baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding. The game occurs over the course of several plays, with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding tea ...

radio Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmit ...

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

play-by-play In sports broadcasting, a sports commentator (also known as sports announcer or sportscaster) provides a real-time commentary of a game or event, usually during a live broadcast, traditionally delivered in the historical present tense. Radio was ...

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...

1921 Events January * January 2 ** The Association football club Cruzeiro Esporte Clube, from Belo Horizonte, is founded as the multi-sports club Palestra Italia by Italian expatriates in First Brazilian Republic, Brazil. ** The Spanish lin ...

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

triple Triple is used in several contexts to mean "threefold" or a " treble": Sports * Triple (baseball), a three-base hit * A basketball three-point field goal * A figure skating jump with three rotations * In bowling terms, three strikes in a row * ...

run Run(s) or RUN may refer to: Places * Run (island), one of the Banda Islands in Indonesia * Run (stream), a stream in the Dutch province of North Brabant People * Run (rapper), Joseph Simmons, now known as "Reverend Run", from the hip-hop group ...

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

City Treasurer The municipal treasurer is a position of responsibility for a municipality according to the locally prevailing laws. The treasurer of a public agency is elected WXYZ and the Michigan Radio Network, covering parts of Michigan located outside metropolitan Detroit, while rival

Ty Tyson Edwin Lloyd "Ty" Tyson (May 11, 1888 – December 12, 1968) was an American sports broadcaster and radio play-by-play announcer. Early life Tyson was born in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania and he attended Penn State University. As a young man, ...

called games for station WWJ in Detroit exclusively. From 1942 to 1950, Heilmann was the exclusive radio voice of the Tigers throughout the state. Heilmann died from

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

in July 1951; he was posthumously elected to the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

six months later in January 1952 after garnering 86.75% of the votes.

Early years

Heilmann was born in

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

in 1894. His father, Richard W. Heilmann, was born in 1860 at

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

, the son of an Irish mother and a father from

Saxony Saxony (german: Sachsen ; Upper Saxon: ''Saggsn''; hsb, Sakska), officially the Free State of Saxony (german: Freistaat Sachsen, links=no ; Upper Saxon: ''Freischdaad Saggsn''; hsb, Swobodny stat Sakska, links=no), is a landlocked state of ...

.California State Library; California History Section; Sacramento, California; Miscellaneous Card Indexes: Vital Statistics Index (1900-1951); Reel #: 17; California History Room: Microfilm # 734. Ancestry.com. California Biographical Collection: Responses to Vital Record Inquiries, 1822-1964 atabase on-line Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2011. His mother, Mary (McVoy) Heilmann, sometimes referred to as Mollie, was born in 1864 in

County Roscommon "Steadfast Irish heart" , image_map = Island of Ireland location map Roscommon.svg , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Ireland , subdivision_type1 = Province , subdivision_name1 = Connacht , subdi ...

, Ireland.1910 Census entry of Mary Heilmann and family. Harry was the couple's fourth surviving child, having an older sister, May, and two older brothers, Richard, Jr., and Walter. Heilmann's father operated a soap business, ran as a Republican for the office of Supervisor of San Francisco's Ninth Ward in 1896, and died in June 1897 at age 36. As a boy in the 1890s and continuing at least through the time of the 1900 Census, Heilmann lived with his family at 708A Brannan Street in what is now the

South of Market South of Market (SoMa) is a neighborhood in San Francisco, California, situated just south of Market Street. It contains several sub-neighborhoods including South Beach, Yerba Buena, and Rincon Hill. SoMa is home to many of the city's museums ...

district of San Francisco. Heilmann was 11 years old at the time of the

1906 San Francisco earthquake At 05:12 Pacific Standard Time on Wednesday, April 18, 1906, the coast of Northern California was struck by a major earthquake with an estimated moment magnitude of 7.9 and a maximum Mercalli intensity of XI (''Extreme''). High-intensity sha ...

that killed approximately 3,000 people and left nearly 75% of the city's population homeless and living in refugee camps. Heilmann's older brother, Walter, was a gifted athlete who attended

Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, commonly known as SHC or SH, is a Catholic school located in the Cathedral Hill neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Founded in 1852, Sacred Heart Cathedral is the oldest Catholic secondary school and wa ...

(then "Sacred Heart College") in San Francisco. On June 3, 1908, a year after the city's devastation by earthquake, Walter died at age 16 while on a sailboat excursion with three schoolmates to visit the battleship '' USS Connecticut'' in drydock at the

Hunters Point Naval Shipyard The Hunters Point Naval Shipyard was a United States Navy shipyard in San Francisco, California, located on of waterfront at Hunters Point in the southeast corner of the city. Originally, Hunters Point was a commercial shipyard established i ...

, near the present site of

Candlestick Park Candlestick Park was an outdoor stadium on the West Coast of the United States, located in San Francisco's Bayview Heights area. The stadium was originally the home of Major League Baseball's San Francisco Giants, who played there from 1960 un ...

. The boat capsized in a squall, and Walter drowned while trying to swim to shore; the other three boys were rescued. As of 1910, Heilmann was living with his mother at 112 Sixteenth Street in the

Dogpatch Dogpatch was the fictional setting of cartoonist Al Capp's classic comic strip ''Li'l Abner'' (1934–1977). ''Li'l Abner'' comic strip The inhabitants of Dogpatch were mostly lazy hillbillies, who usually wanted nothing to do with progress. ...

neighborhood of San Francisco. Heilmann followed his older brother to what is now Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, where he played baseball, track and field, and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

. He graduated from Sacred Heart in 1912 at age 17 with a collegiate certificate. After graduating from Sacred Heart, Heilmann worked as a bookkeeper for the Mutual Biscuit Company.

Professional baseball career

Minor leagues

Heilmann appeared in a semipro baseball game in 1913 for a team from

Hanford, California Hanford is a city and county seat of Kings County, California, located in the San Joaquin Valley region of the greater Central Valley (California), Central Valley. The population was 53,967 at the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census. History ...

. While playing for Hanford, he was signed by a scout for the

Portland Beavers The Portland Beavers was the name of separate minor league baseball teams, which represented Portland, Oregon, in the Pacific Coast League (PCL). The team was established in 1903, the first year of the PCL. Franchise history Many baseball teams ...

of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

(PCL). After being signed by the Beavers, Heilmann was assigned to the Portland Colts of the

Northwestern League The Northwestern League was a sports league that operated in the Central United States during the early years of professional baseball for five seasons: 1879, 1883–1884, and 1886–1887. After the 1887 season, the league was replaced by the We ...

. He compiled a .305

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

in 122 games for the Colts.

Detroit Tigers

1914 to 1920 seasons

In September 1913, Heilmann was drafted by the

Detroit Tigers The Detroit Tigers are an American professional baseball team based in Detroit. The Tigers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the American League (AL) Central division. One of the AL's eight charter franchises, the club was f ...

. He made his major league debut with the Tigers on May 16, 1914, and played in 68 games that year, batting .225 and committing six errors in 31 games in the outfield (29 games in center field) for an .870

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

. For the 1915 season, the Tigers sent Heilmann to the San Francisco Seals of the

Pacific Coast League The Pacific Coast League (PCL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the Western United States. Along with the International League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade bel ...

(PCL). Heilmann missed the latter portion of the season after suffering from dizzy spells. Before the health problems sidelined him, Heilmann appeared in 98 games for the Seals and compiled a .364 batting average and .544 slugging percentage with 23 doubles and 12 home runs. His .364 batting average led the PCL for the 1915 season. Heilmann returned to the Tigers in 1916 and appeared in 136 games, including 30 games at first base and 77 as an outfielder. Although his .282 batting average was low by the standards he would set later, he ranked among the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

leaders with 30 doubles (seventh best), 77 RBIs (sixth best) and 43 extra base hits (eighth). He also became a favorite in Detroit for his actions off the field. On July 25, 1916, he saved a woman whose vehicle had rolled into the

Detroit River The Detroit River flows west and south for from Lake St. Clair to Lake Erie as a strait in the Great Lakes system. The river divides the metropolitan areas of Detroit, Michigan, and Windsor, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario—an area collectively refe ...

, diving into the water to rescue her, although two others died in the accident. His heroic act was reported in the national press, and he was loudly applauded at the next day's game. He continued to improve at the plate in 1917, once again ranking among the American League leaders with 85 RBIs (fourth), five

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s (seventh) and 11 triples (eighth); but he was called "Slug" due to his notoriously slow running and difficulties in the field. In 1917, the Tigers tried playing him in

right field A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

(95 games),

center field A center fielder, abbreviated CF, is the outfielder in baseball who plays defense in center field – the Baseball positions, baseball and softball fielding position between Left fielder, left field and Right fielder, right field. In the numberi ...

(28) and

first base A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

(27), but he was not particularly good at any of those positions. In 1918, Heilmann appeared in 79 games for the Tigers, 40 in right field and 37 at first base, compiling a .276 batting average. In mid-July 1918, he left the Tigers to enlist in the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. It is the largest and most powerful navy in the world, with the estimated tonnage ...

during

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

. He served as a quartermaster on submarines off the

West Coast of the United States The West Coast of the United States, also known as the Pacific Coast, Pacific states, and the western seaboard, is the coastline along which the Western United States meets the North Pacific Ocean. The term typically refers to the contiguous U.S ...

. He returned to the Tigers in 1919 and had his best season to date, ranking among the

American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league ...

leaders with a .320

batting average Batting average is a statistic in cricket, baseball, and softball that measures the performance of batters. The development of the baseball statistic was influenced by the cricket statistic. Cricket In cricket, a player's batting average is ...

(10th best), .477

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

(seventh), 92 RBIs (fourth), 53 extra base hits (fourth again), 15 triples (second), 256 total bases (fifth), 172 hits (sixth) and eight

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s (eighth). He had another strong year in 1920 with a .309 average, 41 extra base hits and 89 RBIs, but he continued to fall short in the field in those two years. Detroit manager

Hughie Jennings Hugh Ambrose Jennings (April 2, 1869 – February 1, 1928) was an American professional baseball player, coach and manager from 1891 to 1925. Jennings was a leader, both as a batter and as a shortstop, with the Baltimore Orioles teams that won Nat ...

made him the Tigers' starting

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

, and he led the league in errors at that position both years, including 31 in 1919 for a .979

fielding percentage In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball. It is calculated by the sum of putouts and assists, div ...

. Heilmann was married on October 5, 1920, to Mary H. Maynes, commonly known as Mae. They had a daughter, Mary Ellen, and a son, Harry, Jr., and lived in Detroit.

1921 season

In 1921, Heilmann appeared in 149 games, including 145 as the Tigers' starting right fielder. He won his first batting title, compiling a .394 batting average to outpace his manager and teammate

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

who hit .389. Unofficial figures released in October showed Cobb as the batting champion, but official figures released in December showed Heilmann to be the champion. He was the first right-handed batter to win the American League batting title since

Nap Lajoie Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie and nicknamed "The Frenchman", was an American professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...

in 1905. Heilmann also led the American League in 1921 with 237 hits and ranked second behind

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

with 139 RBIs, 365 total bases, a .606 slugging percentage, 292 times on base, a 7.3 offensive

wins above replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...

(WAR) rating, and 159

runs created Runs created (RC) is a baseball statistic invented by Bill James to estimate the number of runs a hitter contributes to their team. Purpose James explains in his book, ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'', why he believes runs created is ...

