| Hank Helf | |
| Position: | Catcher |
| Bats: | Right |
| Throws: | Right |
| Birth Date: | 26 August 1913 |
| Birth Place: | Austin, Texas |
| Debutleague: | MLB |
| Debutdate: | May 5 |
| Debutyear: | 1938 |
| Debutteam: | Cleveland Indians |
| Finalleague: | MLB |
| Finaldate: | September 29 |
| Finalyear: | 1946 |
| Finalteam: | St. Louis Browns |
| Statleague: | MLB |
| Stat1label: | Batting average |
| Stat1value: | .184 |
| Stat2label: | Hits |
| Stat2value: | 35 |
| Stat3label: | Runs batted in |
| Stat3value: | 22 |
| Teams: | |
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 708adj=midNaNadj=mid Terminal Tower by Indians' third baseman Ken Keltner.[3] The 708feet 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]