Heilmann died from lung cancer in July 1951; he was posthumously elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame six months later in January 1952 after garnering 86.75% of the votes.

[7][8] Heilmann's father operated a soap business,[9] ran as a Republican for the office of Supervisor of San Francisco's Ninth Ward in 1896,[10] and died in June 1897 at age 36.

[8] As a boy in the 1890s and continuing at least through the time of the 1900 Census, Heilmann lived with his family at 708A Brannan Street in what is now the South of Market district of San Francisco.

On June 3, 1908, a year after the city's devastation by earthquake, Walter died at age 16 while on a sailboat excursion with three schoolmates to visit the battleship USS Connecticut in drydock at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard, near the present site of Candlestick Park.

[6] Heilmann followed his older brother to what is now Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory,[2] where he played baseball,[15] track and field, and basketball.

[19] Before the health problems sidelined him, Heilmann appeared in 98 games for the Seals and compiled a .364 batting average and .544 slugging percentage with 23 doubles and 12 home runs.

Although his .282 batting average was low by the standards he would set later, he ranked among the American League leaders with 30 doubles (seventh best), 77 RBIs (sixth best) and 43 extra base hits (eighth).

Detroit manager Hughie Jennings made him the Tigers' starting first baseman, and he led the league in errors at that position both years, including 31 in 1919 for a .979 fielding percentage.

On July 8, 1921, Heilmann hit a home run off "Bullet Joe" Bush that traveled over the center field fence in Detroit and "actually made the patrons gasp in astonishment.

[34] In a column published after the 1921 season, Grantland Rice rated Heilmann as the premier scholar in the American League's School of Swat, ahead of Cobb and Ruth.

[46] On August 26, 1922, Heilman's season came to an end when he sustained a complete break of his collarbone when he crashed into Frank Brower while trying to beat out an infield hit.

[2] In January 1923, while preparing for spring training and recuperating from his collar and shoulder injuries, Heilmann took up handball and quickly developed a reputation as one of the best players in the country.

[52][53] Heilmann in 1923 became the fourth American League player to hit .400 or more for a season, joining Ty Cobb, Nap Lajoie and George Sisler.

Despite the "slump" in batting average, Heilmann led the league with 45 doubles and ranked second behind Babe Ruth with a .533 slugging percentage, a 6.4 wins above replacement rating among position players, and 130 runs created.

[2] In 1925, Heilmann appeared in 150 games, 147 as Detroit's starting right fielder, and won his third batting title, this time in a close race with Tris Speaker.

[2] Despite winning his fourth batting title, Heilmann still finished second in the American League MVP voting, this time behind Lou Gehrig of the Murderers' Row 1927 Yankees.

[67] When a reporter reminded him that he had won batting titles every odd-numbered year from 1921 to 1927, Heilmann replied: "Mr. Navin [Detroit owner] gives me contracts on a two-year basis.

[69] He ended up appearing in 125 games, 111 as the team's starting right fielder, and compiled a .344 batting average, ninth best in the American League.

[81][82][83][84][85] In 1934, Heilman was hired by WXYZ to handle the play-by-play responsibility on broadcasts of Detroit Tigers games for the Michigan Radio Network.

[87][88] In the fall of 1934, Heilmann also began broadcasting a football highlights show on Saturday evenings on the WXYZ and the Michigan Radio Network.

[96] As his popularity grew, Heilmann expanded outside the sports realm in 1939 with a new interview program co-hosted with WXYZ staff announcer John (Johnny) Slagle.

His WXYZ/Michigan Radio Network broadcasts were carried on affiliate stations throughout the state of Michigan, while Ty Tyson called the games separately on WWJ in Detroit.

As one Detroit Free Press reporter later noted: A raspy voice, an Eastern accent and the contrast with Tyson's polished delivery irritated some who listened to Harry.

[99]In 1942, the Tigers gave exclusive broadcast rights to WXYZ, making Heilmann the team's sole radio voice both in Detroit and throughout Michigan.

In 1951, Detroit Free Press sports editor Lyall Smith described his broadcasting style: In an era when radiomen frequently went into hysterics and fabricated spine-tingling situations, Harry was content to inform his listeners merely what actually happened on the diamond.

"[101] Okkonenen also recalled Heilmann's most memorable line, uttered after outstanding plays, when he would remain silent to emphasize the crowd noise and say, "Listen ... to the voice of baseball.

[106] At the end of March, after two weeks in the Lakeland hospital, the Tigers' owner Walter O. Briggs flew Heilmann back to Detroit on his private plane.

[26] Team owner Walter Briggs recalled Heilmann as one of his closest friends and said, "I doubt whether the death of any other person in the State of Michigan could cause more genuine regret.

"[116] The 1951 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was played in Detroit on the day after Heilmann died and began with a moment of silence in his honor.

[117][118] Heilmann's funeral mass was celebrated by Father Charles Coughlin at the Shrine of the Little Flower in Royal Oak, Michigan.