| Position | Catcher |
|---|---|
| Bats | Right |
| Throws | Right |
| Birth date | August 26, 1913 |
| Birth place | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Death date | October 27, 1984 (aged 71) |
| Death place | Austin, Texas, U.S. |
| Debutleague | MLB |
| Debutdate | May 5 |
| Debutyear | 1938 |
| Debutteam | Cleveland Indians |
| Finalleague | MLB |
| Finaldate | September 29 |
| Finalyear | 1946 |
| Finalteam | St. Louis Browns |
| Statleague | MLB |
| Stat1label | Batting average |
| Stat1value | .184 |
| Stat2label | Home runs |
| Stat2value | 6 |
| Stat3label | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value | 22 |
| Teams |
Henry Hartz Helf (August 26, 1913 – October 27, 1984) was an American professional baseball player. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Cleveland Indians in 1938 and 1940 and the St. Louis Browns in 1946.[1] From 1944 to 1945, Helf served in the military during World War II.[2]
On August 20, 1938, as part of a publicity stunt by the Come to Cleveland Committee, Helf, along with Indians' catcher, Frankie Pytlak, caught baseballs dropped from Cleveland's 708-foot (216-metre) Terminal Tower by Indians' third baseman Ken Keltner.[3] The 708-foot (216-metre) drop broke the 555-foot, 30-year-old record set by Washington Senator catcher Gabby Street at the Washington Monument.[4] The baseballs were estimated to have been traveling at 138 miles per hour when caught.[3]
References
- ^ "Hank Helf at Baseball Reference". Baseball Reference. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
- ^ The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. Sterling Publishing. 2007. p. 568. ISBN 978-1-4027-4771-7.
- ^ Anderson, Bruce (March 11, 1985). "When Baseballs Fell From On High, Henry Helf Rose To The Occasion". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
- ^ Nitz, Jim. "The Baseball Biography Project: Ken Keltner". Society for American Baseball Research. Retrieved 20 July 2010.