Harry Heilmann - Early Years: 1913-1920

Early Years: 1913-1920

Born in San Francisco, California, Heilmann attended Sacred Heart High School, the same school that Joe Cronin attended. In 1913, the 19-year-old Heilmann was working as a bookkeeper for a biscuit-maker, when a former teammate from Sacred Heart asked him to fill in for the Hanford, California, team in the San Joaquin Valley League. After a scout saw him hit an 11th-inning, game-winning double, Heilmann was signed to a professional contract by the Portland Beavers of the Northwest League. Heilmann later recalled he received a spaghetti dinner as a bonus for signing with Portland. After he hit .305 for the Portland Beavers, his contract was purchased by the Detroit Tigers for $1,500.

Heilmann debuted with the Tigers on May 16, 1914, and played in 69 games that year, batting .225 and committing six errors in 31 games in the outfield (28 in center field) for a subpar .870 fielding percentage. For the 1915 season, the Tigers sent Heilmann to the San Francisco Seals of the Pacific Coast League. In 1915, Heilmann and fellow San Francisco native Ping Bodie (later a star with the Chicago White Sox and New York Yankees) led the Seals to their second Pacific Coast League title, with Heilmann hitting .364.

Heilmann returned to the Tigers in 1916, playing in 136 games, including 30 games at first base and 66 games as a backup right fielder for Sam Crawford. Though his .282 batting average was low by the standards he would set later, Heilmann ranked among the American League leaders with 30 doubles (seventh best), 73 RBIs (seventh best) and 43 extra base hits (eighth best). Heilmann also became a favorite in Detroit for his actions off the field. On July 25, 1916, Heilmann spotted a woman drowning in the Detroit River. He dove into the river and was credited with saving the woman’s life. After the incident was reported in the local press, Heilmann was given an ovation at the next day’s game. In 1917, Heilmann continued to improve as a batter, once again ranking among the American League leaders with 86 RBIs (fourth best), five home runs (seventh best), and 11 triples (eighth best). However, Heilmann, who earned the nickname “Slug” due to his notoriously slow running, had difficulties as a fielder. In 1917, the Tigers tried playing him in right field (95 games), center field (28 games) and first base (27 games), but he was not particularly good at any of those positions.

In 1918, with the United States at war against Germany, Heilmann joined the U.S. Navy and served on a submarine, causing him to miss half of the 1918 season. Heilmann played in only 79 games in 1918, splitting his time between right field (40 games) and first base (37 games).

Heilmann returned to the lineup 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 best), 93 RBIs (fourth best), 53 extra base hits (fourth best), 15 triples (second best), 256 total bases (fifth best), 172 hits (sixth best), and eight home runs (eighth best). Heilmann had another strong year at the plate in 1920 with a .309 average, 41 extra base hits, and 89 RBIs. However, the 1919 and 1920 seasons also highlighted Heilmann’s shortcomings as a fielder. Detroit manager Hughie Jennings used Heilmann as the Tigers’ starting first baseman, and he led the league in errors by a first baseman both years, including 31 in 1919 for a .979 fielding percentage.