Gail Harris
From BR Bullpen
Boyd Gail Harris
- Bats Left, Throws Left
- Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
- Debut June 3, 1955
- Final Game May 3, 1960
- Born October 15, 1931 in Abingdon, VA USA
[edit] Biographical Information
Gail Harris was a first baseman who kept getting replaced by top young stars. As a 23-year-old rookie on Leo Durocher's 1955 New York Giants, Harris was the starting first baseman. However, the next year he lost the job to rookie Bill White, who would go on to earn seven Gold Gloves at the position. White would eventually be traded and achieve his greatest success with the St. Louis Cardinals, but in 1958 rookie Orlando Cepeda would win the first base job with the Giants. Harris moved on to the Detroit Tigers in 1958, where he had his best year with 20 home runs and a .273 batting average. He led the team in homers. However, in 1960 Norm Cash won the job and kept it for more than a decade.
The most similar player to Harris, according to the similarity scores method, is Marv Throneberry, because they had similar batting averages and home run totals over the course of their careers.
A lefty-batsman with formidable power, Harris cranked out 20 homers and 83 RBI for Detroit in '58 and barely missed hitting the ball entirely out of Briggs Stadium on one occasion. He began his professional career in 1950, and hit around .340 at both of his stops in 1951. From 1954-56 he was with Minneapolis, hitting 34 homers in 1954, 17 in 1955 (in 44 games) and 24 in 1956.
His son Mark Harris was a minor league player and coach.
[edit] Notable Achievements
- 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1958)
