View source for Tom Henke

{{Short description|American baseball player (born 1957)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2015}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Tom Henke
|image=
|position=[[Pitcher]]
|bats=Right
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{birth date and age|1957|12|21}}
|birth_place=[[Kansas City, Missouri]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 10
|debutyear=1982
|debutteam=Texas Rangers
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=September 30
|finalyear=1995
|finalteam=St. Louis Cardinals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[Win–loss record (pitching)|Win–loss record]]
|stat1value=41–42
|stat2label=[[Earned run average]]
|stat2value=2.67
|stat3label=[[Strikeout]]s
|stat3value=861
|stat4label=[[Save (baseball)|Saves]]
|stat4value=311
|teams=
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1982}}–{{mlby|1984}})
* [[Toronto Blue Jays]] ({{mlby|1985}}–{{mlby|1992}})
* [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] ({{mlby|1993}}–{{mlby|1994}})
* [[St. Louis Cardinals]] ({{mlby|1995}})
|highlights = 
* 2× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1987 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1987]], [[1995 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1995]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1992}})
* [[NL Rolaids Relief Man Award]] (1995)
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders|AL saves leader]] (1987)
| hofcolor= #EC1C40
| hoflink= Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame
| hoftype= Canadian 
| hofdate= 2011
}}
'''Thomas Anthony Henke''' (born December 21, 1957<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mlb.mlb.com/team/player.jsp?player_id=115765|title=Tom Henke Stats, Bio, Photos, Highlights|work=[[MLB.com]]|access-date=January 25, 2011}}</ref>), nicknamed "'''the Terminator'''",<ref>{{cite book|last=Zawadzki|first=Edward|title=The Ultimate Canadian Sports Trivia Book|publisher=Dundurn Press|year=2001|volume=1|page=23|isbn=978-0-88882-237-6|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iP-FHPrl0wUC&pg=PA23|access-date=February 20, 2009}}</ref> is an American 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 (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] (1982–1984, 1993–1994), [[Toronto Blue Jays]] (1985–1992), and [[St. Louis Cardinals]] (1995).

On the [[Pitcher's mound|mound]], Henke was easily recognizable by the large-rimmed [[spectacles|glasses]] he wore at a time when many players began using [[contact lens]]es.<ref name="Pollock">{{cite web|title=Missouri native Henke elected to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame|last=Pollock|first=Bill|date=January 25, 2011|work=Missourinet|url=http://www.missourinet.com/2011/01/25/missouri-native-henke-elected-to-canadian-baseball-hall-of-fame/|df=mdy-all}}</ref>  At a height of 6' 5", he cast an imposing figure and dominated batters with his hard [[fastball]] early in the [[Count (baseball)|count]], and his [[forkball]] for the [[strikeout]].  Henke struck out 9.8 batters per 9 innings pitched over his career.

==Early life==
Tom Henke was born in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], and 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. He grew up in [[Taos, Missouri]] and attended Blair Oaks High School. After high school, Henke played at [[East Central College|East Central Junior College]].<ref name="Mosportshalloffame.com">{{cite web|url=http://mosportshalloffame.com/inductees/tom-henke/ |title=Tom Henke - Missouri Sports Hall of Fame |publisher=Mosportshalloffame.com |access-date=2020-04-07}}</ref> In 1980, a couple of friends, who believed Henke had pro-caliber stuff, told him they would buy the [[beer]] if he showed up at a talent evaluation opportunity; he did and was noticed.<ref name="torontosun">{{cite web|url=http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/MLB/2011/06/19/18303691.html|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130115075429/http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Baseball/MLB/2011/06/19/18303691.html|url-status=usurped|archive-date=January 15, 2013|title=Henke inducted to Canadian Baseball Hall|publisher=The Toronto Sun|date=June 19, 2011}}</ref>

==Career==
Henke was 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 first round (24th pick) of the [[1980 Major League Baseball draft]] (January Secondary) but again did not sign. Henke signed with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] after being selected in the fourth round of the 1980 amateur draft (June Secondary).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/henketo01.shtml|title=Tom Henke Statistics and History – Baseball-Reference.com|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref>

