Tom Henke
Encyclopedia
Thomas Anthony Henke (born December 21, 1957 in Kansas City, Missouri
), nicknamed "The Terminator" because of his ability and success as a closer
, is a former Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
. He was one of the most dominant and feared closers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pitching for the Texas Rangers
(1982–1984, 1993–1994), Toronto Blue Jays
(1985–1992), and St. Louis Cardinals
(1995).
On the mound, Henke was easily recognizable by the large-rimmed glasses he wore at a time when many players began using contact lens
es. At a height of 6' 5", he cast an imposing figure and dominated batters with his hard fastball
early in the count
, and his forkball
for the strikeout
. Henke struck out 9.8 batters per 9 innings pitched over his career.
if he showed up at a talent evaluation opportunity, so he did and got noticed.
Henke was first drafted on June 5, 1979, by the Seattle Mariners
in the 20th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft
, but did not sign. On January 11, 1980, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs
in the 1st round (24th pick) of the 1980 MLB Draft (January Secondary), but again didn't sign. Finally he signed with the Texas Rangers after being selected in the 4th round of the 1980 amateur draft (June Secondary).
After signing with the Rangers, Henke was then assigned to the Gulf Coast League Rangers in the Gulf Coast League
where he had immediate success, going 3-3 with a 0.95 ERA
in 38 innings, earning him a promotion to the Single-A Asheville Tourists
in the South Atlantic League
. In 1981, he started the season back at Asheville where his 8-6 record with 3 saves and 2.93 ERA in 92 innings earned him a promotion to the AA Tulsa Drillers
in the Texas League
. Henke spent the entire 1982 season back at Tulsa despite putting up similarly impressive numbers (14 saves with a 2.67 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings). He did however see time with the Rangers at the end of the season and made his major league debut on September 10. In 1983, Henke would finally be promoted to Oklahoma City in the American Association
, but again his development would stall and he would spend much of the next three seasons at AAA. Despite strong numbers in the minors and similar numbers during his intermittent times in Texas, Henke was labelled as a pitcher who had trouble finding the strike zone (finishing with 20 walks in 28 1/3 innings with the rangers in 1984) and appeared to be the odd man out in the Ranger's bullpen.
However, Henke would get his chance when the Toronto Blue Jays chose him from the Rangers on 24 January 1985 as a Free Agent compensation pick. After blazing through the hitters at AAA Syracuse to the tune of a 0.88 ERA and 18 saves in 51 1/3 innings over 38 appearances, he was promoted to Toronto and never looked back, not allowing a run in his first 11 appearances and finished the season with 13 saves. Henke was then made the team's closer in 1986 and played major role in the Toronto Blue Jays' successful run in the mid 1980s and early 1990s, finishing with 217 saves with team and helping Toronto to its first championship, a six-game defeat of the Atlanta Braves
in the 1992 World Series
.
Over his 14 year career, Henke was named to the All-Star team
twice: 1987, when he led the American League
with 34 save
s and 62 games finished
, and 1995, his last season, and only season in the National League
. He also won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1995. Despite having just finished one of the best seasons of his career, Henke decided to hang up his spikes at the end of the of 1995 season.
Henke was the seventh reliever to eclipse the 300 saves plateau and as of March 2011, his 311 career saves ranked 17th all-time on the career list.
Henke's nickname, "The Terminator", was given to him by teammate John Cerutti
in 1985 after they saw the movie The Terminator
together.
and the Cancer Society, and is on the board of directors with the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
Henke met his wife Kathy in college
. "My catcher
one day said, 'Let's go to McDonald's
' and Kathy was working there at the time," Henke said. "She sold me a Big Mac
and I was done. She was tall and athletic and I was pretty shy. Turns out we had a class together and started talking".
Coming from a small town with a population under 900, Henke admitted that he initially had to overcome a fear of big cities. "I hated going to New York
," he said. "I felt like a fish out of water there. I’d go from the hotel to Yankee Stadium and that’s it. It took me two or three years before I went out to visit the Statue of Liberty
and I never took the subway
." Of living in Toronto, Henke said "I rented an apartment
downtown for two or three years and that wasn’t for me. I’m just a guy from a small town and that’s where I’m most comfortable".
On 24 January 2011, Henke was named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
and was inducted into the Hall during a ceremony at St Marys, Ontario on 18 June 2011.
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
), nicknamed "The Terminator" because of his ability and success as a closer
Closer (baseball)
In baseball, a closing pitcher, more frequently referred to as a closer , is a relief pitcher who specializes in closing out games, i.e., getting the final outs in a close game. Closers often appear when the score is close, and the role is often assigned to a team's best reliever. A small number of...
, is a former Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
. He was one of the most dominant and feared closers during the late 1980s and early 1990s, pitching for the Texas Rangers
Texas Rangers (baseball)
The Texas Rangers are a professional baseball team in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based in Arlington, Texas. The Rangers are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League, and are the reigning A.L. Western Division and A.L. Champions. Since , the Rangers have...
(1982–1984, 1993–1994), Toronto Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
(1985–1992), and St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1995).
