Mel Kowalchuk was keeping busy yesterday trying not to focus on his feeling of loss. Kowalchuk's longtime right-hand man with the Edmonton Trappers, Dennis Henke, lost his lengthy battle with cancer yesterday. He was 57.
Despite his illness, Henke was on hand for the Trappers' final game in franchise history at the end of the 2004 season, throwing out the ceremonial first pitch to a standing ovation from the crowd at Telus Field.
GREAT FRIEND
"I've not only lost a great co-worker but a great friend, too," said Kowalchuk, who now heads up the Edmonton Cracker-Cats of the Northern League.
"And not only myself but all of the baseball fans in Edmonton. He was a great guy who knew his job and made my job much easier. He was always concerned about the clients - he was exceptional that way."
Henke's responsibilities included the day-to-day operations of the club as well as settling the players into Edmonton.
He was often credited by former Trappers as a minor-league executive who went further than most in making the players more comfortable in their new surroundings.
Among Henke's favourite players were Tim Salmon and Devon White. The 2002 PCL championship squad was also among his favourite teams.
"If you opened the dictionary and looked up the word loyalty you would find Dennis's picture," said Kowalchuk. "He was an incredibly loyal individual whether the team was owned by Peter Pocklington or the Eskimos.
"He knew the game inside and out. I always felt I had a second GM. I never had to worry about anything when I was out of town. He was just very good at what he did."
And when the two of them were working together, Kowalchuk and Henke made some lasting memories.
"It was just amazing, some of those game days are 18-hour days," recalled Kowalchuk. "Dennis had such a great sense of humour and there were many times both of us were just giggling away."
EXEC OF YEAR
Henke joined the Trappers before the 1983 season, the team's third in Edmonton, and served in nearly every capacity before becoming assistant GM.
The Pacific Coast League named him its executive of the year for the 2004 season, an honour awarded to the league executive whose team exemplifies overall excellence in baseball.
At the time, PCL president Branch B. Rickey praised Henke for "years and years of dedication and outstanding performance.
"He's an outstanding representative for professional baseball at any level and a tremendous person,'' said Rickey.
