Chuck Harmon

Charles Byron Harmon

• Bats Right, Throws Right
• Height 6' 2", Weight 175 lb.
• School University of Toledo
• High School Washington (IN) High School
• Debut April 17, 1954
• Final Game September 15, 1957
• Born April 23, 1924 in Washington, IN USA
• Died March 19, 2019 in Golf Manor, OH USA

BR page

Biographical Information

When Chuck Harmon made his major league debut in 1954, he was the first African-American player on the Cincinnati Redlegs. Some sources also list him as the first black Reds player, though the Puerto-Rican-born Nino Escalera preceded him by a year. After his playing career, he was a part-time scout for the Cleveland Indians and Atlanta Braves.

Harmon is the only major league player from Washington, Indiana through 2007. He was inducted into the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995. In 2015, he was honored when a statue in his likeness was unveiled in front of Major League Baseball's Urban Youth Academy complex in Cincinnati, OH, as part of the 2015 All-Star Game festivities. Aged 91, Harmon was still able to attend the ceremony.

Further Reading

• John Fay and Jeff Suess: "Chuck Harmon, the Reds' first African-American player, has died at the age of 94", The Cincinnati Enquirer, March 20, 2019. [1]
• Mark Newman: "Harmon statue unveiled at Cincinnati UYA", mlb.com, July 10, 2015. [2]
• Mark Sheldon: "Reds embrace Harmon's legacy: In honor of Black History Month, Cincinnati celebrates its first African-American player", mlb.com', February 8, 2017. [3]

Related Sites

• Chuck Harmon at the SABR Bio Project