On the mound, Henke was easily recognizable by the large-rimmed glasses he wore at a time when many players began using contact lens
Contact lens
A contact lens, or simply contact, is a lens placed on the eye. They are considered medical devices and can be worn to correct vision, for cosmetic or therapeutic reasons. In 2004, it was estimated that 125 million people use contact lenses worldwide, including 28 to 38 million in the United...
es. At a height of 6' 5", he cast an imposing figure and dominated batters with his hard fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
early in the count
Count (baseball)
In baseball, the count refers to the number of balls and strikes a batter has in his current plate appearance. It is usually announced as a pair of numbers, for example, 3-1 , with the first number being the number of balls and the second being the number of strikes.An individual pitch may also be...
, and his forkball
Forkball
The forkball is a type of pitch in baseball. Related to the split-fingered fastball, the forkball is held between the first two fingers and thrown hard snapping the wrist....
for the strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
. Henke struck out 9.8 batters per 9 innings pitched over his career.
Career
Tom Henke started out throwing every night to his father, who caught his pitches while sitting on a five-gallon bucket. "Every kid should have a dad like that," Henke said. A couple of friends, who believed he had pro-calibre stuff, told him they would buy the beerBeer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
if he showed up at a talent evaluation opportunity, so he did and got noticed.
Henke was first drafted on June 5, 1979, by the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
in the 20th round of the 1979 Major League Baseball Draft
1979 Major League Baseball Draft
The 1979 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft was held on June 5-7, 1979, via conference call.-First round selections:The following are the first round picks in the 1979 Major League Baseball draft.* Did not sign- Background :...
, but did not sign. On January 11, 1980, he was drafted by the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in the 1st round (24th pick) of the 1980 MLB Draft (January Secondary), but again didn't sign. Finally he signed with the Texas Rangers after being selected in the 4th round of the 1980 amateur draft (June Secondary).
After signing with the Rangers, Henke was then assigned to the Gulf Coast League Rangers in the Gulf Coast League
Gulf Coast League
The Gulf Coast League is a minor league baseball league which operates in Florida. It is a Rookie League, with a season running from mid-June to late August. The season is 60 games long and teams in the league are divided into three divisions, East, North and South...
where he had immediate success, going 3-3 with a 0.95 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 38 innings, earning him a promotion to the Single-A Asheville Tourists
Asheville Tourists
The Asheville Tourists are a minor league baseball team based in Asheville, North Carolina, USA. They play in the Class A South Atlantic League and have been a farm team of the Colorado Rockies since 1994....
in the South Atlantic League
South Atlantic League
The South Atlantic League is a minor league baseball league based chiefly in the Southeastern United States, with the exception of three teams in the Mid-Atlantic States...
. In 1981, he started the season back at Asheville where his 8-6 record with 3 saves and 2.93 ERA in 92 innings earned him a promotion to the AA Tulsa Drillers
Tulsa Drillers
The Tulsa Drillers are a minor league baseball team based in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The team, which plays in the Texas League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Colorado Rockies major-league club.-Stadium:...
in the Texas League
Texas League
The Texas League is a minor league baseball league which operates in the South Central United States. It is classified a Double-A league. The league was founded in 1888 and ran through 1892...
. Henke spent the entire 1982 season back at Tulsa despite putting up similarly impressive numbers (14 saves with a 2.67 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 87 2/3 innings). He did however see time with the Rangers at the end of the season and made his major league debut on September 10. In 1983, Henke would finally be promoted to Oklahoma City in the American Association
American Association (20th century)
The American Association was a minor league baseball league at the Triple-A level of baseball in the United States from to and to . Together with the International League, it contested the Junior World Series which determined the championship team in minor league baseball, at least for the...
, but again his development would stall and he would spend much of the next three seasons at AAA. Despite strong numbers in the minors and similar numbers during his intermittent times in Texas, Henke was labelled as a pitcher who had trouble finding the strike zone (finishing with 20 walks in 28 1/3 innings with the rangers in 1984) and appeared to be the odd man out in the Ranger's bullpen.
However, Henke would get his chance when the Toronto Blue Jays chose him from the Rangers on 24 January 1985 as a Free Agent compensation pick. After blazing through the hitters at AAA Syracuse to the tune of a 0.88 ERA and 18 saves in 51 1/3 innings over 38 appearances, he was promoted to Toronto and never looked back, not allowing a run in his first 11 appearances and finished the season with 13 saves. Henke was then made the team's closer in 1986 and played major role in the Toronto Blue Jays' successful run in the mid 1980s and early 1990s, finishing with 217 saves with team and helping Toronto to its first championship, a six-game defeat of the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
in the 1992 World Series
1992 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 17, 1992 at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, GeorgiaBraves fans had plenty to worry about in regard to both starting pitchers. Tom Glavine's post-season career had been less than stellar, including giving up eight runs in the second inning of Game 6 of the NLCS...
.
Over his 14 year career, Henke was named to the All-Star team
Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
twice: 1987, when he led the American League
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
with 34 save
Save (sport)
In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...
s and 62 games finished
Games finished
In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...
