In front of about 10,000 people attending a Saturday morning publicity stunt organized by the Come to Cleveland Committee, five members of the Indians attempt to set a record by catching a baseball thrown from the top of the 708-foot Terminal Tower. Twenty-four year-old rookie third string catcher Henry Helf, wearing his street clothes, catches a ball dropped from the 52-story structure, estimated to be traveling at the speed of 138 mph, to break Gabby Street’s mark for a vertical catch established when the Senator catcher snagged a sphere dropped 555 feet from the top of the Washington Monument in 1908.

This Day In Baseball

On August 20, 1938 — In front of about 10,000 people attending a Saturday morning publicity stunt organized by the Come to Cleveland Committee, five members of the Indians attempt to set a record by catching a baseball thrown from the top of the 708-foot Terminal Tower. Twenty-four year-old rookie third string catcher Henry Helf, wearing his street clothes, catches a ball dropped from the 52-story structure, estimated to be traveling at the speed of 138 mph, to break Gabby Street’s mark for a vertical catch established when the Senator catcher snagged a sphere dropped 555 feet from the top of the Washington Monument in 1908.

Sources:
National Pastime

Support us!
Own this Day and Be Part of Baseball History