Doug Henry

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Richard Douglas Henry

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Biographical Information[edit]

Doug Henry was 2-0 with a 1.32 ERA for Team USA in the 1984 Amateur World Series, helping them win a Bronze medal. He also won a Silver Medal with them in the 1983 Intercontinental Cup and a Bronze in the 1983 Pan American Games. He was signed as an 8th round pick in the 1985 amateur draft by the Milwaukee Brewers and scout Harry Smith.

He came on with a bang when he reached the majors with the Brewers in mid-season in 1991. He quickly became the team's closer and went 2-1 with 15 saves and a sparkling ERA of 1.00 in 32 games. He was never able to reproduce that level of success in future years, but still pitched 11 seasons in the majors, getting into 582 games, all as a reliever. In 1992, he kept the closer's job all season and recorded a personal best 29 saves, but his ERA shot up to 4.02 in 68 appearances. In 1993, he went 4-4, 5.56 in 54 games, with 17 saves, and lost the closer's job. He bounced back a bin the strike-shortened 1994 season, putting up a record of 2-3, 4.60 in 25 games, without recording a save.

Starting in 1995, he began to move from team to team regularly, starting off that year with the New York Mets, after being traded for Javier Gonzalez and Fernando Vina while the strike was still unresolved. He pitched two seasons for the Mets, making 51 and 58 appearances and saving a total of 13 games. In 1997, he joined the San Francisco Giants as a free agent and made 75 appearances, his highest total, going 4-5, 4.71 with 3 saves. He pitched in the postseason for the first time, with one two-inning appearance against the Florida Marlins in the NLDS. He moved on to the Houston Astros in 1998 and had his best season since his rookie year when he went 8-2, 3.04 in 59 games. He returned to the postseason, pitching twice in the Division Series, a loss to the San Diego Padres. In 1999, he was 2-3, 4.65 in 35 games for the Astros, and made it three consecutive years pitching in a Division Series, with 3 2/3 scoreless innings as the Astros made another first-round exit, this one against the Atlanta Braves. In 2000, he started the season with Houston but at the trading deadline on July 30th, he was traded back to the Giants for Scott Linebrink. He made another 27 appearances for San Francisco, giving him 72 on the season. He had been 1-3, 4.42 for Houston, but was better with the Giants, at 3-1, 2.49. He made it four straight seasons of pitching in the postseason, with 3 appearances in San Francisco's loss to the Mets in the NLDS. Overall, his postseason record was solid, with no decisions but an ERA of 1.59 in 8 games, covering 11 1/3 innings. He finished his career with a season with the Kansas City Royals in 2001, but he was hit hard in his 53 games, putting up an ERA of 6.07 in 75 2/3 innings.

After his retirement as a player, Henry became a pitching coach, first in college, and then in the minor and major leagues. He was scheduled to be pitching coach of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals in 2020 before the season was cancelled due to COVID-19.

In 2015 the Royals won the 2015 World Series, their first title since 1985. The bullpen under Henry's leadership was an important component of that championship season as the Royals' bullpen ranked second in the American League with 56 saves, which also set the franchise record. The trio of Ryan Madson, Kelvin Herrera, and closer Wade Davis anchored the back end of their relief corps.

Related Sites[edit]

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