Heilmann's Heavy Stickwork Mystery of Major Leageus
The "lively" ball that came into play in 1921 has wrought many remarkable things in balldom, but none more so than in the slugging power of Harry Heilmann.
Ever since they "hopped up" the horsehide, Heilmann has been banging fo an average beyond every other baseballer in the universe.
In the days when the baseball was just that and nothing more, Heilmann was a fair hitter. Since then he has been the super-swatsmith.
What's the answer?
The bromidic reply is that the new brand of baseball, being easier to hit into safe territory, is wholly responsible. If that's true, why aren't the men who hit beyond Heilmann back in 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920 batting beyond him now?
If the rabbit baseball has provoked an average increase of nearly 100 points in Heilmann's average, why hasn't it dont he same thing for all others?
Just Learning His Stuff.
Perhaps the real truth is that Heilmann was just learning how to hit the baseball four seasons ago and that knowledge, plus the long distance ball of today, is the double-barrled answer why he has become the king-pin hitter of the big leagues.
One of the strange things about Heilmann's amazing feats with the war club is that full credit never has been given him. When the weekly averages have been published there is usually a headline "Heilmann Leads Hitters" - and beyond that little comment is made. Heilmann thus becomes one of the unfortunates of the game. There is nothing picturesque, nothing highly colored,, nothing bombastic nor spectacular about his methods. He is not a grandstander - not theatrical. And because he isn't he doesn't get the acclaim and the plaudits which men, less wonderful, but better showman, achieve for themselves.
Never Courts Applause.
The whanging star of the American League goes about his work calmly, methodically, almost bashfully, at times. Instead of courting the applause of the crows, he is modest to a point where he almost shuns it. All of which seems to prove that no matter how truly great a man and his deeds are, he must be something of an actor to win the ovations he so richly deserves.
The records show that Heilmann always was a good long distance hitter but never until 1921 a wonder man with the hickory bludgeon. In the first eight years of his baseball career he could not average .300 including his minor league work. Yet, since 1920, including the first four weeks of 1924, he has averaged above .400.
Started in Far Northwest.
Heilmann was born in San Francisco August 3, 1894. His first job was with Portland in the Pacific Northwestern League in 1913. He played first base and outfield in 122 games and batted .305. He appeared in a Detroit uniform in 1914, having been purchased by the Tigers for $1,500. In 67 games the best he could do with the bat was a woeful .225.
The Tigers decided he wasn't ripe and Heilmann was released to San Francisco, where he played first base in 1915. He hit .364 in 98 games that year and Detroit recalled him at the start of 1916. Heilmann has been with the Tigers ever since, alternating at first and in the outfield in 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920. He has played the outfield since then.
Heilmann's Early Record.
Here is Heilmann's record as a batter from the outset of his career until the lively ball came into existence (see above).
That shows an average of .295 for Heilmann during those eight years, of which two were spent in the minors. If only his major league work is considered, then Heilmann's batting average for the six years - 1914, 1916, 1917, 1918, 1919 and 1920 - was the sad sum of .282.
Then came 1921!
Suddenly Goes Rampaging.
This same Heilmann, who had hit for only .282 in the years before, suddenly went on a rampage. He hit everything that was served up to him with vicious force and remarkable precision and ended up the year with 237 hits and a batting average of .395 for 149 games - a figure which gave him the championship of his league.
In 1922 he came back with .356 and last year he smashed a remarkable .403; making a grand average of .384 for three seasons for a player who in his six other years could hit for only .282.
Better Than Ever This Year.
Heilmann is back doing his fence smashing stuff again this year. The first month of play finds him far out in front of the pack again with an almos unbelievable mark of .493. He has faced all kinds of pitching in all sorts of weather in all varieties of ball parks - and he's still smacking close to .500.
What is the real reason for his Heilmann revolution? Who can explain why the whanging star of Ban Johnson's circuit could hit for only .282 while in his sprightly '20s - and then hit for .394, .356, .403 and .493 in the years that bring him near and to the end of the 30-year mark?
Source: The Lincoln Star (Frank Menke, 06/20/1924, Page 16.