. He also ranked among the league leaders with a .444 on-base percentage (third behind Ruth and Cobb), 43 doubles (third behind

Tris Speaker Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...

and Ruth), and 76 extra base hits (third behind Ruth and

Bob Meusel Robert William Meusel (July 19, 1896 – November 28, 1977) was an American baseball left and right fielder who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for eleven seasons from 1920 through 1930, all but the last for the New York Yankees. He was best ...

). Heilmann's batting average in 1921 was 85 points higher than his 1920 average and 101 points higher than his career average prior to 1921. Some attributed Heilmann's dramatic improvement to the tutelage of Ty Cobb, who took over as the Tigers' manager in 1921. Others attributed Heilmann's improvement to the "

live-ball era The live-ball era, also referred to as the lively ball era, is the period in Major League Baseball beginning in (and continuing to the present day), contrasting with the pre-1920 period known as the "dead-ball era". The name "live-ball era" comes ...

" that started in 1920 and forced outfielders to spread out and play deeper, allowing more of Heilmann's line drives to fall into the wider gaps. However,

Frank G. Menke Frank Grant Menke (October 10, 1885 – May 13, 1954) was an American newspaper reporter, author, and sports historian. He wrote for the Hearst Newspapers from 1912 to 1932 and his articles appeared daily in 300 newspapers across the country. He ...

attributed his improvement to having learned the game, noting that the "lively ball" failed to account for the fact that those who outhit Heilmann from 1914 to 1920 were no longer outhitting him. Menke observed:

There is nothing picturesque, nothing highly colored, nothing bombastic or spectacular about his methods. He is not a grandstander -- not theatrical. And because he isn't, he does not get the acclaim and the plaudits which men, less wonderful, but better showmen, achieve for themselves.

Though primarily a line-drive hitter, Heilmann could also hit for power. His 19 home runs in 1921 ranked fifth in the American League, and he ranked among the league leaders in home runs 11 times. On July 8, 1921, Heilmann hit a home run off "Bullet Joe" Bush that traveled over the center field fence in Detroit and "actually made the patrons gasp in astonishment." Heilmann's home run was widely reported to have traveled 610 feet, eclipsing

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

's longest home run of 465 feet. Detroit's grounds keeper was more conservative, reporting that no measurement was made, but estimating that it traveled more than 500 feet. In a column published after the 1921 season,

Grantland Rice Henry Grantland "Granny" Rice (November 1, 1880July 13, 1954) was an early 20th-century American sportswriter known for his elegant prose. His writing was published in newspapers around the country and broadcast on the radio. Early years Rice wa ...

rated Heilmann as the premier scholar in the American League's School of Swat, ahead of Cobb and Ruth. The entire Tiger lineup hit remarkably well in 1921. In addition to Heilmann and Cobb's 1–2 finish for the batting title, Detroit's third outfielder,

Bobby Veach Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...

, was also among the league's best at .338. The 1921 Tigers finished the season with a team batting average of .316, the highest in American League history and second highest in major league history. However, true to the baseball adage that good pitching beats good hitting, the 1921 Tigers lacked good pitching and finished in sixth place, 27 games behind the pennant-winning Yankees. The 1921 season marked the start of a seven-year stretch in which Heilmann compiled a .380 batting average, .452 on-base percentage, .583 slugging percentage, and averaged 116 RBIs, 41 doubles, 11 triples, 15 home runs, and 104 runs scored.

Batting style and speed

Heilmann was known as a

line drive In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...

hitter who clubbed the ball harder than any batter of his era with the exception of

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

. His one major handicap as a player was a lack of speed that led to his being known by the nickname "Slug". He was long known as "one of the slowest men in baseball." Hall of Fame sportswriter

Tommy Holmes Thomas Francis Holmes (March 29, 1917 – April 14, 2008) was an American right and center fielder and manager in Major League Baseball who played nearly his entire career for the Boston Braves. He hit over .300 lifetime (.302) and every year fro ...

noted: "Heilmann was never much faster than an ice wagon on the base paths. Without doubt, he is the slowest moving great hitter who ever lived." According to Holmes,

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

's speed added 50 hits a year to his output, while Heilmann's lack of speed robbed him of infield hits. Sportswriter

Harry Grayson Harry Markey Grayson (May 10, 1894 – September 30, 1968) was an American sportswriter. He was the sports editor of the Newspaper Enterprise Association from 1934 to 1963. Selected works by Grayson BaseballWagner and Mathewson Top National Loop ...

later wrote that Heilmann's inability to beat out infield hits was the one thing that kept Heilmann from matching

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933 ...

as the greatest right-handed batter in baseball history.

1922 season

In February 1922, Heilmann refused to sign his contract, demanding to be paid $15,000. On March 3, 1922, Heilmann signed a contract for $12,500 with the Tigers, agreeing to report to spring training the following week. His spring training was then interrupted again in late March when he returned to Detroit to be with his wife for the birth of their son on March 28, 1922. By late June, Heilmann was batting .387 and battling

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis B ...

for the American League batting championship. On August 26, 1922, Heilman's season came to an end when he sustained a complete break of his

collarbone The clavicle, or collarbone, is a slender, S-shaped long bone approximately 6 inches (15 cm) long that serves as a strut between the shoulder blade and the sternum (breastbone). There are two clavicles, one on the left and one on the right ...

when he crashed into

Frank Brower Francis Marion Brower (November 20, 1823 – June 4, 1874) was an American blackface performer active in the mid-19th century. Brower began performing blackface song-and-dance acts in circuses and variety shows when he was 13. He eventually intr ...

while trying to beat out an infield hit. Heilmann had to have his collarbone rebroken and reset, and it was then discovered that Heilmann had also broken his shoulder. The injuries were so severe that Heilmann remained hospitalized until a week before the end of the season, and even after leaving the hospital, he feared he might never play again. Despite missing the last five weeks of the season, Heilmann hit a career-high 21 home runs, fourth in the American League, and also ranked among the league leaders with a .356 batting average (fourth), a .432 on-base percentage (fifth) and a .598 slugging percentage (fourth).

