Bubba Harris

Charles Harris, Jr.

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 4", Weight 204 lb.
• School University of Alabama
• High School Jones Valley High School
• Debut April 29, 1948
• Final Game May 7, 1951
• Born February 15, 1926 in Sulligent, AL USA
• Died January 12, 2013 in Nobleton, FL USA

BR page

Biographical Information

Bubba Harris played two full seasons and part of a third in the majors, and spent thirteen seasons overall in pro ball.

An Alabama native with an excellent curveball, Harris signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates prior to the 1943 season and made his pro debut that summer with the Hornell Maples of the PONY League. After playing for two years, he spent the 1945 season in the United States Navy during World War II. He returned to baseball in 1946 and was acquired by the Philadelphia Athletics before the next season.

Harris reached the majors in 1948 with Connie Mack's club and made his big league debut on April 29th against the Boston Red Sox, throwing a perfect inning of relief. Overall, he went 5-2 with a 4.13 ERA in 45 relief outings that summer, while tying for the club lead with 5 saves. Back in the A's pen the next year, 1949, he was 1-1 with a 5.44 ERA in 37 games and once again tied for team lead with 3 saves.

After spending the 1950 season with the Buffalo Bisons, Harris was back with Philadelphia to start 1951. He appeared in just 3 games for the team and was sold to the Cleveland Indians on May 2nd. He lasted just five days with the Indians, appearing in 2 games. He ended his big league career with a 6-3 record and 4.84 ERA in 87 games (all in relief).

Harris went back to the minors for the next five seasons and put together three double-digit winning years. He won 18 games and posted a 2.70 ERA for the West Palm Beach Indians in 1953 and went 11-7 with a 3.38 ERA in 58 games for the Havana Sugar Kings the next summer. He continued playing through 1956, ending his career at age 30 with a career 93-90 minor league record in 363 games, while pitching 1,509 innings.

After baseball, Harris was the president of Florida's AFL-CIO from 1963 to 1977. He died in 2013 at age 86.