10/07/2025
This one hits home deeper than words can explain.
Many people may not know this, but before The Bullpen ever existed, I began my career in law enforcement right in Sikeston, Missouri. It’s where I learned what true brotherhood meant. It’s where I learned to trust the man beside me with my life. And it’s where I first met Officer Henry Franklin.
We tested together. We were hired together. We learned together.
Two kids with nothing but heart and grit, stepping into a world we barely understood chasing the same dream, wearing the same badge with pride. He wore #334, and I wore #335. Those numbers were more than metal on our chests, they were a bond, a promise. And to this day, the people closest to me know those numbers show up in nearly everything I do a quiet reminder of where I came from.
We started together. We leaned on each other through the hard lessons during our FTO and moments that would shape us forever. That kind of bond between rookies, between brothers in blue is something you can’t explain unless you’ve lived it.
Sikeston will always have a place in my heart. DPS wasn’t just a job or a group of coworkers it was a family. And that’s exactly what Henry was to everyone who belonged to The Department of Public Safety.
My time in Sikeston was short, but it was some of the best years of my life. My daughter was born there. My first home as a father was there. So many of my “firsts” happened in that incredible community moments that built me into who I am today.
And I can honestly say I don’t get shaken or hurt by much in life. But this one hurts. It hits different. Because when you’ve stood shoulder to shoulder with someone who shared the same oath on the same day, wearing the same badge, driven by the same desire to protect… losing them cuts.
Henry was a warrior. A protector. A man who gave everything for his country, his community, and the people he loved most. He didn’t deserve to be taken from this world by a senseless act of violence. He leaves behind a beautiful family, countless friends, and a legacy that deserves to be honored not just with words, but through action.
Even though I’m no longer in law enforcement, the oath I took the one Henry took beside me never truly fades.
That’s why this Wednesday and Thursday, The Bullpen will be raising money in Henry’s memory. Proceeds from every sale will go directly to support his family, and I’ll personally deliver those funds to Sikeston from my hands to the people who stood beside him.
From #335 to #334, rest easy, brother. You were one hell of a warrior, one hell of a man, and I’m forever proud to have started this journey with you.
I hope you and your family will join us Wednesday and Thursday to support this great man and his family.
Respectfully,
Nicholas Basinger
Former Sikeston DPS #335
Current Owner, The Bullpen Sports Grill