1923 season

In January 1923, while preparing for spring training and recuperating from his collar and shoulder injuries, Heilmann took up

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

and quickly developed a reputation as one of the best players in the country. Heilmann's efforts at handball also helped him shed excess weight, reporting in spring training at 200 pounds, 30 pounds less than he had reported in 1922. During the 1923 season, Heilmann won his second batting title, hitting .403 for the season, edging out

Babe Ruth George Herman "Babe" Ruth Jr. (February 6, 1895 – August 16, 1948) was an American professional baseball player whose career in Major League Baseball (MLB) spanned 22 seasons, from 1914 through 1935. Nicknamed "the Bambino" and "the Su ...

who hit .393. Heilmann in 1923 became the fourth American League player to hit .400 or more for a season, joining

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

,

Nap Lajoie Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie and nicknamed "The Frenchman", was an American professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...

and

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis B ...

. Only one other American League player,

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 ...

in 1941, has accomplished the feat since 1923. In addition to winning the 1923 batting crown, Heilmann had one of his best seasons as a slugger. He finished second to Ruth in on-base percentage (.481), slugging percentage (.632) and

wins above replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...

(9.3). He also ranked among the American League leaders with 115 RBIs (third), 211 hits (third), 18 home runs (third), 121 runs scored (fourth), 331 total bases (fourth), 44 doubles (fourth), and 73 extra base hits (fourth). Despite hitting over .400, he finished third in the 1923 American League Most Valuable Player voting behind Ruth and

Eddie Collins Edward Trowbridge Collins Sr. (May 2, 1887 – March 25, 1951), nicknamed "Cocky", was an American professional baseball player, manager and executive. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball from to for the Philadelphia Athlet ...

. Heilmann in 1923 denied Ruth a

Major League Baseball Triple Crown In baseball, a player earns a Triple Crown when he leads a league in three specific statistical categories in the same season. The term "Triple Crown" generally refers to the batting achievement of leading a league in batting average, home runs, ...

for the second time; Ruth led the league in home runs and RBIs in both 1921 and 1923, but was edged out in batting average in both years by Heilmann. In 1926, another Tiger,

Heinie Manush Henry Emmett Manush (July 20, 1901 – May 12, 1971), nicknamed "Heinie", was an American baseball outfielder. He played professional baseball for 20 years from 1920 to 1939, including 17 years in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers (1 ...

, won the batting title to deny Ruth the triple crown a third time. Heilmann worked as a

life insurance Life insurance (or life assurance, especially in the Commonwealth of Nations) is a contract between an insurance policy holder and an insurer or assurer, where the insurer promises to pay a designated beneficiary a sum of money upon the death ...

agent during the off-season in the 1920s. On October 16, 1923, after Ruth had received his World Series winner's share‚ Heilmann‚ who was friends with Ruth despite having beaten him for the batting title‚ sold Ruth a $50‚000 life insurance policy.

1924 season

In 1924, Heilmann's batting average dropped by 56 points to .346, which ranked sixth in the American League. Despite the "slump" in batting average, Heilmann led the league with 45 doubles and ranked second behind Babe Ruth with a .533 slugging percentage, a 6.4

wins above replacement Wins Above Replacement or Wins Above Replacement Player, commonly abbreviated to WAR or WARP, is a non-standardized sabermetric baseball statistic developed to sum up "a player's total contributions to his team". A player's WAR value is claimed to ...

rating among position players, and 130

runs created Runs created (RC) is a baseball statistic invented by Bill James to estimate the number of runs a hitter contributes to their team. Purpose James explains in his book, ''The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract'', why he believes runs created is ...

. He also ranked among the league leaders with 304 total bases (third), 71 extra base hits (third), 16 triples (third), 107 runs scored (fourth), 278 times on base (fourth), a .428 on-base percentage (fifth), and 114 RBIs (fifth). He appeared in 145 games as the Tigers' starting right fielder in 1924 and had his best defensive season, leading the league with 31 outfield assists; he never had more than 18 in any other season. He also led the league's right fielders with 263 putouts. Heilmann finished ninth in the voting for the 1924 American League Most Valuable Player award.

1925 season

In 1925, Heilmann appeared in 150 games, 147 as Detroit's starting right fielder, and won his third batting title, this time in a close race with

Tris Speaker Tristram Edgar Speaker (April 4, 1888 – December 8, 1958), nicknamed "the Gray Eagle", was an American professional baseball player. Considered one of the greatest players in the history of Major League Baseball (MLB), he compiled a career bat ...

. Going into the final day of the season, Heilmann trailed Speaker and needed a strong performance to pass him. On the last day, the Tigers played a doubleheader against the

St. Louis Browns The St. Louis Browns were a Major League Baseball team that originated in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, as the Milwaukee Brewers. A charter member of the American League (AL), the Brewers moved to St. Louis, Missouri, after the 1901 season, where they p ...

, and Heilmann had six hits, including a home run, in nine at bats. Heilmann finished with a .393 average, four points higher than Speaker. He was again among the American League leaders in most offensive categories, with 293 times on base (first), a 7.1 offensive wins above replacement rating (first), 134 RBIs (tied for first), 225 hits (third), a .457 on-base percentage (fourth), 326 total bases (fourth), a .569 slugging percentage (fifth), 40 doubles (fifth), and 64 extra base hits (fifth). Despite his accomplishments, the 1925 American League MVP award went to

Roger Peckinpaugh Roger Thorpe Peckinpaugh (February 5, 1891 – November 17, 1977) was an American professional baseball player shortstop and manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1910 through 1927, during which he played for the Cleveland Nap ...

, who hit almost 100 points below Heilmann and had 70 fewer RBIs than Heilmann but whose Senators repeated as pennant winners.

