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-tall (216 m) Terminal Tower by Indians' third baseman Ken Keltner.[3] The 708-foot (216 m) 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 January 8, 2016.
- ^ The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia. Sterling Publishing. 2007. p. 568. ISBN 978-1-4027-4771-7.
- ^ a b 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 July 20, 2010.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference
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