Sunday, February 9, 2014

no. 260 - tommy harper


Who is the man: Tommy Harper enjoyed what was probably the best season of his 15-year career in 1970, hitting 31 home runs, stealing 38 bases and batting .296.

Can ya dig it: I do not dig the early Milwaukee Brewers uniforms.

Right on: Harper is before my time so I don't know what his batting stance was, but he appears to be leaning out over the plate a little here ... that is if there's actually a plate where he's standing.

You see this cat Harper is a bad mother: Harper's 73 stolen bases for the Seattle Pilots in 1969 remains the franchise record for the Pilots/Brewers.

Shut your mouth: Harper was fired from his coaching job by the Red Sox in 1985 after he spoke out against a team policy that permitted only white employees to be admitted to an Elks Lodge near the team's spring training camp. Harper filed and won a lawsuit against the team. Years later he returned to the Red Sox to work as a consultant.

No one understands him but his woman: Harper was the first and only player to record the season's first at-bat for the Pilots. They became the Brewers the next season.


(A word about the back): Of course, the write-up sounds more impressive than it is. The franchise had  been in existence for only two years. Still a very good season.

2 comments:

  1. Harper was a corner outfielder for the Reds and Indians, then played almost exclusively at 3B and 2B from the start of the '69 season until switching back to the outfield midway through the '71 season.

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  2. I remember when a 30/30 season was a big deal

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