Brian Harper
Encyclopedia
Brian David Harper is a former catcher
in Major League Baseball
who played for teams in both the American
and National League
s during his 16-year career (-) and is currently the manager of the Chicago Cubs'
AA club, the Tennessee Smokies
.
in the fourth round of the amateur draft before being assigned to the rookie-league Idaho Falls Angels. He would then progress rapidly through the Angels' system, displaying the skills that he became known for in his major league career: an above-.300 average, good plate discipline, but an only average catcher's arm. After stops at Idaho Falls, Quad Cities, El Paso
, he reached AAA Salt Lake City
in 1981. However his career would soon stall.
Despite first seeing action for the Angels in 1979 and despite hitting .350 with 28 homeruns and 122 RBI for Salt Lake City in 1981, the Angels were not interested in giving Harper time behind the plate, at first base, or DH over established stars such as Rod Carew
, Bob Boone
, Don Baylor
, and Reggie Jackson
. on 11 December, , Harper was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates
for the 31-year-old utility infielder Tim Foli
. However, his prospects would not improve with the Pirates as they had a star catcher of their own in the 25-year-old Tony Peña
. Tried in the outfield, it was decided that he was too slow to be an adequate defender, and he again languished between Pittsburg and AAA Portland
. After three lackluster seasons where he spent much of the time on the Pirate bench, he would be traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
after the season along with future all-star pitcher John Tudor, for minor league infielder Steve Barnard and outfielder George Hendrick
. After seeing time in only 43 games with the Cardinals in , Harper would be release by the team following the season. Harper's career appeared to have neared the end of the line as he would spend only 19 games with the Detroit Tigers
in and 11 games with the Oakland Athletics
in , seeing most of his playing time back at the AAA level. After being released by the A's following the 1987 season, his career was at a crossroads.
had been the primary catcher since 1982, he never hit as well as the team had hoped and bottomed out during 1987 season and despite hitting 16 homeruns he would only bat .191. Similarly, the other catchers that the Twins had tried in 1987, Tom Nieto
, Mark Salas
, and Sal Butera
, did no better at the plate and were thus not seriously considered as replacements. Given an opportunity to play a meaningful stretch of time at his natural position of catcher, Harper would flourish in 1988, hitting .295 in 182 plate appearances - the most Harper had received in a single season in the majors. Although Laudner would continue to be resigned by the Twins through the 1990 season, Harper would be the primary catcher for the Twins and see game action in at least 123 games for the next five years.
Harper would have one of his best seasons in 1991, finishing with a .311 average, 10 homeruns and 69 RBI, and would help to propel the Twins team to the memorable 1991 World Series
win in seven games over the Atlanta Braves
. He endured a violent play-at-the-plate collision with Lonnie Smith
early in the Series, holding onto the ball to preserve a run. Then in the deciding game, he caught the Game 7 masterpiece of Jack Morris
, who threw 10 innings of shutout baseball in arguably one of the most intense world series games ever played. In the top of the 8th inning, Harper teamed up with first baseman Kent Hrbek
to execute an outstanding 3-2-3 double play that prevented the Lonnie Smith from scoring while also nabbing Sid Bream
at first, ending the Braves' most credible scoring threat with heart-stopping suddenness (the Braves would return the favor in the bottom half of the inning, when second baseman Mark Lemke
snagged a weak liner off of Hrbek's bat and stepped on the bag to retire second baseman Chuck Knoblauch
). The game was won in the bottom of the 10th inning when Gene Larkin
muscled a bases-loaded single to left field, scoring Dan Gladden
. After the World Series win, Harper re-signed with the Twins for another two years, including arguably his best season in 1993 in which he would hit .304 with 12 home runs and 73 RBI, playing in a career-high 143 games.
Despite his career year, the small market Twins decided they could not afford Harper and his $2.4 million salary behind the plate, instead trading pitcher Willie Banks
to the Cubs for a starting catcher in Matt Walbeck
who made just above the league minimum salary of $109,000. Allowed to leave, Harper joined the Milwaukee Brewers
as a free agent for the strike-shortened season and would finish the season hitting .291, his lowest batting average since 1987. Again granted free agency, Harper would not catch on with a team until 20 April 1995, when he returned to the A's, and his career would end nine days later after going hitless in two games.