===Texas Rangers (1982–1984)===
After signing with the Rangers, Henke was assigned to the Gulf Coast League Rangers in the [[Gulf Coast League]] where he had immediate success, going 3-3 with a 0.95 [[Earned run average|ERA]] in 38 innings, earning a promotion to the Single-A [[Asheville Tourists]] in the [[South Atlantic League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/minors/player.cgi?id=henke-001tho|title=Tom Henke Minor League Statistics & History – Baseball-Reference.com|work=Baseball-Reference.com|access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref> In 1981, Henke 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 minor league season back at Tulsa, despite putting up similarly impressive numbers (14 saves with a 2.67 ERA and 100 strikeouts in {{frac|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 was finally promoted to the [[Oklahoma City 89ers]] in the [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]], but again his development stalled and he spent 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 labeled as a pitcher who had trouble finding the strike zone (finishing with 20 walks in {{frac|28|1|3}} innings with the Rangers in 1984) and appeared to be the odd man out in the Rangers' bullpen.<ref name="foxsports1">{{cite web|url=http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/The-Terminator-still-remembers-Canada-fondly-Tom-Henke-to-enter-Canadian-Baseball-Hall-of-Fame-99416809|title=MLB|author=Fox Sports|work=FOX Sports|access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref>

===Toronto Blue Jays (1985–1992)===
However, Henke was selected by the [[Toronto Blue Jays]] from the Rangers on January 24, 1985, as a free agent compensation pick. After blazing through the hitters at AAA [[Syracuse Chiefs|Syracuse]] to the tune of a 0.88 ERA and 18 saves in {{frac|51|1|3}} innings over 38 appearances, he won the [[International League Most Valuable Pitcher Award]] in 1985. Henke was promoted to Toronto during the 1985 pennant drive<ref name="Porter2000">{{cite book|author=David L. Porter|title=Biographical Dictionary of American Sports: G-P|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=aChCBw-PmHQC&pg=PA659|year=2000|publisher=Greenwood Publishing Group|isbn=978-0-313-31175-8|pages=659–}}</ref> and never looked back, not allowing a run in his first 11 appearances and finishing the season with 13 saves.{{citation needed|date=July 2022}} Henke was then made the team's closer in 1986, and played a major role in the Toronto Blue Jays' successful run from the mid-1980s to early 1990s, finishing with 217 saves with the team<ref name="thestar1">{{cite news| url=https://www.thestar.com/article/927406--griffin-canadian-hall-makes-call-to-bullpen-for-terminator | location=Toronto | work=The Star | first=Richard | last=Griffin | title=Griffin: Canadian Hall makes call to bullpen for Terminator | date=January 24, 2011}}</ref> and helping Toronto to its first championship, a six-game defeat of the [[Atlanta Braves]] in the [[1992 World Series]].

=== Texas Rangers II (1993–1994) ===
In 1993, as a free agent, Henke signed with the [[Texas Rangers (baseball)|Texas Rangers]] for two years. Henke had a career-high 40 saves in 1993. In 1994, he had only 15 saves due to spending time on the disabled list.<ref name="Porter2000"/>

===St. Louis Cardinals (1995)===
Henke, age 37, signed with the Cardinals for the 1995 season after two years with the Texas Rangers. The closer converted his first 22 saves for the team in 1995 ending with 36 total saves for the year.<ref>{{cite web| url=https://retrosimba.com/2013/06/26/why-tom-henke-was-a-nearly-perfect-cardinal/ | work=KSDK News | author=retrosimba| title=Why Tom Henke was a nearly perfect Cardinal | date=June 26, 2013}}</ref> Henke was honored with the St. Louis Chapter of the Baseball Writers' Association (BBWAA) J.G. Taylor Spink Award as the St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year Award.<ref name="Porter2000"/> Despite having just finished one of the best seasons of his career and 22nd in MVP voting,
<ref>{{cite news| url=http://www.ksdk.com/sports/mlb/cardinals/wait-he-was-an-all-star/456023808 | location=St. Louis| work=KSDK News | author=Will Saulsbery| title=Wait, he was an All-Star? | date=August 30, 2017}}</ref> Henke decided to retire at the end of the 1995 season. "I've always admired guys who have gone out at the top of their game," Henke said. "Sometimes you have to look at what's the most important thing in life. I'd like to see my kids grow up."<ref>{{cite web| url=https://retrosimba.com/2013/06/26/why-tom-henke-was-a-nearly-perfect-cardinal/ | work=KSDK News | author=retrosimba| title=Why Tom Henke was a nearly perfect Cardinal | date=June 26, 2013 | access-date=December 21, 2016}}</ref>

