Kermit Wahl - Inducted 1986

Born in Columbia, S.D. Played youth baseball in Columbia and Aberdeen. 1946 Indiana University grad. Played pro baseball for 11 seasons, including four-plus years (1944-45, `47, `50-51) in the major leagues with Cincinnati, the Philadelphia Athletics and St. Louis Browns. His best season was 1950, when he hit .257 in 89 games for Philadelphia. His top salary in pro ball was $9,000 in 1951. Wahl, a 5-11, 170-pounder, was used primarily as a utility infielder, but he was Cincinnati's opening-day shortstop in 1945. In 1950 he played for Philadelphia in Connie Mack's final season as manager. In St. Louis one of his teammates was Satchel Paige. Wahl hit .226 in 231 big-league games. Back home in South Dakota, Wahl was an umpire in baseball and an official in football and basketball for 20 years. At age 14, Wahl was named the state's Legion player of the year.