Harper would finish what started out as a journeyman career 16 years later, hitting .295 for his career and .306 in his six seasons with Minnesota. Throughout his career, Harper was a difficult batter to strike out. He averaged a league-leading one strikeout per 25 plate appearances throughout his time in the AL. He was also not prone to talk a walk and did it less often than he struck out, finishing his career with 133 walks (as compared to 188 strikeouts) in 3386 plate appearances. He wasn't awful behind the plate either. From 1988 to 1990 he threw out 35 percent of steal attempts, which was solidly above the league average of 31 percent. By comparison, Laudner's career mark with the Twins was a shade under 30 percent, including just 27 percent between 1988 and 1989. What likely cemented Harper's reputation as a poor thrower was his 22 percent rate during the 1991 season and his poor display during the 1991 post-season during which first the Blue Jays
and then the Braves would run at will against Harper - finishing a combined 11 for 14 on steal attempts.
However, in the words of Bill James
in his New Historical Baseball Abstract, Harper's career could have been much more:
Harper would come out of retirement in , playing one game with the Seattle Mariners
Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers
. As the starting catcher, he would go 0-4, while striking out and hitting into a double play.
baseball team from 1996-1998. Fom 1998-99, he would be the Arizona Diamondbacks'
chapel leader. In 2000, he was an assistant baseball coach with at Desert Mountain High School
.
In 2001, Harper would be named the manager of the Arizona Fall League
Angels and would stay with the team through the 2005 season. In , Harper would be named the manager of the Salt Lake Bees
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Angels, and would stay through the season. After this, Harper served two years as a roving catching instructor in the San Francisco Giants
organization. In December 2009, he was named the manager of San Francisco's Class A Advanced affiliate, the San Jose Giants
and he would lead the team to the 2010 California League Championship. In December 2010, he was named the manager of the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
Harper's older brother, Glenn, would spend five years in the New York Mets'
organization between 1972 and 1976, as both an outfielder and a pitcher, but would not excel in either role and did not advance beyond A ball.
His son, Brett
, is a first baseman who was drafted in 2001 out of high school, also by the Mets. Although he would hit for decent power (122 home runs over 9+ season) and a high average (hitting .297 over the same span), Brett unfortunately followed his father's footsteps as a journeyman and was never able to break into the majors, despite spending 2008-2010 at AAA. After starting the 2010 season at Tacoma
, Brett would go to Japan and play professional baseball for the Yokohama BayStars
.
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
in Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
who played for teams in both the American
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League , is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western League, a minor league based in the Great Lakes states, which eventually aspired to major...
and National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
s during his 16-year career (-) and is currently the manager of the Chicago Cubs'
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
AA club, the Tennessee Smokies
Tennessee Smokies
The Tennessee Smokies are a Minor League Baseball team based in the Knoxville, Tennessee metropolitan area. The team, which plays in the Southern League, is the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs of Major League Baseball as of the 2011 season...
.
Minor leagues
Harper was drafted by the California AngelsLos Angeles Angels of Anaheim
The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California, United States. The Angels are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The "Angels" name originates from the city in which the team started, Los Angeles...
in the fourth round of the amateur draft before being assigned to the rookie-league Idaho Falls Angels. He would then progress rapidly through the Angels' system, displaying the skills that he became known for in his major league career: an above-.300 average, good plate discipline, but an only average catcher's arm. After stops at Idaho Falls, Quad Cities, El Paso
El Paso Diablos
The El Paso Diablos are a professional baseball team based in El Paso, Texas, in the United States. The Diablos are a member of the South Division of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball. Since the 2005 season to the...
, he reached AAA Salt Lake City
Salt Lake City Gulls
leftThe Salt Lake City Gulls, a former member of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League, were based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They were a minor league affiliate of the California Angels from 1975 to 1981, and of the Seattle Mariners from 1982 to 1984...
in 1981. However his career would soon stall.
Despite first seeing action for the Angels in 1979 and despite hitting .350 with 28 homeruns and 122 RBI for Salt Lake City in 1981, the Angels were not interested in giving Harper time behind the plate, at first base, or DH over established stars such as Rod Carew
Rod Carew
Rodney Cline "Rod" Carew is a former Major League Baseball first baseman, second baseman and coach. He played from 1967 to 1985 for the Minnesota Twins and the California Angels and was elected to the All-Star game every season except his last. In 1991, Carew was inducted into the National...
, Bob Boone
Bob Boone
Robert Raymond Boone is a former catcher and manager in Major League Baseball who was a four-time All-Star. Born in San Diego, California, Bob Boone is the son of a major league player, the late third baseman Ray Boone, and the father of two major leaguers: former second baseman Bret Boone and...
, Don Baylor
Don Baylor
Donald Edward Baylor is a Major League Baseball coach currently the hitting coach for the Arizona Diamondbacks, and a former player and manager. During his 19-year playing career, he was a power hitter who played as a first baseman, outfielder, and designated hitter...
