<sod>Born in [[San Francisco, California]], Heilmann attended [[Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory|Sacred Heart High School]] as did [[Joe Cronin]].  In 1913, while the 19-year-old Heilmann was working as a bookkeeper for a biscuit-maker, a former teammate from Sacred Heart asked him to fill in for the [[Hanford, California]], team in the [[San Joaquin Valley League]].  After a scout saw him hit an 11th-inning game-winning double, he was signed to a professional contract by the [[Portland Beavers]] of the [[Northwest League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~bdprice/harry_edwin_heilmann_san_francis.htm |title=Harry Edwin Heilmann San Francisco Seals |publisher=Userwww.sfsu.edu |date= |accessdate=2009-07-25}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref>http://www.ballparkguys.com/Who_you_Ask/Harry_Heilmann.html  {{wayback|url=http://www.ballparkguys.com/Who_you_Ask/Harry_Heilmann.html |date=20060329220114 }}</ref>  He later recalled that his signing bonus for Portland was a spaghetti dinner.<ref name="thedeadballera1">http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Heilmann.Harry.Obit.html{{Dead link|date=July 2009}}</ref>  After he hit .305 for the Beavers,<ref>http://www.portlandbeavers.com/history/hall/{{Dead link|date=July 2009}}</ref> the [[Detroit Tigers]] purchased his contract for $1,500.<eod>
<sod>Born in [[San Francisco, California]], Heilmann attended [[Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory|Sacred Heart High School]] as did [[Joe Cronin]].  In 1913, while the 19-year-old Heilmann was working as a bookkeeper for a biscuit-maker, a former teammate from Sacred Heart asked him to fill in for the [[Hanford, California]], team in the [[San Joaquin Valley League]].  After a scout saw him hit an 11th-inning game-winning double, he was signed to a professional contract by the [[Portland Beavers]] of the [[Northwest League]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://userwww.sfsu.edu/~bdprice/harry_edwin_heilmann_san_francis.htm |title=Harry Edwin Heilmann San Francisco Seals |publisher=Userwww.sfsu.edu |date= |accessdate=2009-07-25}} {{Dead link|date=September 2010|bot=H3llBot}}</ref><ref>http://www.ballparkguys.com/Who_you_Ask/Harry_Heilmann.html  {{wayback|url=http://www.ballparkguys.com/Who_you_Ask/Harry_Heilmann.html |date=20060329220114 }}</ref>  He later recalled that his signing bonus for Portland was a spaghetti dinner.<ref name="thedeadballera1">{{cite web|url=http://www.thedeadballera.com/Obits/Heilmann.Harry.Obit.html |accessdate=July 5, 2007 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070816192730/http://thedeadballera.com:80/Obits/Heilmann.Harry.Obit.html |archivedate=August 16, 2007 }}</ref>  After he hit .305 for the Beavers,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portlandbeavers.com/history/hall/ |accessdate=July 5, 2007 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20070718022251/http://www.portlandbeavers.com:80/history/hall/ |archivedate=July 18, 2007 }}</ref> the [[Detroit Tigers]] purchased his contract for $1,500.<eod>