Henry Washington Wyse (1917 - 2000)

Born 1 Mar 1917 in Lunsford, Craighead, Arkansas, United States

Husband of Rowena Lois (Patrick) Wyse — married 1 Mar 1940 (to 21 Nov 1943) in Jackson, Missouri, United States

Husband of Doris Ann (Burns) Warner — married 1945 (to before 29 May 1952) in Mayes, Oklahoma, United States

Husband of Virginia Lou (Burns) Wyse — married 1952 in Oklahoma, United States

Died 22 Oct 2000 at age 83 in Pryor, Mayes, Oklahoma, United States

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Biography

Henry Wyse is Notable.

Henry Washington Wyse was an American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Chicago Cubs from 1942 to 1947, Philadelphia Athletics from 1950 to 1951, and Washington Senators. He was a control pitcher, a sinkerball and curve specialist. He was nicknamed "Hooks" for his curve ball.^[1]

Henry "Hank" Washington Wyse was born on March 1, 1917 in Lunsford, Craighead County, Arkansas.^[1] His father was John Henry Wyse and his mother Minnie Elmira (Mead) Wyse.^[2] In 1920, he lived in Taylor the same county.^[3] Like their father, a former semipro pitcher, the boys could be found on the opened pasture fields, turned into a baseball field as soon as they were out of school and finished their chores. Hank began playing catcher and battery-mate for his older brother Leonard.^[2]

The family later moved to Lunsford Township in Poinsett County.^[4] After their father's death, they moved to a small farming community in McCormick in the same county. Hank dropped out of school to help support the family during a period that was a struggle for many families as the Great Depression took hold of the country. He continued to play baseball whenever he had the chance, and joined the American Legion team in nearby Harrisburg. From 1934 to 1936, he worked for the Poinsett Lumber Company in Trumann, Arkansas. Working there, he joined the company's semipro team as a pitcher and outfielder.^[2]

His initial break came in 1937, when he moved to Kansas City, Missouri. There he found employment as a sheet metalist and later as a welder in the factory. He continued to play for the company's baseball team and also for Goldman's Jewelry. Playing for Goldman's team, he was noticed by former big-league pitcher Roy Sanders, who immediately recognized his talent. He gained additional exposure by throwing batting practice for the Kansas City Blues. Convinced he was major league material, Sanders wrote to schouts about him, and it was long before they were flocking to the games to watch him play.^[2]

Yankee's team made him his first offer, although the salary was low. He declined the offer, and accepted an offer to pitch for the Cubs outfit. He was first assigned to the Moline Plow Boys, a Class B team in the Illinois-Indiana-Iowa League. He then moved up to Class A1 to play for the Tulsa Oilers of the Texas League. In 1940, he married Rowena Lois Patrick in Kansas City, Missouri.^[5][6]

In 1942, the Chicago Cubs expanded their roster and offered him a position to play on the team. Both he and his wife became gravely ill in 1943, his wife died, and he missed the spring season.^[2][7] Hank forced himself to get back into shape, and when he returned to the game in June, the Cubs were in last place. Wyse pitched five consecutive winning games, including a career best, 12 innings game against the New York Giants. The Cubs moved from last place to finish fifth in the rankings.^[2]

His most productive season came in 1945, when he helped the Cubs win the National League pennant. During that season, he was selected All-Star. That same year, he married Doris A. Burns in Miami, Oklahoma.^[8] During the off seasons, Wyse worked in the oil fields in Oklahoma. A dangerous job, Hank fell off the welding platform and seriously injured his back. After the injury, he received a 4-F classification (physically unfit). He joined the team in the dug out during the season. The following year, he failed to qualify because of his previous injuries.^[2][9]

Wyse and his second wife, Doris, divorced, and he married her sister Virginia in 1952. He retired from baseball and settled in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he worked as a union electrician. In 1967, he was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.^[2] Wyse died on October 22, 2000 in Pryor, Mayes County, Oklahoma.^[10] He was buried at Fairview Cemetery in the same town.^[11] After his death, in 2009, he was inducted into the Texas League Hall of Fame.^[2][1]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Wikipedia Contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia, last edited on 8 May 2023. "Henry Washington Wyse." Accessed 19 May 2023.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 2.8} Wolf, Gregory H., Society for American Baseball Research, (n.d.). "Hank Wyse]." Accessed 19 May 2023.
3. ↑ 1920 United States Federal Census: Year: 1920; Census Place: Taylor, Craighead, Arkansas; Roll: T625_58; Page: 9A; Enumeration District: 47 Ancestry Record 6061 #38393818
4. ↑ 1930 United States Federal Census: Year: 1930; Census Place: Lunsford, Poinsett, Arkansas; Page: 12A; Enumeration District: 0010; FHL microfilm: 2339823 Ancestry Record 6224 #85916518
5. ↑ Newspaper Clipping, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri, 29 Feb 1940, Thursday - Page 8. "Marriage License for Rowena Lois Patrick and Henry W. Wyse 21 Feb 1940." Accessed 19 May 2023.
6. ↑ Missouri, U.S., Jackson County Marriage Records, 1840-1985: Ancestry.com. Missouri, U.S., Jackson County Marriage Records, 1840-1985 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2015. Original data: Marriage Records. Jackson County Clerk, Kansas City, Missouri. Ancestry Record 8700 #667878
7. ↑ Newspaper Clipping, The Kansas City Times, Kansas City, Missouri, 22 Nov 1943, Monday - Page 11. "Mrs. Rowena Wyse Dies." Accessed 19 May 2023.
8. ↑ Newspaper Clipping, Miami News-Record, Miami, Oklahoma, 11 Feb 1945, Sunday - Page 16. "Marriage Licenses for Burns-Wyse." Accessed 19 May 2023.
9. ↑ 1950 United States Federal Census: United States of America, Bureau of the Census; Washington, D.C.; Seventeenth Census of the United States, 1950; Record Group: Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790-2007; Record Group Number: 29; Residence Date: 1950; Home in 1950: Miami, Ottawa, Oklahoma; Roll: 2500; Sheet Number: 4; Enumeration District: 58-16 Ancestry Record 62308 #58266695
10. ↑ U.S., Social Security Death Index, 1935-2014: Social Security Administration; Washington D.C., USA; Social Security Death Index, Master File Ancestry Record 3693 #69147752
11. ↑ Burial: Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/13554259/hank-wyse: accessed 19 May 2023), memorial page for Hank Wyse (1 Mar 1917–22 Oct 2000), Find A Grave: Memorial #13554259, citing Fairview Cemetery, Pryor, Mayes County, Oklahoma, USA; Maintained by Find a Grave.

See Also:

• Wikipedia: Henry Washington Wyse

• Wikidata: Item Q564850

• Find A Grave: Memorial #13554259