, and Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson
Reginald Martinez "Reggie" Jackson , nicknamed "Mr. October" for his clutch hitting in the postseason with the New York Yankees, is a former American Major League Baseball right fielder. During a 21-year baseball career, he played from 1967-1987 for four different teams. Jackson currently serves as...
. on 11 December, , Harper was traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
for the 31-year-old utility infielder Tim Foli
Tim Foli
Timothy John Foli , nicknamed Crazy Horse, is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Mets, Montreal Expos, San Francisco Giants, Pittsburgh Pirates, California Angels and New York Yankees from to...
. However, his prospects would not improve with the Pirates as they had a star catcher of their own in the 25-year-old Tony Peña
Tony Peña
Antonio Francisco Peña Padilla is a former professional baseball player, manager and current coach. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball for the Pirates, Cardinals, Red Sox, Indians, White Sox, and Astros. Peña was the manager of the Kansas City Royals between 2002 and 2005. He...
. Tried in the outfield, it was decided that he was too slow to be an adequate defender, and he again languished between Pittsburg and AAA Portland
Portland Beavers
The Tucson Padres are a minor league baseball team, representing Tucson, Arizona, in the Pacific Coast League . They are the Triple-A affiliate for the San Diego Padres. The team was formerly known as the Portland Beavers and played its last home game at PGE Park on September 6, 2010...
. After three lackluster seasons where he spent much of the time on the Pirate bench, he would be traded to the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
after the season along with future all-star pitcher John Tudor, for minor league infielder Steve Barnard and outfielder George Hendrick
George Hendrick
George Andrew Hendrick Jr. is a former major league outfielder for the Oakland Athletics, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, Pittsburgh Pirates and California Angels. However Hendrick is best remembered as a member of the St. Louis Cardinals, for whom he played for from 1979–84. He was a...
. After seeing time in only 43 games with the Cardinals in , Harper would be release by the team following the season. Harper's career appeared to have neared the end of the line as he would spend only 19 games with the Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers
The Detroit Tigers are a Major League Baseball team located in Detroit, Michigan. One of the American League's eight charter franchises, the club was founded in Detroit in as part of the Western League. The Tigers have won four World Series championships and have won the American League pennant...
in and 11 games with the Oakland Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
in , seeing most of his playing time back at the AAA level. After being released by the A's following the 1987 season, his career was at a crossroads.
Minnesota Twins
Harper finally got his chance when he signed with the Minnesota Twins on 4 January, . Although starting catcher Tim LaudnerTim Laudner
Timothy Jon Laudner is a former Major League Baseball catcher who played for the Minnesota Twins from 1981 to 1989.-Playing career:...
had been the primary catcher since 1982, he never hit as well as the team had hoped and bottomed out during 1987 season and despite hitting 16 homeruns he would only bat .191. Similarly, the other catchers that the Twins had tried in 1987, Tom Nieto
Tom Nieto
Thomas Andrew Nieto is a former Major League Baseball catcher and former manager of the Rochester Red Wings, the Triple-A affiliate of the Minnesota Twins. Nieto previously served as the New York Mets' bench coach and catching instructor. A native of Downey, California, Nieto attended Oral Roberts...
, Mark Salas
Mark Salas
Mark Bruce Salas is a former professional catcher who played in Major League Baseball from -. Salas, who is of Mexican descent, currently works for the Chicago White Sox as a bullpen catcher....
, and Sal Butera
Sal Butera
Salvatore Philip Butera was a Major League Baseball catcher and is currently a Special Assistant to Toronto Blue Jays General Manager Alex Anthopoulos....
, did no better at the plate and were thus not seriously considered as replacements. Given an opportunity to play a meaningful stretch of time at his natural position of catcher, Harper would flourish in 1988, hitting .295 in 182 plate appearances - the most Harper had received in a single season in the majors. Although Laudner would continue to be resigned by the Twins through the 1990 season, Harper would be the primary catcher for the Twins and see game action in at least 123 games for the next five years.
Harper would have one of his best seasons in 1991, finishing with a .311 average, 10 homeruns and 69 RBI, and would help to propel the Twins team to the memorable 1991 World Series
1991 World Series
The 1991 World Series pitted the Minnesota Twins of the American League against the Atlanta Braves of the National League. The series was played from Saturday, October 19 to Sunday, October 27....
win in seven games over the Atlanta Braves
Atlanta Braves
The Atlanta Braves are a professional baseball club based in Atlanta, Georgia. The Braves are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League. The Braves have played in Turner Field since 1997....
