing record of 3-6, but his ERA of 2.67 and strikeout rate of 10.3 per nine innings painted a more accurate picture of his effectiveness. His 14 saves led the Drillers, winners of the league championship. Henke got an unexpected call-up to the Rangers when major-league rosters expanded in September.

Henke’s major-league debut came on September 10, 1982, against the Seattle Mariners in Arlington. If the 24-year-old rookie was nervous, it was not reflected in his performance. He pitched 2⅔ innings of scoreless relief and then threw four more shutout frames in his next two outings. He notched his first win on September 29 versus Oakland with 3⅔ innings of scoreless relief to close out the game. The game ended with back-to-back punchouts of Rickey Henderson and Dwayne Murphy. Henke could hardly have been better in his first taste of the show. In 15⅔ innings, he allowed only two earned runs.

Henke went to spring training in 1983 competing for a spot in the Texas bullpen. However, manager Doug Rader quickly developed doubts about the young hurler, questioning his “makeup” and whether he could handle the pressure of the big leagues.13 During one Grapefruit League contest, Henke threw to the wrong base and Rader berated him during a visit to the mound.14 Pitching coach Dick Such observed that Henke was difficult to read. “He never unravels, always at an even keel,” Such assessed.15 While Rader and Such looked at these traits as potential flaws, Henke later proved that his combination of skill and temperament were ideal for the high stakes of late-inning relief.

Henke was ultimately optioned to the Triple-A Oklahoma City 89ers at the end of camp. Used primarily in middle relief, he picked up nine wins and overpowered American Association batters, striking out 90 in 77⅔ innings. “Other than Bob James at Wichita, nobody throws as hard as Henke in this league,” said 89ers manager Tom Burgess.16 Henke was recalled by the Rangers in August when Danny Darwin split a fingernail on his pitching hand. Henke pitched effectively when given the chance, winning his only decision and picking up his first career save with three scoreless innings against the White Sox on August 20. However, his opportunities were sparse. After an outing on September 1, Henke didn’t see action for another 29 days. In eight games, he had an ERA of 3.38.

In 1984 Henke broke camp with the Rangers but was sent back to Oklahoma City after issuing eight walks and accruing an ERA of 7.71 in five appearances. With the 89ers, he posted a 6-2 record, a 2.64 ERA, and seven saves in 39 outings. Henke was recalled twice more during the season, finishing with a lackluster 6.35 ERA in 28⅓ innings. That offseason, he worked on throwing his split-finger forkball more consistently for strikes while pitching for the Santurce Cangrejeros in the Puerto Rican Winter League. The Rangers’ hot-stove transactions included the signing of designated hitter Cliff Johnson, who was coming off a career year with Toronto. Johnson was classified as a type-A free agent, which entitled the Blue Jays to a compensation draft pick.17 Texas got to protect 24 players. At the insistence of scout Moose Johnson, Toronto chose the 25th man on the list: Tom Henke.18

The Blue Jays assigned Henke to the Syracuse Chiefs, their Triple-A affiliate in the International League, to begin the 1985 season. Manager Doug Ault was immediately impressed. “I sensed he was special the first time I brought him in,” said Ault. “I remember saying, ‘Gosh, Texas let this guy go!’ That’s probably the most amazing thing in baseball I’ve ever seen.”19

With Syracuse, Henke was practically unhittable. In addition to his mid-90s fastball, he had developed a slider, and his forkball was effective against both righties and lefties. In 51⅓ innings, he allowed a measly 13 hits while striking out 60 and notching 18 saves. His ERA was a microscopic 0.88. Henke credited Toronto’s pitching coach, Al Widmar, with shortening his delivery during spring training. “I have a little more control of my body, and it has helped with my breaking pitches,” he said.20 When Toronto placed Jim Clancy on the disabled list on July 27, Henke was summoned to take his spot on the roster.

Henke made his Blue Jays debut on July 29 at Baltimore. With the game tied 3-3 in the ninth inning, Toronto skipper Bobby Cox thrust his new hurler into the high-leverage situation. Henke swiftly retired the Orioles in order to send the game to extra innings. Damaso Garcia hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th inning to give the Jays a 4-3 lead. Henke shut the door on the O’s in the bottom of the frame, retiring Cal Ripken Jr. on a fly ball to deep center field to seal the win for himself and his team. “He can definitely throw a fastball,” said Ripken, “in the true sense of the word.”21 The win lifted Toronto’s record to 63-37, good for first place in the American League East.