==Career milestones==
Over his 14-year career, Henke was named to the [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star team]] twice: 1987, when he led the [[American League]] with 34 [[save (baseball)|saves]] and 62 [[games finished]], and 1995, his last season, and only season in the [[National League (baseball)|National League]]. He also won the [[Rolaids Relief Man of the Year Award]] in 1995.<ref>{{cite book|last=Eck|first=Ed|author2=Greg Robison |title=Baseball in the National League Central Division|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|year=2009|page=22|isbn=978-1-4358-5045-3|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eiq76DqtTvIC&pg=PA2007|access-date=February 20, 2009}}</ref>

Henke was the seventh reliever to eclipse the 300 saves plateau and when he retired his 311 career saves ranked 5th on the all-time career list.<ref>{{cite book|last=Womack|first=Graham|title=Tom Henke's early retirement might've cost him the Hall of Fame|publisher=Sporting News|date=June 30, 2017|url=http://www.sportingnews.com/mlb/news/tom-henke-blue-jays-cardinals-rangers-stats-saves-best-closers-mlb-history-hall-of-fame/1dvq9xt8g8gnb1v18pq9t7omq4}}</ref>

Other career accomplishments are:
*14 MLB season, 789.2 IP
*2.67 [[Earned run average|ERA]]
*1.092 [[Walks plus hits per inning pitched|WHIP]]
*255 walks to 861 Ks for a 3.38 SO/BB ratio
*.982 fielding percentage
*Playoff stats: 19.2 IP / 2-0 / 1.83 ERA / 0.966 WHIP / 5 saves (all saves in 1992 playoffs for World Champion Blue Jays.)

==Personal==
Henke lives on his {{convert|1000|acre|km2|adj=on}} farm in [[Taos, Missouri]], with his family: wife Kathy and children Linsay, Ryan, Kim, and Amanda (who has [[Down syndrome]]).<ref name="foxsports1"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/baseball/tom-henke-named-to-canadian-baseball-hall-of-fame/article1880807/|title=Tom Henke named to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame|date=January 24, 2011|work=[[The Globe and Mail]]|location=Toronto|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name="missourinet1">{{cite web|url=http://www.missourinet.com/2011/01/25/missouri-native-henke-elected-to-canadian-baseball-hall-of-fame/|title=Missouri native Henke elected to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame|work=Missourinet|date=January 25, 2011 |access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref>

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".<ref name="torontosun"/>

Coming from a small town with a population under 900, Henke admitted he initially had to overcome a fear of big cities. "I hated going to New York City", 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." On 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".<ref name="torontosun"/>

=== Charity involvement ===
Since 1995, Henke has teamed with the [[Jefferson City, Missouri]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.speciallearningcenter.com/|title=Welcome to the Special Learning Center|work=speciallearningcenter.com|access-date=July 27, 2015}}</ref> He also volunteers with Down syndrome charities, the [[Special Olympics]] and the Cancer Society, and is on the board of directors with the Missouri Department of Mental Health.<ref name="missourinet1"/>

=== In popular culture ===
Henke's nickname, "the Terminator", was given to him by teammate [[John Cerutti]] in 1985 after they saw the movie ''[[The Terminator]]'' together.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thestar.com/sports/baseball/mlb/bluejays/article/927406--griffin-canadian-hall-makes-call-to-bullpen-for-terminator|title=Canadian Hall makes call to bullpen for Terminator|last=Grifin|first=Richard|date=January 24, 2011|publisher=[[Toronto Star]]|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