. He endured a violent play-at-the-plate collision with Lonnie Smith
Lonnie Smith
Lonnie Smith is a former Major League Baseball outfielder. He made his debut for the Philadelphia Phillies on September 2, 1978 and later played for the St. Louis Cardinals, Kansas City Royals, Atlanta Braves, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles...
early in the Series, holding onto the ball to preserve a run. Then in the deciding game, he caught the Game 7 masterpiece of Jack Morris
Jack Morris
John Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
, who threw 10 innings of shutout baseball in arguably one of the most intense world series games ever played. In the top of the 8th inning, Harper teamed up with first baseman Kent Hrbek
Kent Hrbek
Frequently injured , Hrbek retired after the players strike in 1994, citing his nagging injury problems and desire to spend more time with his wife and daughter at their home in Bloomington, MN...
to execute an outstanding 3-2-3 double play that prevented the Lonnie Smith from scoring while also nabbing Sid Bream
Sid Bream
Sidney Eugene "Sid" Bream is an American former Major League Baseball player. He played his entire 11-year career in the National League...
at first, ending the Braves' most credible scoring threat with heart-stopping suddenness (the Braves would return the favor in the bottom half of the inning, when second baseman Mark Lemke
Mark Lemke
Mark Alan Lemke is a former Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "The Lemmer", he was a popular second baseman for the Atlanta Braves from to .-Biography:...
snagged a weak liner off of Hrbek's bat and stepped on the bag to retire second baseman Chuck Knoblauch
Chuck Knoblauch
Edward Charles "Chuck" Knoblauch is a retired Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of twelve seasons in the majors, from until , for the Minnesota Twins , New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals...
). The game was won in the bottom of the 10th inning when Gene Larkin
Gene Larkin
Eugene Thomas Larkin is a former switch-hitting first baseman, designated hitter and right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire seven-season career with the Minnesota Twins. During his playing career he wore #9 for Minnesota, and was a member of both the 1987 and 1991 World...
muscled a bases-loaded single to left field, scoring Dan Gladden
Dan Gladden
Clinton Daniel "Dan" Gladden III is an American former Major League Baseball player and current radio broadcaster.-Baseball career:Gladden is a graduate of Westmont High School in Campbell, California...
. After the World Series win, Harper re-signed with the Twins for another two years, including arguably his best season in 1993 in which he would hit .304 with 12 home runs and 73 RBI, playing in a career-high 143 games.
Despite his career year, the small market Twins decided they could not afford Harper and his $2.4 million salary behind the plate, instead trading pitcher Willie Banks
Willie Banks
William Augustus Banks III is an American athlete. Born at Travis Air Force Base, California, he grew up in San Diego County and went to Oceanside High School. Banks is an Eagle Scout....
to the Cubs for a starting catcher in Matt Walbeck
Matt Walbeck
Matthew Lovick Walbeck is a former right-handed Major League Baseball catcher who played from to for the Chicago Cubs, Minnesota Twins, Detroit Tigers, Anaheim Angels and Philadelphia Phillies...
who made just above the league minimum salary of $109,000. Allowed to leave, Harper joined the Milwaukee Brewers
Milwaukee Brewers
The Milwaukee Brewers are a professional baseball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, currently playing in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
as a free agent for the strike-shortened season and would finish the season hitting .291, his lowest batting average since 1987. Again granted free agency, Harper would not catch on with a team until 20 April 1995, when he returned to the A's, and his career would end nine days later after going hitless in two games.
Harper would finish what started out as a journeyman career 16 years later, hitting .295 for his career and .306 in his six seasons with Minnesota. Throughout his career, Harper was a difficult batter to strike out. He averaged a league-leading one strikeout per 25 plate appearances throughout his time in the AL. He was also not prone to talk a walk and did it less often than he struck out, finishing his career with 133 walks (as compared to 188 strikeouts) in 3386 plate appearances. He wasn't awful behind the plate either. From 1988 to 1990 he threw out 35 percent of steal attempts, which was solidly above the league average of 31 percent. By comparison, Laudner's career mark with the Twins was a shade under 30 percent, including just 27 percent between 1988 and 1989. What likely cemented Harper's reputation as a poor thrower was his 22 percent rate during the 1991 season and his poor display during the 1991 post-season during which first the Blue Jays
Toronto Blue Jays
The Toronto Blue Jays are a professional baseball team located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The Blue Jays are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball 's American League ....
and then the Braves would run at will against Harper - finishing a combined 11 for 14 on steal attempts.