1926 season

In 1926, Heilmann appeared in 141 games, 133 as the Tigers' starting right fielder, and compiled a .367 batting average, .445 on-base percentage, and .534 slugging percentage. Heilmann ranked fourth in batting average in the American League, and the Detroit outfield took three of the top four spots in the batting race, as center fielder

Heinie Manush Henry Emmett Manush (July 20, 1901 – May 12, 1971), nicknamed "Heinie", was an American baseball outfielder. He played professional baseball for 20 years from 1920 to 1939, including 17 years in Major League Baseball for the Detroit Tigers (1 ...

won the batting crown with a .378 average, and left fielder

Bob Fothergill Robert Roy Fothergill (August 16, 1897 – March 20, 1938), often referred to by the nicknames "Fats" and "Fatty", and "the People's Choice", was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball, principally as a left fielder, for 1 ...

finished third with a .367 average. Heilmann's .445 on-base percentage was second best in the American League, and he once again hit more than 100 RBIs (had 101 RBIs) and finished fifth in American League MVP voting. On August 8, 1926, the Tigers held a Harry Heilmann Day at which Detroit Mayor John W. Smith presented Heilmann with a $5,000 Cadillac sports sedan, donated by Lawrence Fisher of

Fisher Body Fisher Body was an automobile coachbuilder founded by the Fisher brothers in 1908 in Detroit, Michigan. A division of General Motors for many years, in 1984 it was dissolved to form other General Motors divisions. Fisher & Company (originally Allo ...

, in front of a crowd of 40,000 spectators at Briggs Field.

1927 season

In 1927, Heilmann again appeared in 141 games, 135 as the starter in right field. He won his fourth and final batting crown with a .398 batting average in a close race with

Al Simmons Aloysius Harry Simmons (May 22, 1902 – May 26, 1956), born Alois Szymanski, was an American professional baseball player. Nicknamed "Bucketfoot Al", he played for two decades in Major League Baseball (MLB) as an outfielder and had his best year ...

who hit .392. On August 13, Simmons led Heilmann by 26 points, .393 to .367, but Heilmann took the lead after totaling 27 hits in 11 games in the latter half of August. He then slumped in early September to fall behind Simmons and trailed by one point going into the last day of the season. On the final day of the season, in a doubleheader at Cleveland, Heilmann had seven hits in nine at bats, including two home runs and three doubles, to add seven points to his average and overtake Simmons to win the batting championship. He also ranked among the league leaders with a .475 on-base percentage (second), 120 RBIs (third), 201 hits (third), 50 doubles (third), 73 extra base hits (third), .616 slugging percentage (fourth), 311 total bases (fourth) and 106 runs scored (fifth). Despite winning his fourth batting title, Heilmann still finished second in the American League MVP voting, this time behind

Lou Gehrig Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19, 1903June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned f ...

of the Murderers' Row 1927 Yankees. When a reporter reminded him that he had won batting titles every odd-numbered year from 1921 to 1927, Heilmann replied: "Mr. Navin etroit ownergives me contracts on a two-year basis. I always bear down real hard when a new contract is coming up."

1928 and 1929 seasons

In 1928, Heilmann appeared in 151 games for the Tigers, 125 as the team's starting right fielder and 24 as the starting first baseman. He compiled a .328 batting average, 70 points lower than his 1927 average of .398, but still seventh best in the American League. He also ranked among the American League leaders with 107 RBIs (fifth), 62 extra base hits (fifth), 283 total bases (fifth), 14 home runs (sixth), a .507 slugging percentage (eighth), 183 hits (eighth), and 38 doubles (eighth). In 1929, Heilmann was suspended in the spring for "indifferent training" and then finished the season on the bench. He ended up appearing in 125 games, 111 as the team's starting right fielder, and compiled a .344 batting average, ninth best in the American League. He again ranked among the league leaders with 120 RBIs (fifth), a .565 slugging percentage (seventh), 41 doubles (seventh), and a .412 on-base percentage (ninth).

Cincinnati Reds

In October 1929, the Tigers offered Heilmann on waivers to the other American League teams, but he went unclaimed, as no team was willing to pay the waiver price of $7,500. He was then sold by the Tigers to the

Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) National League Central, Central division and were a charter member of ...

for a sum reported to be somewhat under $25,000. During the 1930 season, Heilmann appeared in 142 games with the Reds, 106 as the team's starting right fielder and 19 at first base. He compiled a .333 batting average and .416 on-base percentage, the highest on the Cincinnati club in 1930. He also totaled 68 extra base hits, 19

home run In baseball, a home run (abbreviated HR) is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to circle the bases and reach home plate safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team. A home run i ...

s and 91 RBIs and ranked among the National League leaders with 43 doubles (seventh) and 64 bases on balls (eighth). While not previously known for his fielding, his 2.78 range factor in 1930 remains the second highest in major league history for a right fielder. In March 1931, Heilmann was incapacitated by arthritis in his right wrist. The arthritis was so severe that he was hospitalized for a time in the spring. He ended up missing the entire 1931 season. In January 1932, Heilmann was reported by the Reds to be in "great shape". He trained himself in Hot Springs and reported in late February that he believed himself ready. However, he appeared in only 15 games for the Reds, primarily as a pinch hitter and in five games as the team's starting first baseman. He compiled a .258 batting average in 31 at bats and appeared in his last major league game on May 31, 1932. He was released by the Reds on June 6, 1932. It was reported at the time that his arthritic wrist had "lost its snap, and the power of his bat and throwing arm was gone."

