In the Shadow

Harry Heilmann was a tall, husky man (6 ft., 195 Ibs.), an outfielder (mainly for Detroit) who spent 13 years in the major leagues cowing opposing pitchers. He won the American League batting championship four times, one season hit .403. His lifetime average was .342, a mark bettered by only six other players.*

When his big-league days were over in 1932, Heilmann made a new career as a sports announcer on Detroit radio stations. But his great ambition, election to baseball's Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., always eluded him. Lesser men made it; Heilmann's misfortune was that he had played in the shadow of such titans as Tris Speaker, Rogers Hornsby, Babe Ruth and Harry's own teammate, Ty Cobb.

Recently, hearing that Heilmann was seriously ill, Cobb wrote to several of his baseball-writer friends, urging them not to bypass Harry in this year's selections. Last week New York Times Columnist Arthur Daley printed part of Cobb's letter, agreed that Heilmann's election was, long overdue. The appeal came too late. At last week's All-Star game in Detroit, 50,000 fans stood and observed a moment of silence. The day before, Harry Heilmann, 56, had died of cancer in Detroit.

* Ty Cobb (.367), Rogers Hornsby (.358), Dan Brouthers (.348), Ed Delahanty (.346), Willie Keeler (.345), Tris Speaker (.344). Babe Ruth and Jess Burkett also hit .342.

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