However, in the words of Bill James
Bill James
George William “Bill” James is a baseball writer, historian, and statistician whose work has been widely influential. Since 1977, James has written more than two dozen books devoted to baseball history and statistics...
in his New Historical Baseball Abstract, Harper's career could have been much more:
Harper should have had a much better career than he did. He lost a lot of his career to other people's stupidity. He was drafted by the Angels in 1977, hit .293 with 24 homers, 101 RBI at Quad Cities in 1978, then hit .315 with 37 doubles, 90 RBI at El Paso in 1979. The Angels at that time were building entirely around free agents and veterans, in no mood to give a young player a chance. At Salt Lake City in '81 he hit .350 with 45 doubles, 28 homers, 122 RBI. The Angels traded him to Pittsburgh. The Pirates already had Tony Pena and Steve NicosiaSteve NicosiaSteven Richard Nicosia , is a former major league baseball player. He played catcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, San Francisco Giants, Montreal Expos, and Toronto Blue Jays from 1979 until 1985.-External links:...
; they needed another catcher like they needed a fifth baseman. Harper tried to convert to the outfield or first base. He wasn't fast enough to play the outfield; nobody was sure he would hit enough to play first. He bounced over to St. Louis, Detroit, Oakland, Minnesota. He was (28) by the time he got a chance to play.
Harper would come out of retirement in , playing one game with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
Triple-A affiliate, the Tacoma Rainiers
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
. As the starting catcher, he would go 0-4, while striking out and hitting into a double play.
Retirement and coaching career
After retiring to his home in Scottsdale, AZ, Harper would be the head coach of Scottsdale Christian High School'sScottsdale Christian Academy
Scottsdale Christian Academy. The education levels range from preschool to 12th grade. Scottsdale Christian Academy is a non-denominational Christian school , and is accredited by the North Central Accreditation Association as a College Preparatory.Over 95% of Scottsdale Christian Academy graduates...
baseball team from 1996-1998. Fom 1998-99, he would be the Arizona Diamondbacks'
Arizona Diamondbacks
The Arizona Diamondbacks are a professional baseball team based in Phoenix. They play in the West Division of Major League Baseball's National League. From 1998 to the present, they have played in Chase Field...
chapel leader. In 2000, he was an assistant baseball coach with at Desert Mountain High School
Desert Mountain High School
Desert Mountain High School , opened in 1995, is in northeast Scottsdale, AZ and serves a community which strongly supports the school system...
.
In 2001, Harper would be named the manager of the Arizona Fall League
Arizona Fall League
The Arizona Fall League is an off-season league owned and operated by Major League Baseball which operates during the fall in Arizona, United States at five spring training complexes...
Angels and would stay with the team through the 2005 season. In , Harper would be named the manager of the Salt Lake Bees
Salt Lake Bees
The Salt Lake Bees are a Pacific Coast League minor league baseball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. The Bees serve as the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. They play their home games at Spring Mobile Ballpark, known to fans as the Apiary, which was...
, the Triple-A affiliate of the Angels, and would stay through the season. After this, Harper served two years as a roving catching instructor in the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
organization. In December 2009, he was named the manager of San Francisco's Class A Advanced affiliate, the San Jose Giants
San Jose Giants
The San Jose Giants are a minor league baseball team in San Jose, California, USA. They are a Class A - Advanced team in the Northern Division of the California League, and have been a farm team of the San Francisco Giants since 1988. Home games are played at San Jose Municipal Stadium...
and he would lead the team to the 2010 California League Championship. In December 2010, he was named the manager of the Tennessee Smokies, the Double-A affiliate of the Chicago Cubs.
Harper's older brother, Glenn, would spend five years in the New York Mets'
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
organization between 1972 and 1976, as both an outfielder and a pitcher, but would not excel in either role and did not advance beyond A ball.
His son, Brett
Brett Harper
Brett David Harper is former a first baseman in Minor League Baseball who currently plays with the Yokohama BayStars of the Nippon Professional Baseball League. He is the son of former Major Leaguer Brian Harper....
, is a first baseman who was drafted in 2001 out of high school, also by the Mets. Although he would hit for decent power (122 home runs over 9+ season) and a high average (hitting .297 over the same span), Brett unfortunately followed his father's footsteps as a journeyman and was never able to break into the majors, despite spending 2008-2010 at AAA. After starting the 2010 season at Tacoma
Tacoma Rainiers
The Tacoma Rainiers are a minor league baseball team that plays in the Pacific Coast League , and are the Triple-A affiliate of the Seattle Mariners...
, Brett would go to Japan and play professional baseball for the Yokohama BayStars
Yokohama BayStars
The are a professional baseball team in the Japanese Central League. Home field is the Yokohama Stadium, located in central Yokohama. The clubhouse is located near the stadium....
.