Two days later, Henke got another win with two more scoreless innings against Baltimore. When the Blue Jays returned home and Henke made his Exhibition Stadium debut, fans gave him a standing ovation. Years later, he estimated that the applause carried on for at least 10 minutes and called it “one of the most amazing sights I have ever seen in my life in baseball.”22

Cox kept going to Henke in close games and save situations, and the big righty performed flawlessly. In his first 11 games, he pitched 17⅔ scoreless frames with a 3-0 record and six saves. The Blue Jays remained atop the division, but the surging Yankees had closed the gap to 2½ games when the two teams met for a key four-game series at Yankee Stadium September 12-15. The Yankees took the first game and had the Blue Jays on the ropes heading into the second game. Toronto clung to a 3-2 lead when Henke entered the game with one out in the bottom of the eighth. In front of 53,303 raucous Yankees fans, Henke blocked out the noise and calmly struck out Winfield on three pitches. After a single by Ron Hassey, he fanned Don Baylor to end the threat. In the ninth, Henke retired the side in order to nail down the save. After Toronto took the third game, Henke closed out the finale by retiring Don Mattingly and Winfield to secure another victory for the Blue Jays. The series win propelled Toronto to the franchise’s first division title with a record of 99-62. Henke finished the season with a 2.03 ERA in 28 appearances and converted 13 of 14 save opportunities.

Having quickly become a fan favorite in Toronto, Henke had a tribute song written about him called “The Ballad of Tom Henke” by a group dubbed the Section 15 Orchestra. He also had acquired a nickname, the Terminator, which was bestowed by teammate John Cerutti after the pair watched the blockbuster movie of the same name.23

Toronto faced the Kansas City Royals in the 1985 American League Championship Series. Henke was the winning pitcher in Games Two and Four as the Blue Jays built a commanding 3-1 series lead. The Royals stormed back to take the final three games and the series as Henke watched helplessly from the bullpen. “That could have been the best Blue Jay team I played on,” he later reflected. “I have a deep faith, and I believe that God has a plan for everything. [Royals manager] Dick Howser passed away a couple years after that World Series, and sometimes I wonder if it just wasn’t meant to be, just wasn’t our time.”24

In 1986 Henke was anointed the Blue Jays’ closer by new manager Jimy Williams. In his 63 appearances, Henke logged 91⅓ innings while posting a 9-5 record and converting a franchise-record 27 saves. He struck out 118 while walking 32 for the fourth-place Blue Jays. His strikeouts-per-nine-inning ratio of 11.63, for pitchers with a minimum of 50 innings pitched, was the best in major-league history, surpassing Dwight Gooden’s mark from 1984.

Henke earned $191,000 in 1986 and sought a raise commensurate with his performance heading into the 1987 season.25 He and the Blue Jays became embroiled in a monthslong contract dispute that carried into spring training. The two sides ultimately agreed on a deal for $291,000.26 Henke earned every penny of the deal. He did not allow an earned run until May 20, his 19th appearance. Proving to be a reliable workhorse, Henke pitched in 72 games while leading the league with 34 saves and earning his first All-Star Game nod. In 94 innings he recorded 128 strikeouts while allowing only 62 hits and 25 walks. He struck out 12.26 batters per nine innings, eclipsing his own record from the year prior. His won-lost record was 0-6, but as Henke pointed out, “A lot of times, wins come from blown saves. I prefer saves.”27

Henke’s pitches on the baseball diamond had earned him a spot as pitchman for Aqua Velva. The 30-second commercial showed the closer in his Blue Jays uniform staring in for the sign through his wide-rimmed glasses and then recording a game-ending strikeout. The ad then cut to a shirtless Henke using the aftershave in the locker room. While Henke exited the ballpark, a female admirer said, “Nice game, Terminator.”

The Terminator and the Blue Jays could not agree on a contract for the 1988 season, and so the case went to arbitration. The arbitrator sided with Toronto, leaving Henke with a salary of $725,000 and a sour taste from the process. “I didn’t enjoy sitting in there and listening to the people I work for telling me I wasn’t any good,” he said afterward.28 The 30-year-old stopper remained highly effective for Toronto but saw fewer opportunities. Duane Ward, a 24-year-old righty, emerged on the scene and was given a number of late-inning assignments, converting 15 of 18 save opportunities. Henke threw 68 innings and posted a 2.91 ERA with 25 saves in 29 chances. The Blue Jays made a late surge to the finish line, winning 22 of their final 29 games, but fell two games short of the division-winning Boston Red Sox.

