by Tony Fiorello
Bisons catcher Payton Henry. Photo courtesy of Buffalo Bisons.
Buffalo Bisons catcher Payton Henry’s future was up in the air this past summer.
And while dealing with that uncertainty, he was also hit with more adversity.
Henry, who signed with the parent club Toronto Blue Jays last December after stints in the Milwaukee Brewers and Miami Marlins’ systems, was hit in the back of his head by a swing by the Syracuse Mets’ Pablo Reyes on May 31. Carted off the field, he missed the next three months while recovering.
Additionally, Henry’s younger brother Brooks passed away over the summer while fighting brain cancer.
That’s a lot for anyone to have to take on, much less a professional athlete. So when Henry was finally able to return on September 18 against Scranton-Wilkes/Barre (and playing three games the rest of the season while going five-for-nine at the plate), he breathed a sigh of relief.
“I was nervous for a while after what happened, but everything came full circle for me,” Henry said. “It was really cool to be out there, because when the injury happened I really didn't know if I'd ever play again. I didn't know what was going to happen.
“I've had a couple of head injuries, so that was something that was weighing heavy on me. I wasn't coming back great, but by the grace of God I came back and was able to do it. It's just surreal. I'm glad I was able to play, because I think for my mental state it was good to see that I could still do it.”
Bisons manager Casey Candaele liked what he saw from Henry.
“He was good and confident back there, and he looked like he hadn’t missed a beat,” Candaele said. “He actually took a shot off the face mask, but he was fine. So that's a really good thing to see. With everything that he's gone through this year, to come back and finish up the year and be healthy is great.”
During those three months, Henry was ordered to rest and after a period of a little more than a month was cleared for weight room activities and conditioning. But on August 3, while rehabbing in Florida, he lost his brother.
Any time one loses someone close to them, that person needs a strong support group
behind them to help them recover. Henry credited his family for keeping his spirits up throughout the summer.
“The second that my parents found out that I was injured, they flew out to Syracuse and picked me up and were able to take me home for a while,” Henry said. “I think the only reason I'm here, to be completely honest with you, is because of them.
“I've got my parents who have cheered me on my whole career, my sister Gabby and my brother Mason – they've always been there just to give me a nudge, and they weren't pushy about getting me back or anything like that. But I knew that I needed to be here for them as well because they were there for me.”
Bisons catcher Payton Henry reaches base. Photo courtesy of Buffalo Bisons.
In his first game back, Henry had a wave of emotions go through him. Reminders of Brooks were everywhere, and he became Henry’s primary source of motivation.
“I think getting back out here for him was my main concern,” Henry said. “The last time I played here (at Sahlen Field), my brother was in the stands and that was the last time that he got to travel to see me play and the last time that I got to see him walk around and just living life. So it was really special for me tonight.
“Before the game, I watched a video that he took of me hitting a single – and it's funny how this worked out, but tonight I hit a single in the same exact spot where I hit a single in that video., At the end of it, you could hear him cheering for me. So when that happened tonight, running down to first base was pretty emotional.”
Henry was also glad to be back so he could be around his teammates and coaching staff again, who were another support system for him as he went through his trials and tribulations.
“Everybody in this organization has been so good to me and understanding about what was going on with my family and me personally,” Henry said. “I can't tell you how many teammates reached out just to check on me and see if I was okay and seeing if they could do anything. The coaching staff here, every single one of them reaching out. That was as encouraging as it gets.
“I wanted to make sure that I could come back here and be able to spend some time with them. Baseball is a big part of my life. I’ve got a lot of friends, and with this organization I've made a lot of new friends and it's been cool to see everybody and get back here.”
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