Class of 2019
Henry Miller loves softball. Of course, when you’re as good as he was at it, it’s hard not to have a passion for the sport.
Miller was a legendary fast-pitch softball pitcher for many years, playing for numerous area teams, which took him to places all over the South.
“I started pitching when I was 15 years old, playing with the men,” Miller said. “I just played ball all the time, pitching and playing around when I was little. I just kept at it.”
Miller was generally regarded as one of the top pitchers in the state during the 1960s and 70s. He possessed an outstanding fastball and recorded numerous no-hitters.
It is that softball success that led to Miller’s induction into the 2019 class of the Limestone County Sports Hall of Fame.
Miller started out playing with a team out of East Limestone, and formed a league with the team. That started a career in softball pitching that spanned much of his life.
“I played out of Athens and played with a bunch out of Sheffield,” he said. “They used to call me, and I’d go play with them a lot.”
When Miller went into the service, he was pleased to find out it had a softball team as well, so he got to continue playing during that time.
Wherever he played, Miller was always in high demand to pitch. He remembers one time when he pitched a no- hitter on short notice.
“The bunch out of Sheffield called me on Saturday morning while I was eating breakfast,” Miller said. “They wanted me to go to the edge of Georgia, right in the corner to pitch a game. So we loaded up and took off. I also had a game in Tennessee that night. I pitched a no-hitter in the game (in Georgia) in the afternoon and then went over (to Tennessee) that night and pitched and got beat 1-0.”
Miller, now 85, played softball all the way into his 70s. He said he is happy to finally be selected to the Limestone County Hall of Fame.
“I thought I’d have gotten in a long time ago, but I’m glad I’m finally in,” Miller said. “I’m looking forward to the evening. It’s been a long time coming.”