Toronto lost 24 of 36 games to start the 1989 season. Henke was uncharacteristically wild and ineffective during this stretch. In his first 12 outings, Henke blew three saves, walked nine batters, and had an unsightly ERA of 7.84. Williams was fired on May 15 and replaced with hitting instructor Cito Gaston. The fortunes of both the team and Henke quickly turned. The pride of Taos, Missouri, won all seven decisions, saved 18 games, and had an astonishing strikeout/walk ratio of 108/16 the rest of the way. By September, the Blue Jays had scratched and clawed their way to first place in the AL East.

On September 30, the Jays hosted the second-place Orioles with a chance to clinch the division. Toronto plated three runs in the bottom of the eighth to take a 4-3 lead. Henke entered the game in the ninth as a frenzied SkyDome crowd of 49,553 waved towels and scarves.29 He fanned Mickey Tettleton to start the inning and retired Joe Orsulak on a groundout to the third. After getting ahead with a 1-and-2 count, Henke blew a 95 mile-per-hour fastball by pinch-hitter Larry Sheets to seal the win and clinch an ALCS birth for Toronto.30

The Jays faced the powerful Oakland Athletics in the ALCS. Toronto fell behind, losing the first two games in the series before returning to SkyDome for Game Three on October 6. The Jays mounted a 7-3 lead, which Henke held with a scoreless ninth. Unbeknownst to the hurler, Kathy was in active labor during the game and gave birth to the couple’s fourth child just hours after the game ended.31 It was the only win of the series for the Blue Jays against the eventual World Series champion A’s. 

In February 1990 Henke, with the help of agent Craig Fenech, inked a three-year, $7.5 million deal with the Blue Jays.32 He remained one of the game’s elite closers, converting 32 of 38 save opportunities with a 2.17 ERA. Toronto hung around in the race for AL East until the bitter end. Ultimately, losses in six of their last eight games dashed Toronto’s playoff hopes, and the club finished two games back of Boston.

Toronto shook up its roster that offseason, trading Tony Fernandez and Fred McGriff to the San Diego Padres for Roberto Alomar and Joe Carter. The blockbuster deal, along with the emergence of young pitchers like Todd Stottlemyre and Juan Guzmán, helped propel the Blue Jays back to the playoffs in 1991. Henke missed more than five weeks in April and May with a groin strain and then suffered from shoulder tendinitis that kept him out of action for two weeks in late September. Ward proved a more than capable replacement, closing 23 contests in Henke’s absence. When healthy, Henke maintained his usual dominance, equaling his prior-year total of 32 saves with another stellar ERA of 2.32. Toronto faced the Minnesota Twins in the ALCS. Henke, having just returned from his shoulder ailment, was relegated to set-up man behind Ward. There would be only one save situation, however, as the Twins won the series four games to one.

Entering the 1992 campaign, the talent-laden Blue Jays were favorites to repeat as AL East champs. “But until we reach the World Series,” said Henke in spring training, “people will say we can’t win the big game.”33 Henke’s career strikeout rate of 10.4 per nine innings at that point was the top mark in major-league history for pitchers with at least 500 innings.34 The 34-year-old veteran’s strikeout rate dropped off, but he remained highly effective nonetheless. In 57 games, the stalwart reliever tossed 55⅔ innings, struck out 46 and was credited with 34 saves. The well-rounded Blue Jays won 96 games and repeated as AL East champions. 

The ALCS between Toronto and Oakland was a rematch of the 1989 series, one the dominant A’s had won with relative ease. This time, however, the Blue Jays had the talent to match their AL West foes. The Athletics took Game One, but the Blue Jays won the next three, all close games closed out by Henke. The Jays won the series in six games. Henke pitched 4⅔ innings without allowing a run. Toronto was World Series-bound for the first time in franchise history.

Toronto’s World Series opponent, the Atlanta Braves, had won a major-league-best 98 games and squeaked by the Pirates in a seven-game NLCS. The Blue Jays and Braves proved to be evenly matched, and as a result nearly every game of the Series was a close affair. The Braves took Game One on their home turf, but the Jays rebounded with a come-from-behind, 5-4 victory in Game Two. Henke hit a batter and allowed a walk but closed out the game unscathed by retiring Terry Pendleton for the final out. Toronto won a thrilling Game Three in walk-off fashion as Henke watched from the bullpen. When Jimmy Key outdueled Tom Glavine in Game Four, Henke was brought in to protect a 2-1 lead. He retired the Braves in order for his second save. The Blue Jays, one game away from the World Series title, lost Game Five as the Series shifted back to Atlanta. 

