Maurice Charles "Mickey" Harris (January 30, 1917 - April 15, 1971) was a pitcher

Pitcher

In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...

 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 the Boston Red Sox

Boston Red Sox

The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...

 (1940–41, 1946–49), Washington Senators

Minnesota Twins

The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...

 (1949–52) and Cleveland Indians

Cleveland Indians

The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...

 (1952). Harris was born in New York, NY. He batted and threw left-handed.

Though plagued by chronic arm problems, Harris helped the Boston Red Sox to win the 1946 American League

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...

 pennant in route to the 1946 World Series

1946 World Series

-Game 1:Sunday, October 6, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St. Louis, MissouriThe Red Sox won Game 1 when Rudy York hit a home run into the left field bleachers.-Game 2:Monday, October 7, 1946 at Sportsman's Park in St...

 against 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...

.

Harris debuted with the Red Sox in 1940. He joined the starting rotation in 1941, along with Dick Newsome

Dick Newsome

Heber Hampton Newsome was a starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox between the and seasons. Listed at 6' 0", 185 lb., Newsome batted and threw right-handed...

, Charlie Wagner

Charlie Wagner

Charles Thomas Wagner was an American right-handed pitcher and coach in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Boston Red Sox . Nicknamed "Broadway," he went on to a 50-year career as a scout and minor league instructor...

, Lefty Grove

Lefty Grove

Robert Moses "Lefty" Grove was a professional baseball pitcher. After having success in the minor leagues during the early 1920s, Grove became a star in Major League Baseball with the American League's Philadelphia Athletics and Boston Red Sox, winning 300 games in his 17-year MLB career...

 and Joe Dobson

Joe Dobson

Joseph Gordon Dobson , nicknamed "Burrhead," was a Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher who played with the Cleveland Indians , Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox ....

. Harris responded with a 3.25 ERA

Earned run average

In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...

 and 111 strikeout

Strikeout

In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....

s (8th and 5th in the AL, respectively), and his 8-14 record could have been even better with reasonable run support. After the season, he was drafted into the Army

Army

An army An army An army (from Latin arma "arms, weapons" via Old French armée, "armed" (feminine), in the broadest sense, is the land-based military of a nation or state. It may also include other branches of the military such as the air force via means of aviation corps...

.

After being out for four years, Harris compiled a 17-9 record in 1946, as the Red Sox ran away with the pennant. In May, Harris posted eight consecutive victories, including two in relief

Relief pitcher

A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...

 in two days. He was named to the AL All-Star

Major League Baseball All-Star Game

The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...

 team in the same season. After that, Harris increased arm troubles and was traded to the Senators in the 1949 midseason.

In 1950 Harris led the AL pitchers in saves

Save (sport)

In baseball, a save is credited to a pitcher who finishes a game for the winning team under certain prescribed circumstances. The number of saves, or percentage of save opportunities successfully converted, is an oft-cited statistic of relief pitchers...

 (15), relief appearances (53) and games finished

Games finished

In baseball statistics, a relief pitcher is credited with a game finished if he is the last pitcher to pitch for his team in a game. A starting pitcher is not credited with a GF for pitching a complete game...

 (53). He went to Cleveland in 1952, his last season in the majors.

In a nine-season career, Harris posted a 59-71 record with 534 strikeouts and a 4.18 ERA in 1050.0 innings pitched

Innings pitched

In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...

.

Harris died in Farmington, Michigan

Farmington, Michigan

Farmington is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It is a northern suburb of Detroit and is part of the Metro Detroit area. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 10,372. It is fully surrounded by Farmington Hills, except for a small portion bordered by Livonia to the...

, at 54 of age.

External links

• Mickey Harris at Find a Grave
  Find A Grave
  Find a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...