Gail Harris

Boyd Gail Harris

• Bats Left, Throws Left
• Height 6' 0", Weight 195 lb.
• High School Abingdon High School
• Debut June 3, 1955
• Final Game May 3, 1960
• Born October 15, 1931 in Abingdon, VA USA
• Died November 14, 2012 in Gainesville, VA USA

BR page

Biographical Information

First baseman Gail Harris showed formidable power during his six-year big league career, split between the New York Giants and Detroit Tigers. Though not known as a slugger, Harris barely missed being one of the very few to completely hit a ball out of Briggs Stadium while with the Tigers - a herculean blow which caromed off the very top of the massive rightfield roof.

Harris was signed by the Giants began his pro career with the Lenoir Red Sox in 1950. With the Minneapolis Millers in 1954, he hit .309 with 34 home runs and 113 RBIs. After hitting 17 homers in 44 games for the Millers to start the next year, he was brought up to the majors in June. He was New York's regular first baseman for the remainder of the year and hit .232 with 12 home runs in 79 games. However, he lost his job to rookie Bill White in 1956, appearing in only a dozen big league games that year and spending most of the summer back with Minneapolis. With White missing 1957 while serving in the military, Harris again saw regular action in the majors, splitting time at first with Whitey Lockman. On September 21st of that season, he became the last man to hit a home run as a New York Giant.

Prior to the 1958 campaign, Harris was dealt to the Tigers. A regular for Detroit, he had his best big league season that year, hitting .273 while leading the club with 20 homers. His numbers dropped the following year to a .221 average and 9 home runs, and in 1960, he was unseated at first by young star Norm Cash (who kept the job for more than a decade). In May of that season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Sandy Amoros. He played in their organization in 1960 and 1961 but never again reached the majors.

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.

Following his baseball days, Harris worked in insurance sales. His son, Mark Harris, was a minor league player and coach.

Notable Achievements

• 20-Home Run Seasons: 1 (1958)