An Unlikely Opening Day Hero: Ken Heintzelman, Phillies 1949

On April 1st this year Aaron Nola is scheduled to take the mound for the fourth time as the Philadelphia Phillies opening day starter. Nola will join famed Phillies pitchers like Steve Carlton (14), Robin Roberts (12), Chris Short (6), Curt Schilling (5), and Grover Cleveland Alexander (5) as Phillies pitchers who have started four or more opening day games. On the list of opening day starters who started just one opening day game are such lesser lights as the wonderfully named Johnny Lush (1906), as well as Flint Rhem (1933), and Omar Daal (2001). Another of these one time opening day starters was an unlikely choice indeed, the journeyman left-hander, 33 year-old Ken Heintzelman, who was manager Eddie Sawyer's pick to open the season in 1949 against the defending National League champion Boston Braves.

Heintzelman came to the Phillies in 1947 after having spent eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Pirates. During his time with the Pirates, Heintzelman recorded a less than sterling 37-43 won-loss record and 4.17 ERA. In the 35 starts he had for the Phillies in 1947 and 48 things did not get any better, as he went 13-21  with a 4.20 ERA. Heintzelman, however, had an excellent spring training in 1949, allowing only three runs in 26 2/3 innings, so Sawyer, who had an otherwise young starting pitching staff featuring Robin Roberts, Curt Simmons, and Russ "Mad Monk" Meyer, decided to go with his veteran lefty. Opposing Heintzelman would be the ace of the Braves staff, Johnny Sain. Sain had won at least 20 games in each of the past three seasons and had teamed with Warren Spahn as the duo made famous as "Spahn and Sain and pray for rain" who had led Boston to the pennant in 1948.

Heintzelman responded to the only opening day assignment of his career by pitching one of his finest games ever. He hurled a complete game, five-hit shut out and the Phillies scratched out four runs off the surprisingly shaky Sain for a 4-0 victory. Heintzelman walked three and, amazingly, did not strike out a batter, relying on getting the Braves to hit the ball on the ground. The Phillies infielders recorded 14 assists on the day.

The game was played at Braves Field in Boston in front of what Philadelphia Inquirer reporter, Stan Baumgartner, said was a "frost-bitten crowd of 9,195." The Phillies got off to a fast start in the top of the first, when lead-off batter Richie Ashburn singled and then beat Sain's ill-advised throw to second on Granny Hamner's sacrifice bunt. Eddie Waitkus also bunted and again Sain tried to nab Ashburn, this time with a throw to third base. Again Ashburn beat the throw and the bases were loaded. After Ennis lined out on a spectacular leaping grab by Braves shortstop Alvin Dark, Bill Nicholson walked, forcing in Ashburn with the game's first run. Willie Jones popped out to second, but Sain then walked  Eddie Miller, forcing in Hamner and Heintzelman had a 2-0 lead before he threw a pitch.

The Phillies extended their lead in the third, again thanks to some shaky defense by Sain. Ennis opened the frame with a single and then Nicholson bunted. Sain fielded the bunt, but threw wildly to first, allowing Ennis to advance to third, where he scored as Willie Jones bounced into a double play. Meanwhile, Heintzelman was mowing the Braves down with the help of his infield defense. In the second, fifth, and sixth innings, the Braves got their leadoff man on, only to have the runner wiped out by a double play. That double play in the fifth was particularly important as the Braves followed that twin killing with singles by Phil Masi and Sain, but were unable to score.

Heintzelman retired the Braves in order in the seventh and eighth and the Phillies padded their lead in the ninth. Stan Lopata opened the frame with a single, and Heintzelman aided his own cause by laying down a sacrifice bunt moving Lopata to second. Ashburn grounded out to second, moving Lopata to third. Hamner then lashed a double to left-center scoring Lopata with the fourth and final Phillies run.

Dark opened the Braves ninth with a double, the only extra base hit Heintzelman allowed on the day, but the next three batters popped out and the Phillies had an opening day victory and Heintzelman had his shut out.

The game proved to be a harbinger for the 1949 season. Ken Heintzelman had his finest season in a thirteen year major league career, going 17-10, with an excellent 3.02 ERA. He led the Phillies that season with a 6.1 WAR. He also led the league with five shutouts. From July 5 to July 23 he twirled 32.2 consecutive shut out innings, a run that included consecutive 1-0 victories over the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago Cubs.  The St. Louis game was won in dramatic style when Del Ennis hit a walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth off the Cards' Hal Lanier. In the meantime, Johnny Sain had the worst year of his career, falling to 10-17 (the exact reverse of Heintzelman's record) with a high 4.81 ERA.

Unfortunately, Heintzelman could not repeat his 1949 performance during the Phllies pennant winning season of 1950. That year his record was 3-9 with a 4.09 ERA and he lost his place in the starting rotation. During the World Series against the Yankees, however, with his pitching staff decimated by military call-ups and injury, Eddie Sawyer called on the old pro to start game three. The Phillies were already down 2-0 in the series when Heintzelman took the mound. He pitched very well, giving up just one run through the first seven innings. In the eighth he recorded two outs and then walked three consecutive batters. He was replaced by Jim Konstanty and a Hamner error allowed in the tying run in a game the Phillies eventually lost 3-2.

After two more indifferent seasons with the Phillies and three seasons in the minor leagues, Heintzelman retired at 39 with a career major league mark of  77-98. His son, Tom Heintzelman played four seasons as a utility infielder for the Cardinals and San Francisco Giants.