By June 1922, McHenry's play had declined noticeably, and he complained of visual problems. He began to have difficulty judging and catching fly balls in the outfield, and his batting statistics also suffered. Cardinals general manager
Branch Rickey was concerned enough to send McHenry home to Ohio to rest and to consult with McHenry's father, who was a physician. About a month later, McHenry returned to the team briefly, but he was still in poor condition. Sent home again, McHenry sought medical care in Cincinnati, where doctors detected a brain tumor. McHenry underwent brain surgery, but the tumor, due to its location, could not be entirely removed. Writing to Rickey from the hospital, he used a baseball analogy to describe his tenuous health situation: "I'm afraid it is three and two on me in the bottom of the ninth. I must hit the next one out." On November 22, 1922, newspaper reports indicated McHenry had been released from the hospital. His physicians had determined there was no hope for McHenry's survival and thought he should spend his last days at home with family members. He died at his home in Ohio a few days later. ==See also==