Wiggins, Harold

HAL WAS HONORED IN 1986 BY BEING PLACED IN THE ASA NATIONAL HALL OF FAME.

WHEN KENTUCKY WAS MAKING A NAME FOR ITSELF IN THE EARLY DAYS OF ASA SLOW-PITCH SOFTBALL, ONE OF THE PLAYERS WHO WAS LEADING THE WAY FOR THE STATE WAS HAROLD (HAL) WIGGINS, WHOSE 31-YEAR CAREER CONCLUDED IN 1979.

NOTED FOR HIS CLUTCH HITTING AND DEFENSIVE PLAY AS AN OUTFIELDER, WIGGINS PLAYED IN A TOTAL OF 15 ASA NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, INCLUDING 12 OPEN SLOW-PITCH, TWO MAJOR INDUSTRIAL, AND ONE MEN'S MAJOR FASTPITCH (1949). HE WAS A MEMBER OF FOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP SLOW PITCH TEAMS INCLUDING THE FIRST ASA MEN'S SLOW PITCH NATIONAL CHAMP. SHEILD'S CONTRACTORS IN 1953. LANG'S PET SHOP IN 1955, AND GATLIFF AUTO SALES IN 1957 AND 1963.

BESIDES THE FOUR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP TEAMS, HE ALSO PLAYED ON TEAMS THAT WERE RUNNERS-UP FOUR TIMES, THIRD THREE TIMES, FOURTH ONCE, AND FIFTH ONCE (FASTPITCH). THE TEAMS HE PLAYED ON COMPILED A RECORD OF 68 - 23 IN NATIONAL SLOW PITCH CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITION. IN THOSE 14 SLOWPITCH NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, WIGGINS' BATTING AVERAGE WAS NEVER LOWER THAN 428. WITH A PERSONAL HIGH OF .750 IN 1958.

THREE TIMES HE WAS NAMED AN ASA ALL- AMERICAN: 1956 (.666 BATTING AVERAGE), 1961 (.650 BATTING AVERAGE), AND 1963 (.519, 2 HOMERS). IN 31 YEARS OF PLAYING. WIGGINS ESTIMATED HE PLAYED IN MORE THAN 3,600 LEAGUE AND TOURNAMENT GAMES.

IN JANUARY OF 1985, HE WAS INDUCTED INTO THE NORTHERN KENTUCKY SPORTS HALL OF FAME.