Uniontown’s Wilhelm was one of Fayette County’s earliest baseball stars
Does the name Harry Wilhelm mean anything to you? If you are a fan of Fayette County baseball it should.
Wilhelm was regarded as one of the diamond greats of Fayette County back in the day, he also was a childhood friend of General George C. Marshall, and played on the same team with the great Honus Wagner.
Here is Wilhelm鈥檚 story: He was born in Uniontown on April 7, 1874. He was a part of some top notch amateur baseball in Uniontown, playing for a team formed by attorney R.P. Kennedy and dubbed the Kennedy Kolts. It was a high powered team featuring Jake Altman, Bruce Sterling, the two Wilhelms -Red and Harry, Stump Whaley, John Buttermore, Hagan, Bill Leaman and Clark Armour.
Kennedy鈥檚 Kolts played games at the old fairgrounds, and then at Sunshine Park, which was on the north side of Connellsville Street just beyond present day Lincoln Street.
After a couple of season鈥檚 Kennedy turned over the team to Billy McCormick, who led the team now called McCormick鈥檚 Amateurs to even greater heights.
McCormick was a fine manager and with the cooperation of a new trolley company, he got Mountain View Park laid out with a fenced in baseball park. Some great games were played there in 1892, 鈥�93 and 鈥�94.
Wilhelm was the star pitcher and he and his catcher Bruce Sterling owe their college educations to baseball. The success of the Kolts and the Amateurs was due largely to the pitching of Wilhelm, who although he was 17 years old at the time, was acquiring quite a reputation.
It was recalled that Wilhelm had an outstanding curve ball, a sharp breaking outdrop, but it was his control that made him a great pitcher. He had a very good fastball along with an underhand fast one that broke inside just above the batter鈥檚 knee. It was said of him that he could throw any of these pitches into a tomato can from pitchers鈥� distance all day long with almost perfect control.
In 1892, Wilhelm compiled a sparkling record of 21-3. In 1893, he posted a record of 19-4. He attended Westminster College. After starring in football and baseball for the Titans in 1897, he devoted himself solely to baseball the following year for fear of injuring his pitching arm.
Wilhelm began his professional career with the Carlisle Colts and Chambersburg Maroons of the independent Cumberland Valley League in 1896.
Wilhelm鈥檚 best season in the minors was in 1899, when he had a record of 21-10 in 32 games for the Lancaster Maroons of the Atlantic League. While he was in the minors, he played a variety of positions. In addition to pitching, as he did in the major leagues, he also played shortstop, left field and right field. He played in the minors Carlisle, Chambersburg, Lancaster, Troy, Syracuse, Columbus, Hartford and Albany. Wilhelm compiled a minor league batting average of .247 in three season of Class A ball, the other numbers are unavailable.
In 1899, the 5-foot-7 155-pound Wilhelm joined the Louisville Colonels of the National League. The manager of the Colonels was Hall of Famer, Fred Clarke, the star of the team was another Hall of Famer, 鈥淭he Flying Dutchman,鈥� Honus Wagner. Some other notables on that team were third baseman Tommy Leach and pitchers Rube Waddell and Deacon Phillippe. They became the Pittsburgh Pirates the following season.
Wilhelm appeared in five games, three as a starter, and compiled a 1-1 record with a 6.12 ERA in 25 innings pitched. He batted .250 in 12 at-bats. He made his major league debut on April 12, 1899 against Brooklyn in the second game of a doubleheader that was shortened to five innings by darkness. He lost, 6-2.
After leaving the Colonels, Wilhelm pitched in the Minor Leagues until 1903 and finished his pro career with Punxsutawney of the United States League in 1907. Wilhelm returned to the area and went into business. He never married. He had one more moment in the spotlight.
As mentioned, Wilhelm was a boyhood friend of General Marshall. In 1939, when Marshall returned to Uniontown for a visit the two old friends met again. This is how it was described in a column called, 鈥淭he Matchbox,鈥� in the Uniontown Morning Herald.
Wilhelm went up to Joseph Haky the morning of the general鈥檚 visit. Wilhelm asked if he intended to go to town to see the Gin鈥檙al? Haky said he was all set to attend and Wilhelm said he鈥檇 like to go along, 鈥渂ut have to put on a new tie first.鈥�
When informed the General wouldn鈥檛 mind if he didn鈥檛 display a new tie, Wilhelm climbed in the Haky limousine and went to Uniontown, and then the airport.
After General Marshall stepped from his plane the crowd surged forward. Harry Wilhelm steps up to the General with: 鈥淕eneral how are you?鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 all right, how are you 鈥� and who are you? Marshall replied. 鈥淚 recollect your face, but I can鈥檛 place your name.鈥�
鈥淚鈥檓 Harry Wilhelm,鈥� is all Wilhelm said.
鈥淥h yes I remember,鈥� shot back the General. 鈥淚 remember 鈥� can you still zip 鈥檈m over the plate like you used to in the good old days?鈥�
Whereupon Wilhelm choking and gulping pleasantly said 鈥淯h Huh!鈥�
Wilhelm was the first to shake the General鈥檚 hand that day. On the way back home he said softly:
鈥淚 never figured a man as big as General George Marshall would remember my name.鈥�
Wilhelm passed away in Republic on Feb. 20, 1944, at the age of 69.
George Von Benko鈥檚 鈥淢emory Lane鈥� column appears in the Monday editions of the 缅北禁地. He also hosts a sports talk show on WMBS-AM radio from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturdays.