Charles D. Wheatley (June 27, 1893 – December 10, 1982) was an American professional baseball pitcher and businessman. He played for the Detroit Tigers of the American League in 1912. Wheatley played baseball as a semi-professional and in the minor leagues into the 1930s.
During his baseball career, Wheatley began to pursue his business interests. Wheatley founded his own valve manufacturing company and earned at least 21 patents on his designs. He sold the company to Tesoro Petroleum for $10.5 million in 1972 ($68,020,286 in current dollar terms).
Wheatley was born in Rosedale, Kansas, on June 27, 1893. He was the seventh child of nine born to Francis and Fanny Wheatley. Wheatley's parents were from England, where they married and had their first four children, before they immigrated to the United States and settled in Rosedale prior to Charles' birth. The family moved to Kansas City, Missouri, before 1910. Francis Wheatley worked as a machinist, and he taught the trade to his sons.

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