In Game Six, the Blue Jays held a 2-1 lead heading into the ninth inning. Gaston handed the ball to Henke to close out the game. Jeff Blauser led off with a single and advanced to second on a sacrifice. Henke walked pinch-hitter Lonnie Smith, and two batters later Otis Nixon snuck a grounder through the left side of the infield to tie the game. Henke escaped without further damage, sending the game to extra innings. Toronto took the lead in the 11th on a two-run double by Winfield. Key started the bottom half of the frame but was relieved by Mike Timlin, owner of four career saves, who got the final out to secure Toronto’s first World Series trophy.

The Blue Jays offered Henke a one-year contract to return, but he ultimately settled on a two-year deal for “about $8 million” with the Rangers.35 Henke saved a franchise-record 40 games in 1993 while sporting a 2.91 ERA. In 1994 he got off to a slow start, blowing four of eight save opportunities, before missing a month with a bulging disc in his back. He had returned to form and lowered his ERA from a season-worst 5.51 to 3.79 when the players strike ended the season in August. Texas declined Henke’s team option, making him a free agent heading into 1995. He signed a one-year contract with the Cardinals, fulfilling his boyhood dream. “I’ll be honest with you, if it hadn’t been with St. Louis, I probably would have retired,” Henke told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.36 Pitching just two hours from his home, the 37-year-old stopper was utterly dominant. He converted 22 consecutive saves during one stretch and 36 of 38 for the season while posting 1.82 ERA. For the second time in his career, he was selected to the All-Star Game.

For his accomplishments with the Cardinals, Henke was honored by the local chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America as St. Louis Baseball Man of Year. He also took home his first Rolaids Relief award and donated the $25,000 prize money to the Taos Parks and Recreation Board and St. Francis Xavier School.37 Though Henke clearly had more gas in the tank, he was content on calling it a career and going out on top. “People don’t understand that this game takes a lot away from your life. You’re gone eight months a year,” he said.38

Henke finished his 14-year career fifth on the all-time saves list. He compiled a career record of 41-42 with an ERA of 2.67. In 789⅔ innings he allowed only 607 hits while recording 861 strikeouts and issuing only 255 walks.

After retiring from baseball, Henke filled his time in Taos farming, volunteering with local youth baseball teams, and serving “as a taxi service” for his and Kathy’s four children: Kimberly, Ryan, Amanda, and Linsay.39 Amanda was born with Down syndrome, something Henke initially saw as “punishment” from God, but he would quickly realize what a blessing she was. “She’s taught me so much about patience, about how it’s not that bad to have a bad game. She kind of put life in perspective for me,” said Henke in 2011.40 As part of his charitable efforts, he organized the Tom Henke Charity Classic Golf Tournament, an event that celebrated its 27th year in 2021. Beneficiaries of the endeavor include the Special Learning Center in Jefferson City and diabetes research. The event has raised over $1.4 million since its inception.41

The fact that he did not step into the role of closer until age 28 and retired at 37 likely cost Henke a shot at the National Baseball Hall of Fame. In 2001, his first year on the ballot, he received six votes (1.2 percent of the total), less than the minimum 5 percent needed to be considered for future consideration. Though overlooked by Cooperstown, he was enshrined in the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2000 and the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame in 2011.

Henke spent eight seasons with the Blue Jays and, as of 2022, remained the franchise leader in a number of statistical categories, including saves (217), ERA (2.48), WHIP (1.025), hits per nine innings (6.57), and strikeouts per nine innings (10.295). In a 2021 interview, Henke described the special bond he shares with his Blue Jays teammates and the city of Toronto, which he refers to as his second home: “I was very fortunate to be able to play for the Toronto Blue Jays for eight years. I had people that believed in me and stayed with me and gave me that second chance if I had a bad game. I will always be indebted to the folks I played with and for and the Toronto fans all across Canada.”42

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author relied on Baseball-Reference.com and newspapers.com.

Notes

1 Peter Gammons, “Henke Has Been a Pleasant Surprise,” Boston Globe, September 17, 1985: 71.

2 Fred Henke’s obituary is available at https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/therolladailynews/name/frederick-henke-obituary?id=20115240.

3 “In Taos, Henke’s Talk of Town,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 14, 1985: 13.

4 Dan O’Neill, “Fast-Finishing Henke Still Eyes World Series,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 6, 1989: 14.

