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Spencer Harris
From BR Bullpen
Anthony Spencer Harris
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 5' 9", Weight 145 lb.
- Debut April 14, 1925
- Final Game June 14, 1930
- Born August 12, 1900 in Duluth, MN USA
- Died July 3, 1982 in Minneapolis, MN USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Spence Harris holds the minor league records for runs (2287), doubles (743), and hits (3617). He played pro ball for 28 seasons, 1921 to 1948. He played four seasons in the majors but 26 in the minors.
Harris, who was born in Minnesota, played for Minneapolis from 1928-37. That was a career in itself, but in 1938, at age 37, he began a stint in the PCL which lasted from 1938-45.
In the majors, he had his most at-bats for the 1926 Chicago White Sox under player-manager Eddie Collins. That year, Spence was the most-frequently-used backup on the team. He was the same age as teammate Ted Lyons.
The February 1951 issue of Baseball Digest states that Harris was running a tryout camp in Olean, NY for the Brooklyn Dodgers in June 1943. Harris noticed a young kid named Gil Hodges and asked if he'd like to play for the local club which he managed, but Branch Rickey also noticed Hodges' talent and took him directly to Brooklyn. It's an interesting story, but in fact Harris was playing for Portland that season while the manager for Olean in 1943 was actually Jake Pitler.
Harris did manage three seasons in the minors, but never at Olean.
