Harry Edwin Heilmann (August 3, 1894 – July 9, 1951), known as "Slug," was an American baseball player and radio announcer. He played professional baseball for 19 years, from 1913 to 1932, including 17 seasons in Major League Baseball with the Detroit Tigers (1914, 1916–1929) and Cincinnati Reds (1930, 1932). He worked as a play-by-play announcer for the Tigers for 17 years, from 1934 to 1950.

Heilmann won four American League batting championships in 1921, 1923, 1925, and 1927. He played in 2,147 major league games, including 1,525 games as a right fielder and 448 as a first baseman. His career batting average was .342, the 12th highest in major league history and the third highest among right-handed batters. When he retired in 1932, he ranked sixth in major league history with 542 doubles and eighth with 1,543 RBIs. He is one of only six players in American League history to hit .400 in a season, achieving a .403 batting average in 1923. He also hit .394 in 1921. Between 1921 and 1927, he averaged a .380 batting average, .452 on-base percentage, .583 slugging percentage, 116 RBIs, 41 doubles, 11 triples, and 104 runs scored per season. From 1919 to 1930, he hit over .300 for 12 consecutive seasons. He had six games with five hits and 49 games with four hits during his 17-year major league career.

After retiring from baseball, Heilmann ran for Detroit City Treasurer but was not elected. He also managed a semipro baseball team in 1933. In 1934, he began a career as a radio broadcaster. From 1934 to 1942, he was the play-by-play announcer for the Tigers on station WXYZ and the Michigan Radio Network, covering parts of Michigan outside Detroit, while Ty Tyson called games for station WWJ in Detroit. From 1943 to 1950, Heilmann was the exclusive radio voice of the Tigers throughout the state. He died from lung cancer in July 1951. He was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in January 1952 after receiving 86.75% of the votes.

Early years

Heilmann was born in San Francisco in 1894. His father, Richard W. Heilmann, was born in 1860 in Sacramento, California. He was the son of an Irish mother and a father from Saxony. His mother, Mary (McVoy) Heilmann, sometimes called Mollie, was born in 1864 in County Roscommon, Ireland. Harry was the family’s fourth child to survive. He had an older sister named May and two older brothers, Richard Jr. and Walter. Heilmann’s father owned a soap business, ran as a Republican candidate for Supervisor of San Francisco’s Ninth Ward in 1896, and died in June 1897 at age 36. During the 1890s and at least through the 1900 Census, Heilmann lived with his family at 708A Brannan Street, which is now part of the South of Market district in San Francisco.

Heilmann’s older brother, Walter, was a talented athlete who attended Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory (then called "Sacred Heart College") in San Francisco. On June 3, 1908, one year after the city suffered damage from an earthquake, Walter died at age 16 during a sailboat trip with three classmates to visit the battleship USS Connecticut in drydock at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, near the current location of Candlestick Park. The boat overturned in a sudden storm, and Walter drowned while trying to swim to shore. The other three boys were rescued.

By 1910, Heilmann was living with his mother at 112 Sixteenth Street in the Dogpatch neighborhood of San Francisco. He attended the same school as his older brother, now called Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, where he played baseball, track and field, and basketball. He graduated from Sacred Heart in 1912 at age 17 with a collegiate certificate. After graduating, Heilmann worked as a bookkeeper for the Mutual Biscuit Company.

Professional baseball career

Heilmann played in a semiprofessional baseball game in 1913 for a team from Hanford, California. While playing for Hanford, he was signed by a scout for the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). After being signed by the Beavers, Heilmann was assigned to the Portland Colts of the Northwestern League. He had a .305 batting average in 122 games for the Colts.

In September 1913, Heilmann was drafted by the Detroit Tigers. He made his major league debut with the Tigers on May 16, 1914, and played in 68 games that year, batting .225 and making six errors in 31 games in the outfield (29 games in center field) for an .870 fielding percentage.

For the 1915 season, the Tigers sent Heilmann to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League (PCL). He missed part of the season after experiencing dizzy spells. Before his health issues, Heilmann played in 98 games for the Seals and had 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 played in 136 games, including 30 games at first base and 77 as an outfielder. His .282 batting average was lower than the standards he would later set, but he ranked among the American 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 car had rolled into the Detroit River by 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 improved at the plate in 1917, once again ranking among the American League leaders with 85 RBIs (fourth), five home runs (seventh), and 11 triples (eighth). However, he was called "Slug" because of his slow running and difficulties in the field. In 1917, the Tigers tried playing him in right field (95 games), center field (28), and first base (27), but he was not particularly good at any of those positions.