Radio career

Heilmann worked in the insurance business in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

while he played for the Reds. After retiring from baseball in 1932, Heilmann returned to

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

and continued there in the insurance business. He also ran in 1933 for the office of Detroit

City Treasurer The municipal treasurer is a position of responsibility for a municipality according to the locally prevailing laws. The treasurer of a public agency is elected Bobby Veach Robert Hayes Veach (June 29, 1888 – August 7, 1945) was an American baseball player from 1910 to 1930 including 14 seasons in the major leagues. He was the starting left fielder for the Detroit Tigers from 1912 to 1923 and also played for the B ...

,

Oscar Stanage Oscar Harland Stanage (March 17, 1883 – November 11, 1964) was an American baseball catcher. He played professional baseball for 24 years from 1903 to 1926, including 13 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers. A native of T ...

, "Leaping Mike" Menosky,

Marty Kavanagh Martin Joseph Kavanagh (June 13, 1891 – July 28, 1960) was an American baseball player. He played professional baseball for six years from 1913 to 1918, including five seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers (1914–1916, 1918) ...

, and Frank Fuller, which played games throughout Michigan and Ohio in July, August and September 1933, including a game against an African-American team from Akron. In 1934, Heilman was hired by WXYZ to handle the play-by-play responsibility on broadcasts of Detroit Tigers games for the Michigan Radio Network. At the start of the 1934 season, he was paired with Harold True, but became a solo broadcaster by the end of the season and thereafter. During the Tigers' 1935 championship season, Heilmann broadcast all home games for the Tigers, while out-of-town games were relayed by telegraph with play-by-play being read by Bob Longstreet from the WXYZ studio in the Maccabees Building. In the fall of 1934, Heilmann also began broadcasting a football highlights show on Saturday evenings on the WXYZ and the Michigan Radio Network. In 1936, he also broadcast out-of-town Tigers games on

CKLW CKLW (800 AM) is a commercial radio station in Windsor, Ontario, serving Southwestern Ontario and Metro Detroit. CKLW has a news/talk format. It features local hosts in morning and afternoon drive times, with syndicated Canadian hosts in midd ...

radio. He also began broadcasting a sports interview show on WXYZ in 1936. In 1937, Heilmann further expanded his radio responsibilities with a daily recap of the day's baseball games, broadcast at 5:30 p.m. on WXYZ. In 1938, he continued his broadcasts of Tigers home and out-of-town games on WXYZ, and added a 12:45 p.m. interview show with the fan on the street, broadcast Monday through Saturday on WXYZ. As his popularity grew, Heilmann expanded outside the sports realm in 1939 with a new interview program co-hosted with WXYZ staff announcer John (''Johnny'') Slagle. The program was titled "Town Meeting" and was broadcast at 12:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays on WXYZ and the Michigan Radio Network. In the fall of 1939, Heilmann also joined Carl Gensel on broadcasts of

Michigan State Spartans football The Michigan State Spartans football program represents Michigan State University (MSU) in college football at the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) level. The Spartans are members of the Big Ten Conference. Michigan State claims a ...

games. Through the 1941 season, Heilmann was part of an unusual broadcasting arrangement. His WXYZ broadcasts were carried on affiliate stations throughout all of Michigan, while

Ty Tyson Edwin Lloyd "Ty" Tyson (May 11, 1888 – December 12, 1968) was an American sports broadcaster and radio play-by-play announcer. Early life Tyson was born in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania and he attended Penn State University. As a young man, ...

did play-by-play separately on WWJ in Detroit. In the years of competing broadcasts, it took time for Heilmann to develop a following. One reporter noted:

A raspy voice, an Eastern accent and the contrast with Tyson's polished delivery irritated some who listened to Harry. There was no such thing as a Tiger fan who liked both announcers — you were either a Tyson fan or a Heilmann fan, never both.

In 1942, the Tigers gave exclusive broadcast rights to WXYZ, making Heilmann the exclusive radio voice of the Tigers in Detroit and throughout Michigan. He was the voice of the Tigers in 1940 and 1945 when the Tigers won the American League pennant and won the

1945 World Series The 1945 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1945 season. The 42nd edition of the World Series, it matched the American League champion Detroit Tigers against the National League champion Chicago Cubs. T ...

over the

Chicago Cubs The Chicago Cubs are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The Cubs compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as part of the National League (NL) Central division. The club plays its home games at Wrigley Field, which is located ...

. He became known for his gift as a story-teller and for his knowledge of the game. In 1951, ''Detroit Free Press'' sports editor

Lyall Smith Lyall F. Smith (November 22, 1914 – October 8, 1991) was an American sports writer and editor. He was the sports editor and columnist for the Detroit Free Press from 1945 to 1965 and the president of the Baseball Writers' Association of Ame ...

described Heilmann's broadcasting style:

In an era when radiomen frequently went into hysterics and fabricated spine-tingling situations, Harry was content to inform his listeners merely what actually happened on the diamond. These factual accounts were interspersed with tips on inside baseball and stories from his vast fund of diamond lore.

Baseball historian Marc Okkonen grew up listening to Heilmann's broadcasts and later recalled Heilmann's tendency to drop the letter "r" from the end of words, referring to

Hal Newhouser Harold Newhouser (May 20, 1921 – November 10, 1998), nicknamed "Prince Hal," was an American professional baseball player. In Major League Baseball (MLB), he pitched 17 seasons on the Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians, from 1939 through 1 ...

as "Newhousa" and

Bob Feller Robert William Andrew Feller (November 3, 1918 – December 15, 2010), nicknamed "the Heater from Van Meter", "Bullet Bob", and "Rapid Robert", was an American baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Clevel ...

as "Fellah". He also recalled that one of Heilmann's sponsors was a fly spray called Bugaboo; when an outfielder would catch a fly ball, Heilmann would proclaim, "Bugaboo! Another dead fly!" Okkonenen also recalled Heilmann's most memorable line, uttered after outstanding plays, when he would remain silent to emphasize the crowd noise and say, "Listen ... to the voice of baseball." In March 1946, Heilmann sustained five broken ribs and a broken chest bone in an automobile accident in Florida during spring training. Despite the injuries, he broadcast the Tigers games from opening day forward during the 1946 season. On September 11, 1948, the Tigers held a Harry Heilmann Day at Briggs Stadium. He was honored between games of a double-header and presented with a solid gold pass for all games played at Briggs Stadium.