5 John Lott, “Family Man,” National Post (Toronto), June 20, 2011: 18.

6 “No-Hitter by E. Central’s Henke,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 23, 1979: 33.

7 Dan O’Neill, “Fast-Finishing Henke Still Eyes World Series.”

8 Henke’s college coach, Tim Dill, later surmised that Henke did not sign because he wanted to be close to Kathy.

9 Steve Wade, “East Central Team Has St. Charles Flavor,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, April 18, 1980: 67.

10 Bob Snyder, “Syracuse’s Tom Henke – He’s Too Good to Be True,” The Sporting News, July 15, 1985: 44.

11 Tom Verducci, “What a Relief: Henke, Ward Are Difference for Jays So Far,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, October 25, 1992: 36.

12 Jim Reeves, “Rangers Fitting Henke for Super Task in Bullpen,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, March 14, 1983: 30.

13 Gammons, “Henke Has Been a Pleasant Surprise.”

14 Gammons.

15 Reeves.

16 Bob Hersom, “Summoned by Many Names, 89er Bullpen Responds,” Oklahoma City Daily Oklahoman, July 3, 1983: 43.

17 This was the final year of the compensation draft system. 

18 Gammons; Paul Hagen, “Rangers’ Foulup Bonanza for Jays,” Fort Worth Star-Telegram, October 8, 1985: 38.

19 Snyder, “Syracuse’s Tom Henke.”

20 Neil MacCarl, “Henke Quickly Shows He Belongs,” The Sporting News, August 12, 1985: 18.

21 Kevin Cowherd, “Relief-Rich Jays Enjoy a Luxury,” Baltimore Sun, July 30, 1985: 37.

22 Richard Griffin, “Canadian Hall Makes Call to Bullpen for Terminator,” Toronto Sun, January 24, 2011, https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/2011/01/24/griffin_canadian_hall_makes_call_to_bullpen_for_terminator.html, accessed December 7, 2021.

23 Griffin.

24 Mike Wilner, host. “Tom Henke, Alyson Footer of MLB.com, and We Talk World Series Simulations,” Deep Left Field podcast, posted October 28, 2021. https://www.thestar.com/podcasts/deepleftfield/2021/10/28/tom-henke-alyson-footer-of-mlbcom-and-we-talk-world-series-simulations.html, accessed December 12, 2021.

25 “Contract Dispute Drives Tom Henke from Jays’ Camp,” Edmonton Journal, March 2, 1987: 24.

26 “Free Agents Have Spring Fever,” Whitehorse (Yukon) Daily Star, March 5, 1987: 22.

27 Joe Donnelly, “Henke Lives for No-Win Situations,” Newsday (Long Island, New York), September 18, 1987: 196.

28 “Henke Loses Salary Arbitration,” Saskatoon (Saskatchewan) Star-Phoenix, February 10, 1988: 21.

29 “Jays Exorcize the Ghost of 1987,” Victoria (British Columbia) Times Colonist, October 1, 1989: 13.

30 “Jays Exorcize the Ghost of 1987.”

31 “Henke’s Wife Works on Her Delivery,” Sacramento Bee, October 8, 1989: 42.

32 “Big Deals for Canseco, Henke,” Ottawa Citizen, February 13, 1990: 58.

33 Barry Jackson, “Underachieving Toronto Starting to Feel Pressure,” Miami Herald, March 20, 1992: 202.

34 Mike Henry, “Henke-Ward Combination Spells Relief,” Tampa Tribune, March 21, 1992: 231.

35 “Rangers Haul in Henke,” Austin American-Statesman, December 16, 1992: 65.

36 Dan O’Neill, “On Second Try, Henke Makes a Deal with Cards,” St. Louis Post-Dispatch, December 13, 1994: 17.

37 “Henke Honored as St. Louis’ Top Baseball Man,” Carbondale (Illinois) Southern Illinoisan, February 7, 1996: 14.

38 “Henke Wants to Go Out on Top,” Alexandria (Louisiana) Town Talk, August 22, 1995: 7.

39 Scott Peryear, “Henke Enjoying Retirement,” Springfield (Missouri) News-Leader, March 27, 1995: 29.

40 John Lott, “Family Man.”

41 Tony Mullen, “Henke Golf Tournament Celebrates 27th Year,” https://krcgtv.com/sports/content/henke-golf-tournament-celebrates-27th-year, accessed December 12, 2021.

42 Mike Wilner.