A Calgary-born former Okotoks Dawg is celebrating a historic achievement with the Milwaukee Brewers, who won their first World Series title Wednesday night. Jim Henderson is the Brewers’ major league pitching coordinator. Before launching a career as a major league pitcher with Milwaukee and the New York Mets, he was a member of the original Okotoks Dawgs squad in 1996. Henderson played a pivotal player when the Dawgs travelled to U.S. colleges to showcase their team and ultimately he ended up being offered baseball scholarships to Midland Junior College in Texas and then Tennessee Wesleyan University, before being drafted into the major leagues. Henderson’s journey included a decade in the minors before he joined the Brewers staff in 2012, which included a season as the team’s closer, where he logged 28 saves and a 2.70 earned run average. After finishing his career with the 2016 Mets, Henderson re-joined the Brewers minor league organization in 2018, coaching at Helena, Wisconsin and Nashville before joining the major league staff in 2022. Okotoks paid tribute to Henderson’s perseverance Thursday, issuing a statement. “For current Dawgs players, Henderson’s journey demonstrates where dedication to the game can lead. From his earliest days with the original Dawgs to his years developing as a professional pitcher and coach, his story reflects the value of persistence, learning and hard work,” the club said. “The Okotoks Dawgs join their fans, players, alumni and families in congratulating Jim Henderson and the Milwaukee Brewers on this historic achievement. Henderson also got a shout out from Baseball Canada along with four other alumni who are part of the Brewers’ organization for winning the World Series.