In 1918, Heilmann played in 79 games for the Tigers, 40 in right field and 37 at first base, with a .276 batting average. In mid-July 1918, he left the Tigers to join the United States Navy during World War I. He served as a quartermaster on submarines off the West Coast of the United States.

He returned to the Tigers in 1919 and had his best season to date, ranking among the American League leaders with a .320 batting average (10th best), .477 slugging percentage (seventh), 92 RBIs (fourth), 53 extra base hits (fourth), 15 triples (second), 256 total bases (fifth), 172 hits (sixth), and eight home runs (eighth). He had another strong year in 1920 with a .309 average, 41 extra base hits, and 89 RBIs, but he continued to struggle in the field in those two years. Detroit manager Hughie Jennings made him the Tigers' starting first baseman, and he led the league in errors at that position both years, including 31 in 1919 for a .979 fielding percentage.

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

In 1921, Heilmann played 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, who hit .389. Unofficial figures released in October showed Cobb as the batting champion, but official figures released in December showed Heilmann as the champion. He was the first right-handed batter to win the American League batting title since Nap Lajoie in 1905. Heilmann also led the American League in 1921 with 237 hits and ranked second behind Babe Ruth with 139 RBIs, 365 total bases, a .606 slugging percentage, 292 times on base, a 7.3 offensive wins above replacement (WAR) rating, and 159 runs created. He also ranked among the league leaders with a .444 on-base percentage (third behind Ruth and Cobb), 43 doubles (third behind Tris Speaker and Ruth), and 76 extra base hits (third behind Ruth and Bob Meusel).

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 people believed his improvement was due to the guidance of Ty Cobb, who became the Tigers' manager in 1921. Others thought the "live-ball era," which began in 1920, helped because it forced outfielders to play deeper, allowing more of Heilmann's line drives to fall into the gaps. Frank G. Menke said his improvement was because he had learned the game better, noting that players who outperformed him before 1921 no longer did.

Though primarily a line-drive hitter, Heilmann could also hit for power. His 19 home runs in 1921 ranked among the league leaders. On August 26, 1922, Heilmann's season ended when he suffered a complete break of his collarbone.

Post-baseball career

Harry Heilmann worked in the insurance business in Cincinnati while playing for the Reds baseball team. After retiring from baseball in 1932, he returned to Detroit and continued working in insurance. In 1933, he ran for the position of Detroit City Treasurer but lost the election to Charles L. Williams by a large margin—138,478 votes for Williams and 68,695 votes for Heilmann. He also briefly played sandlot baseball for the Tool Shop team in the Detroit Amateur Baseball Federation. On June 4, 1933, over 20,000 people watched Heilmann return to baseball. He hit an RBI single in the first inning and made an important catch in right field before a thunderstorm forced the game to stop in the second inning. After playing a few games with Tool Shop, Heilmann formed his own team, Harry Heilmann’s All-Stars, which included former major league players such as Bobby Veach, Oscar Stanage, "Leaping Mike" Menosky, Marty Kavanagh, and Frank Fuller. The team played games in Michigan and Ohio in July, August, and September 1933, including a game against an African-American team from Akron.

In 1934, Heilmann was hired by WXYZ to describe Detroit Tigers games for the Michigan Radio Network. At the start of the 1934 season, he worked with Harold True, but later became a solo broadcaster. During the Tigers’ 1935 championship season, Heilmann broadcast all home games, while out-of-town games were sent by telegraph and described by Bob Longstreet from the WXYZ studio. In the fall of 1934, he also began broadcasting football highlights on Saturday evenings. In 1936, he described out-of-town Tigers games on CKLW radio and started a sports interview show on WXYZ. In 1937, he expanded his work by broadcasting a daily summary of baseball games at 5:30 p.m. on WXYZ. In 1938, he continued broadcasting Tigers games and added a 12:45 p.m. interview show with fans on the street, aired Monday through Saturday.

As his popularity grew, Heilmann expanded his radio work in 1939 by co-hosting a program called "Town Meeting" with WXYZ staff announcer John (Johnny) Slagle. The show was broadcast at 12:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. In the fall of 1939, he also joined Carl Gensel on broadcasts of Michigan State Spartans football games.