, and 1995, his last season, and only season in the National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
. He also won the Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award in 1995. Despite having just finished one of the best seasons of his career, Henke decided to hang up his spikes at the end of the of 1995 season.
Henke was the seventh reliever to eclipse the 300 saves plateau and as of March 2011, his 311 career saves ranked 17th all-time on the career list.
Henke's nickname, "The Terminator", was given to him by teammate John Cerutti
John Cerutti
John Joseph Cerutti was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball, and later a broadcaster for the Toronto Blue Jays.-Playing career:...
in 1985 after they saw the movie The Terminator
The Terminator
The Terminator is a 1984 science fiction action film directed by James Cameron, co-written by Cameron and William Wisher Jr., and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Michael Biehn, and Linda Hamilton. The film was produced by Hemdale Film Corporation and distributed by Orion Pictures, and filmed in Los...
together.
Personal
Henke currently lives on his 1000 acres (4 km²) farm in Taos, MO with his family, wife Kathy and children, Linsey, Ryan, Kim, and Amanda (who has Downs Syndrome). Since 1995, Henke has teamed with the Jefferson City, MO Cosmo Club to hold the annual Tom Henke Charity Classic Golf Tournament which raises money for the Special Learning Center, a school for handicapped children. He also volunteers with Down Syndrome charities, the Special OlympicsSpecial Olympics
Special Olympics is the world's largest sports organization for children and adults with intellectual disabilities, providing year-round training and competitions to more than 3.1 million athletes in 175 countries....
and the Cancer Society, and is on the board of directors with the Missouri Department of Mental Health.
Henke met his wife Kathy in college
College
A college is an educational institution or a constituent part of an educational institution. Usage varies in English-speaking nations...
. "My catcher
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
one day said, 'Let's go to McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
' and Kathy was working there at the time," Henke said. "She sold me a Big Mac
Big Mac
The Big Mac is a hamburger sold by McDonald's, an international fast food restaurant chain. It is one of the company's signature products...
and I was done. She was tall and athletic and I was pretty shy. Turns out we had a class together and started talking".
Coming from a small town with a population under 900, Henke admitted that he initially had to overcome a fear of big cities. "I hated going to New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
," he said. "I felt like a fish out of water there. I’d go from the hotel to Yankee Stadium and that’s it. It took me two or three years before I went out to visit the Statue of Liberty
Statue of Liberty
The Statue of Liberty is a colossal neoclassical sculpture on Liberty Island in New York Harbor, designed by Frédéric Bartholdi and dedicated on October 28, 1886...
and I never took the subway
Rapid transit
A rapid transit, underground, subway, elevated railway, metro or metropolitan railway system is an electric passenger railway in an urban area with a high capacity and frequency, and grade separation from other traffic. Rapid transit systems are typically located either in underground tunnels or on...
." Of living in Toronto, Henke said "I rented an apartment
Apartment
An apartment or flat is a self-contained housing unit that occupies only part of a building...
downtown for two or three years and that wasn’t for me. I’m just a guy from a small town and that’s where I’m most comfortable".
On 24 January 2011, Henke was named to the Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
The Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum is a museum located in St. Marys, Ontario, Canada. The museums commemorates great players, teams, and accomplishments of baseball in Canada.-History:...
and was inducted into the Hall during a ceremony at St Marys, Ontario on 18 June 2011.
Career statistics
| W Win (baseball) In professional baseball, there are two types of decisions: a win and a loss . In each game, one pitcher on the winning team is awarded a win and one pitcher on the losing team is given a loss in their respective statistics. These pitchers are collectively known as the pitchers of record. Only... |
L | PCT | ERA Earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine... |
G Games played Games played is a statistic used in team sports to indicate the total number of games in which a player has participated ; the statistic is generally applied irrespective of whatever portion of the game is contested.-Baseball:In baseball, the statistic applies also to players who, prior to a game,... |
GS Games started In baseball statistics, games started indicates the number of games that a pitcher has started for his team. A pitcher is credited with starting the game if he faces the first opposing batter... |
CG | SHO Shutout In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball.... |
SV Save (sport) In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers... |
IP Innings pitched In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two... |
H | ER Earned run In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run... |
R | HR Home run In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process... |
BB Base on balls A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08... |
IBB Intentional base on balls In baseball, an intentional base on balls, usually referred to as an intentional walk and denoted in baseball scorekeeping by IBB, is a walk issued to a batter by a pitcher with the intent of removing the batter's opportunity to swing at the pitched ball... |
SO Strikeout In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters.... |
WP Wild pitch In baseball, a wild pitch is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, perhaps even the batter-runner on strike three or ball four, to advance.A wild pitch usually... |
HBP Hit by pitch In baseball, hit by pitch , or hit batsman , is a batter or his equipment being hit in some part of his body by a pitch from the pitcher.-Official rule:... |
| 41 | 42 | .494 | 2.67 | 642 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 311 | 789.2 | 607 | 234 | 252 | 64 | 255 | 29 | 861 | 30 | 9 |