"The Ballad of Tom Henke" was written as a tribute to Henke's life story and "termination" of opposing batters.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://mopupduty.com/the-ballad-of-tom-henke/|last=Hughson|first=Callum|date=December 20, 2010|title=The Ballad Of Tom Henke}}</ref> The [[Single (music)|45]] was released in 1985. Side 2 has "The Tom Henke Rag", an instrumental.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://citizenfreak.com/titles/323415-section-15-orchestra-the-ballad-of-tom-henke-b-w-the-tom-henke-rag-instrumental|publisher=citizenfreak|title=Section 15 Orchestra - The Ballad of Tom Henke b/w The Tom Henke Rag (instrumental)}}</ref>

Henke appeared in a TV commercial for [[Aqua Velva]].<ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp3tZHgULNk "TV Commercial - Aqua Velva"]. TV Commercial - Aqua Velva</ref>

== Honors ==

In 2000, Henke was inducted into the [[Missouri Sports Hall of Fame]].<ref name="Mosportshalloffame.com"/>

On August 9, 2009, the Toronto Blue Jays honored Henke with a figurine giveaway bearing his likeness.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.espn.com/espn/page2/story?page=gallo/090410&sportCat=mlb|title=The best, and worst, promotions on the 2009 MLB calendar|work=ESPN|date=April 14, 2009}}</ref>

On August 28, 2009, Henke threw out the ceremonial first pitch at [[Busch Stadium]] during the [[Washington Nationals]] vs St. Louis Cardinals baseball game.<ref name="Pollock"/>

On January 24, 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 June 18, 2011.<ref name="thestar1"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://montrealgazette.com/sports/Henke+Simpson+Wood+named+Canadian+Baseball+Hall+Fame/4158560/story.html|title=Henke, Simpson, Wood named to Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame|work=Montreal Gazette|date=January 24, 2011|archive-date=May 25, 2024|archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525043203/https://www.webcitation.org/5w0Hx7gN6?url=http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Henke%20Simpson%20Wood%20named%20Canadian%20Baseball%20Hall%20Fame/4158560/story.html|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

On August 14, 2016, a final ceremony of three with Blue Jays' all-time greats was held to celebrate the club's 40th Anniversary. Henke represented the bullpen along with [[Duane Ward]] and [[Mike Timlin]]. Former Blue Jays starters [[Roy Halladay]], [[Dave Stieb]], [[Pat Hentgen]] and [[Juan Guzman (baseball)|Juan Guzman]] were welcomed back too. The entire group exemplified top arms in club history.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mlb.com/news/blue-jays-honor-top-pitchers-in-club-history-c195508876|title=Blue Jays honor top arms in club history|work=MLB|date=August 14, 2016}}</ref>

In November 2018, Henke was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame.

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
*[[List of Major League Baseball annual saves leaders]]
{{Clear}}

==References==
{{reflist|30em}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats|mlb=115765|espn=1224|br=h/henketo01|fangraphs=1005649 |brm=henke-001tho}}
*[https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=henketo01 Tom Henke] at Baseball Almanac

{{Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame}}
{{1992 Toronto Blue Jays}}
{{NL Relief Man Award Winners}}
{{AL saves champions}}
{{300 saves club}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Henke, Tom}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:American League All-Stars]]
[[Category:American League saves champions]]
[[Category:Asheville Tourists players]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Kansas City, Missouri]]
[[Category:Canadian Baseball Hall of Fame inductees]]
[[Category:Gulf Coast Rangers players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball pitchers]]
[[Category:Oklahoma City 89ers players]]
[[Category:People from Cole County, Missouri]]
[[Category:St. Louis Cardinals players]]
[[Category:Syracuse Chiefs players]]
[[Category:Texas Rangers players]]
[[Category:Toronto Blue Jays players]]
[[Category:Tulsa Drillers players]]