Through the Tigers’ 1942 season, Heilmann was part of a unique broadcasting arrangement. His WXYZ/Michigan Radio Network broadcasts were carried on affiliate stations across Michigan, while Ty Tyson called the games separately on WWJ in Detroit. It took time for Heilmann to gain a following during this period. In 1943, the Tigers gave exclusive broadcast rights to WXYZ, making Heilmann the team’s sole radio voice in Detroit and throughout Michigan. During his time as a Tigers announcer, he described the American League pennant-winning teams of 1940 and 1945.

Heilmann was known for his storytelling and deep knowledge of baseball. In 1951, Detroit Free Press sports editor Lyall Smith described his broadcasting style. Baseball historian Marc Okkonen, who grew up listening to Heilmann’s broadcasts, recalled that Heilmann often dropped the letter "r" from the end of words, calling Hal Newhouser "Newhousa" and Bob Feller "Fellah." He also mentioned that one of Heilmann’s sponsors was a fly spray called Bugaboo; when an outfielder caught a fly ball, Heilmann would say, "Bugaboo! Another dead fly!" Okkonen also remembered Heilmann’s most famous line, where he would pause after a great play and say, "Listen … to the voice of baseball."

In March 1946, Heilmann broke five ribs and his chest bone in a car accident in Florida during spring training. Despite these injuries, he broadcast Tigers games starting from opening day in 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 received a solid gold pass for all games played at Briggs Stadium.

Death

Heilmann was sick for most of the winter after the 1950 season. On March 14, 1951, he collapsed at the Tigers' spring training camp in Lakeland, Florida. He was taken to Morrell Hospital in Lakeland. Two days later, the Detroit Free Press reported that he was in critical condition due to a lung condition. After spending two weeks in the Lakeland hospital, the Tigers' owner, Walter O. Briggs, flew Heilmann back to Detroit on his private plane. He was taken by ambulance from the airport to Henry Ford Hospital, where he stayed for the rest of March. He remained hospitalized through the month of April. During his illness, Ty Tyson filled in for Heilmann on Tiger broadcasts. Heilmann was released from the hospital and returned home in May 1951. On June 1, 1951, he was greeted warmly by fans when he and his wife attended a game at Briggs Stadium. He also briefly returned to the Tiger broadcasts in early June, sharing duties with Tyson and Paul Williams.

Heilmann was hospitalized again at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit on June 24 as his condition worsened. He died there on July 9, 1951. After his death, it was revealed that he had been suffering from lung cancer. Detroit mayor Albert Cobo said that Heilmann's radio broadcasts made him "almost a member of the family" to Detroiters. Team owner Walter Briggs remembered 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 was played in Detroit on the day after Heilmann died. The game began with a moment of silence in his honor. Heilmann's funeral mass was held by Father Charles Coughlin at the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan. He was buried at the Holy Sepulchre Cemetery in Southfield, Michigan.

Career accomplishments and legacy

Over the course of his major league career, Heilmann played in 2,147 games. He played 1,525 games as a right fielder and 448 games as a first baseman. He had a career batting average of .342, with a .410 on-base percentage and a .520 slugging percentage. His 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 and Ed Delahanty. His .410 on-base percentage ranks 35th in major league history, and his .520 slugging percentage ranks 58th.
• Heilmann is one of only six players in American League history to hit .400 for a season. The others are Nap Lajoie, Shoeless Joe Jackson, Ty Cobb, George Sisler, and Ted Williams. Heilmann achieved this 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 (twelve), Rod Carew (seven), Ted Williams (six), Wade Boggs (five), and Miguel Cabrera (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.

In the weeks before Heilmann's death, Ty Cobb led a campaign, supported by Arthur Daley of The New York Times and H. G. Salsinger of The Detroit News, to hold a special election so that Heilmann could be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame before his death. Heilmann received 87 of 167 ballots cast (52.1%) in 1950 and 153 of 226 ballots cast (67.7%) in 1951, which was below the 75% threshold. Heilmann died before action could be taken on the proposed special election. However, on January 31, 1952, the National Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Heilmann would be inducted that summer, having received 203 of 234 (86.75%) votes cast. His wife represented him 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 chosen by fans as one of the three outfielders (Ty Cobb and Al Kaline were the others) on the all-time Detroit Tigers team.
• In 1994, Hall of Fame player Ted Williams ranked Heilmann as the 17th best overall hitter of all time.
• In 1999, Heilmann was ranked 54th on The Sporting News 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's All-Century Team.