Rollie Seltz

Rolland John Seltz (January 25, 1924 – October 13, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) during its first year of existence. He played 34 games for the Anderson Packers during the 1949–50 season.

Rollie Seltz
Seltz in 1947
Personal information
Born(1924-01-25)January 25, 1924
McIntosh, Minnesota, U.S.
DiedOctober 13, 2022(2022-10-13) (aged 98)
Shoreview, Minnesota, U.S.
Listed height5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Listed weight165 lb (75 kg)
Career information
High schoolHumboldt (Saint Paul, Minnesota)
CollegeHamline (1942–1946)
Playing career1946–1951
PositionGuard / forward
Number5
Career history
1946–1948Anderson Duffey Packers
1948–1949Waterloo Hawks
1949–1950Anderson Packers
1950–1951Saint Paul Lights[1]
Career highlights and awards
Stats  at NBA.com
Stats  at Basketball-Reference.com

Early life

Seltz was born in McIntosh, Minnesota, on January 25, 1924.[2][3] He attended Humboldt Senior High School in nearby Saint Paul. He then studied at Hamline University, where he was named an All-American by Converse in 1946.[2][3] While in college, he also played minor league baseball for the Duluth Dukes, Jamestown Falcons, Rochester Red Wings, Lynchburg Cardinals and Allentown Cardinals, posting a .266 batting average with 42 home runs and 242 runs batted in in 400 games.[4] This arrangement attracted controversy during the 1944–45 season, since it was regarded in some quarters as a violation of his amateur status for college basketball.[5][6]

Professional career

Following his college career, Seltz joined the Anderson Duffey Packers of the National Basketball League (NBL) in 1946. He played two seasons for the Packers and one for the Waterloo Hawks, averaging 8.1 points per game in 1948–49.[7] The following season, Seltz re-joined the Packers as the team moved to the new National Basketball Association (formed through a merger of the NBL and the Basketball Association of America). He made his NBA debut for the franchise on November 3, 1949,[2] scoring 18 points and making four of five free throws against the Tri-Cities Blackhawks.[8] Seltz averaged 7.8 points per game and 1.9 assists per game during the 1949–50 season.[2]

While playing professional basketball, Seltz continued playing baseball for Excelsior of the Minnesota Valley League. He was part of the team that won the Class-A championship in 1949,[9] and was honored as the tournament's most valuable player after batting .643 and committing no errors in 27 chances.[10] He also served as a player–manager that year.[11]

Seltz was inducted into Hamline's Athletic Hall of Fame in 1970.[12] He was also honored in his high school's hall of fame.[3]

Personal life

Seltz's first marriage was to Florence Elliott. After they divorced, he married Muriel. They remained married for 45 years until his death.[3] They raised 11 children together, all from their respective previous marriages.[13] After retiring from professional basketball, he became the owner of Seltz Insurance Agency.[3]

Seltz died on October 13, 2022, at the age of 98.[3]

Career statistics
Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Source[2]

Regular season
Year Team GP FG% FT% APG PPG
1949–50 Anderson 34 .301 .769 1.9 7.8

References

Specific
  1. "Rollie Seltz". Pro Basketball Encyclopedia.
  2. "Rollie Seltz Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
  3. "Rolland Seltz Obituary". St. Paul Pioneer Press. October 16, 2022. Retrieved October 19, 2022 – via Legacy.com.
  4. "Rollie Seltz Minor Leagues Statistics and History". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  5. "Westminster Draws Line at Hamline Pros". The Milwaukee Journal. January 5, 1945. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  6. "Cagers Blacklisted by Amateur Board". San Jose News. January 5, 1945. Retrieved December 5, 2013.
  7. "Rollie Seltz NBL Stats". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  8. "November 3, 1949 Tri-Cities Blackhawks at Anderson Packers Box Score". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. November 3, 1949. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  9. Thornley, Stew (2006). Baseball in Minnesota: The Definitive History. Minnesota Historical Society. p. 133. ISBN 9780873515511.
  10. Peterson & Tomashek 2006, p. 359.
  11. Peterson & Tomashek 2006, p. 53.
  12. "Rolland Seltz (1970)". Hamline University. Retrieved October 19, 2022.
  13. Klauda, Paul (December 9, 1990). "Holidays are not always all merry for stepfamilies". Star Tribune. Minneapolis. p. 1A. ProQuest 418258256. Retrieved October 19, 2022 – via ProQuest.

Bibliography
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