HARRY MCKEE

Harry (Mousey) McKee of Washington started his sandlot baseball career at the age of 16 with independent teams in the area in 1934. He played baseball until 1958 and later participated in both fast and slow pitch softball until he retired in 1986 at the age of 68.

McKee served in the Civilian Conservation Corps and played baseball from 1936 through 1939 before starting his amateur career in Washington County in 1940.

He began with Washington GOP in the Pigeon Creek League and switched to the Community League when it was organized in 1943, joining the Redwings. He played the following three years for S.B. McWreath Dairy, which won the league championship in 1944 and moved to the Pigeon Creek League in 1946.

After the Washington County League was organized by Joe Manfredi Sr., McKee played for S.A. Meyer, which also competed in the Wheeling Intelligencer League and was champion of both leagues in 1947. He was batting champion of the Wheeling league in 1948 while playing for Scott Motors. During the 1950s, he played for Cokeburg in the Pigeon Creek Wagner League and Van Voorhees in the Big Ten, returning to Scott Motors and also playing for Alpine Club from 1952 through 1955.

McKee’s last years as an active baseball player were spent in the Pigeon Creek Wagner League with Claysville in 1956 and 1957 and Pulaski Club in 1958. He had played on three teams which reached National Baseball

Congress playoffs and advanced one year to the semifinals. He also served as catcher for outstanding district pitchers Warren (Moose) Fralick and Fred Tustin. He began a career in fast pitch softball for Washington Steel in the Industrial League in the 1960s and played slow pitch with the same team when it won the Industrial League championship and playoffs in 1973 and 1974. He finished his softball career with Fairhill Manor Christian in the Washington Church League from 1977 through 1986, being a member of five league and playoff championship teams.

McKee played amateur soccer and was an outstanding scorer and assist leader for Lincoln Hill and Arden in the Washington County League from 1947 through 1954.

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