The Harrisburg Alumni Association

Bob Henley, one of the finest catchers ever to play on Harrisburg's City Island, hits his first major league home run 28 years ago today.

His opposite-field drive to deep right field off Colorado's Pedro Astacio starts the third inning of Montreal’s 3-2 loss at Coors Field.

Alas for Henley, only two more homers follow in an injury-shortened career that limits him to 41 games in 1998.

In those 41 games, though, Henley posts a .304 batting average to make him the only Expos catcher with more than 100 at-bats to hit .300 in a season during the team’s 36-season existence.

Henley's homer off Astacio comes just over a year after he suffers a season-ending concussion while playing for Class AA Harrisburg.

Subsequent elbow and shoulder injuries force Henley to retire in 2002.

Henley's keen mind for the game, though, keeps him in baseball as he rejoins the Expos in 2003 as a minor league manager and eventually, after the franchise moves from Montreal to Washington, becomes the Nationals’ third-base coach.

Today he is the San Diego Padres’ third-base coach.

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