The native of Minneapolis threw and batted right-handed, stood 5 feet 10 inches (1.78 m) tall and weighed 175 pounds (79 kg) during his baseball career.

Wheeler, nicknamed "Scotty" due to his part-Scottish ancestry,[1] graduated from South High School and signed with his hometown club, the Minneapolis Millers of the American Association, then an independently operated minor-league team, in 1941.

After his first two professional seasons, in 1943 he joined the United States Army for World War II service;[2] he saw combat in the European Theatre and was awarded the Bronze Star Medal.

[3] Highlights included a four-hit, five-RBI day on July 30 against the eventual world champion New York Yankees,[4] and his only big-league home run, struck June 12 off Ellis Kinder of the Boston Red Sox.

[5] Wheeler returned to the minors in 1950 and effectively retired after the 1952 season, although he appeared in one game for the Millers at age 37 in 1960; he was serving as the club's part-time batting practice pitcher at the time.