Death

Heilmann was ill for much of the winter after the 1950 season. On March 14, 1951, he collapsed at the Tigers' spring training camp in

Lakeland, Florida Lakeland is the most populous city in Polk County, Florida, part of the Tampa Bay Area, located along Interstate 4 east of Tampa. According to the 2020 U.S. Census Bureau release, the city had a population of 112,641. Lakeland is a principal c ...

. He was hospitalized at Morrell Hospital in Lakeland, and the ''

Detroit Free Press The ''Detroit Free Press'' is the largest daily newspaper in Detroit, Michigan, US. The Sunday edition is titled the ''Sunday Free Press''. It is sometimes referred to as the Freep (reflected in the paper's web address, www.freep.com). It primari ...

'' reported two days later that he was in critical condition with a lung condition. At the end of March, after two weeks in the Lakeland hospital, the Tigers' owner Walter O. Briggs flew Heilmann back to Detroit on his private plane. Heilmann was taken by ambulance from the airport to

Henry Ford Hospital Henry Ford Hospital (HFH) is an 877-bed tertiary care hospital, education and research complex at the western edge of the New Center area in Detroit, Michigan. The flagship facility for the Henry Ford Health System, it was one of the first hos ...

, where he remained hospitalized. He remained hospitalized through the month of April, and

Ty Tyson Edwin Lloyd "Ty" Tyson (May 11, 1888 – December 12, 1968) was an American sports broadcaster and radio play-by-play announcer. Early life Tyson was born in Phillipsburg, Pennsylvania and he attended Penn State University. As a young man, ...

was selected to fill in for Heilmann on Tiger broadcasts during Heilmann's illness. Heilmann was released from the hospital and returned home in May 1951. On June 1, 1951, he was greeted warmly by the crowd when he and his wife attended a game at Briggs Stadium. He also returned briefly to the Tiger broadcasts in early June, sharing the duties with Tyson and Paul Williams. Heilmann was hospitalized again at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit on June 24 as his condition worsened, and he died there on July 9, 1951. It was only after his death that it was disclosed that the nature of his illness was

lung cancer Lung cancer, also known as lung carcinoma (since about 98–99% of all lung cancers are carcinomas), is a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissue (biology), tissues of the lung. Lung carcinomas derive from tran ...

. Detroit mayor

Albert Cobo Albert Eugene Cobo (October 2, 1893 – September 12, 1957) was an American politician who served as mayor of Detroit from 1950 to 1957. Early and personal life Albert Cobo was born in Detroit on October 2, 1893. He married his childhood sweet ...

recalled that Heilmann's radio broadcasts made him "almost a member of the family" to Detroiters. Team owner Walter Briggs recalled Heilmann as one of his closest friends and said, "I doubt whether the death of any other person in the State of Michigan could cause more genuine regret." The

1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game The 1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 18th playing of the midsummer classic between the all-stars of the American League (AL) and National League (NL), the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 10 ...

was played in Detroit on the day after Heilmann died and began with a moment of silence in his honor. Heilmann's funeral mass was celebrated by Father

Charles Coughlin Charles Edward Coughlin ( ; October 25, 1891 – October 27, 1979), commonly known as Father Coughlin, was a Canadian-American Catholic priest based in the United States near Detroit. He was the founding priest of the National Shrine of the ...

at the Shrine of the Little Flower in

Royal Oak, Michigan Royal Oak is a city in Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. An inner-ring suburb of Detroit, Royal Oak is about north of Detroit's city limits. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 57,236. Royal Oak is located along th ...

. He was buried at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in

Southfield, Michigan Southfield is a city in Oakland County, Michigan, Oakland County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 United States Census, 2010 census, the city had a population of 76,618. As a northern suburb of Detroit, Southfield shares part of its ...

.

Career accomplishments and legacy

Over the course of his major league career, Heilmann appeared in 2,147 games, including 1,525 games as a

right fielder A right fielder, abbreviated RF, is the outfielder in baseball or softball who plays defense in right field. Right field is the area of the outfield to the right of a person standing at home plate and facing towards the pitcher's mound. In the ...

and 448 as a

first baseman A first baseman, abbreviated 1B, is the player on a baseball or softball team who fields the area nearest first base, the first of four bases a baserunner must touch in succession to score a run. The first baseman is responsible for the majori ...

. He compiled a career batting average of .342 with a .410

on-base percentage In baseball statistics, on-base percentage (OBP) measures how frequently a batter reaches base. An official Major League Baseball (MLB) statistic since 1984, it is sometimes referred to as on-base average (OBA), as it is rarely presented as a ...

and a .520

slugging percentage In baseball statistics, slugging percentage (SLG) is a measure of the batting productivity of a hitter. It is calculated as total bases divided by at bats, through the following formula, where ''AB'' is the number of at bats for a given player, ...

. Heilmann's notable accomplishments include the following: * Heilmann's .342 batting average ranks 12th in major league history. Among right-handed batters, his average ranks third behind only

Rogers Hornsby Rogers Hornsby Sr. (April 27, 1896 – January 5, 1963), nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American baseball infielder, manager, and coach who played 23 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the St. Louis Cardinals (1915–1926, 1933 ...

and

Ed Delahanty Edward James Delahanty (October 30, 1867 – July 2, 1903), nicknamed "Big Ed", was an American professional baseball player, who spent his Major League Baseball (MLB) playing career with the Philadelphia Quakers, Cleveland Infants, Philadelph ...

. His .410 on-base percentage ranks 35th in major league history, and his .520 slugging percentage ranks 58th. * Heilmann remains one of only six players in American League history to hit .400 for a season. The others are

Nap Lajoie Napoléon "Nap" Lajoie (; September 5, 1874 – February 7, 1959), also known as Larry Lajoie and nicknamed "The Frenchman", was an American professional baseball second baseman and player-manager. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for t ...

,

Shoeless Joe Jackson Joseph Jefferson Jackson (July 16, 1887 – December 5, 1951), nicknamed "Shoeless Joe", was an American outfielder who played Major League Baseball (MLB) in the early 1900s. Although his .356 career batting average is the fourth highest ...

,

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

,

George Sisler George Harold Sisler (March 24, 1893 – March 26, 1973), nicknamed "Gorgeous George", was an American professional baseball first baseman and player-manager. From 1915 through 1930, he played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis B ...

, and

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 ...

. Heilmann accomplished the feat in 1923 with a .403 batting average. * He is one of six players to have won four or more American League batting titles. The others are

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

(twelve),

Rod Carew Rodney Cline Carew (born October 1, 1945) is a Panamanian former professional baseball player and coach. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a first baseman, second baseman and designated hitter from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins ...

(seven),

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 ...

(six),

Wade Boggs Wade Anthony Boggs (born June 15, 1958) is an American former professional baseball third baseman. He spent 18 seasons in Major League Baseball, primarily with the Boston Red Sox. He also played for the New York Yankees (1993-1997), and the Tamp ...

(five), and

Miguel Cabrera José Miguel Cabrera Torres (born April 18, 1983), nicknamed "Miggy", is a Venezuelan professional baseball first baseman and designated hitter for the Detroit Tigers of Major League Baseball (MLB). Since his debut in 2003 he has been a two-t ...

(four). * At the time of his retirement in 1932, his 542 doubles ranked sixth in major league history, and his 1,543 RBIs ranked eighth in major league history. * Heilmann's 164 home runs while playing for Detroit was a club record when he was sold to the Reds at the end of the 1929 season; his record was broken in 1938 by

Hank Greenberg Henry Benjamin Greenberg (born Hyman Greenberg; January 1, 1911 – September 4, 1986), nicknamed "Hammerin' Hank", "Hankus Pankus", or "The Hebrew Hammer", was an American professional baseball player and team executive. He played in Major Leagu ...

. In the weeks prior to Heilmann's death,

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

led a campaign, supported by Arthur Daley of ''The New York Times'' and

H. G. Salsinger Harry George Salsinger (April 10, 1885 – November 27, 1958) was an American sportswriter who served as sports editor of ''The Detroit News'' for 49 years. Biography Salsinger was born in Springfield, Ohio. In 1907, he started writing for ' ...

of ''

The Detroit News ''The Detroit News'' is one of the two major newspapers in the U.S. city of Detroit, Michigan. The paper began in 1873, when it rented space in the rival ''Detroit Free Press'' building. ''The News'' absorbed the '' Detroit Tribune'' on Februa ...

'', to hold a special election so that Heilmann could be inducted into the

Baseball Hall of Fame The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a history museum and hall of fame in Cooperstown, New York, operated by private interests. It serves as the central point of the history of baseball in the United States and displays baseball-r ...

before his death. Heilmann had received 87 of 167 ballots cast (52.1%) in 1950 and 153 of 226 ballots cast (67.7%) in 1951, below the 75% threshold. Heilmann died before action could be taken on the proposed special election, but on January 31, 1952, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Heilmann would be inducted that summer, having garnered 203 of the 234 (86.75%) votes cast. He was represented by his widow at the induction ceremony in July 1952. Heilmann has continued to be recognized as one of the greatest players in the history of the game. Significant honors include the following: * In 1969, Heilmann was selected in fan voting as one of the three outfielders (

Ty Cobb Tyrus Raymond Cobb (December 18, 1886 – July 17, 1961), nicknamed "the Georgia Peach", was an American Major League Baseball (MLB) center fielder. He was born in rural Narrows, Georgia. Cobb spent 22 seasons with the Detroit Tigers, the las ...

and

Al Kaline Albert William Kaline ( ; December 19, 1934 – April 6, 2020), nicknamed "Mr. Tiger", was an American professional baseball right fielder who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Detroit Tigers. For most of his career, Kal ...

were the others) on the all time Detroit Tigers team. * In 1994, fellow Hall of Fame slugger

Ted Williams Theodore Samuel Williams (August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played his entire 19-year Major League Baseball (MLB) career, primarily as a left fielder, for the Boston Red Sox from 1939 ...

rated Heilmann as the 17th best overall hitter of all time. * In 1999, Heilmann was ranked 54th on ''

The Sporting News The ''Sporting News'' is a website and former magazine publication owned by Sporting News Holdings, which is a U.S.-based sports media company formed in December 2020 by a private investor consortium. It was originally established in 1886 as a pr ...

'' list of 100 Greatest Baseball Players. * In 1999, he was selected as one of the 100 greatest players as part of the voting process for

Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...

's All-Century Team.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Heilmann, Harry 1894 births 1951 deaths American League batting champions American people of German descent American people of Irish descent Baseball players from Detroit Baseball players from San Francisco Cincinnati Reds coaches Cincinnati Reds players College football announcers Deaths from cancer in Michigan Deaths from lung cancer Detroit Tigers announcers Detroit Tigers players Major League Baseball broadcasters Major League Baseball right fielders National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Portland Beavers players Portland Colts players Radio personalities from Detroit Radio personalities from San Francisco San Francisco Seals (baseball) players

Early years

Professional baseball career

Minor leagues

Detroit Tigers

1914 to 1920 seasons

1921 season

Batting style and speed

1922 season

1923 season

1924 season

1925 season

1926 season

1927 season

1928 and 1929 seasons

Cincinnati Reds

Radio career

Death

Career accomplishments and legacy

See also

References

External links