Bill Harrelson facts for kids

William "Bill" Charles Harrelson (born November 17, 1945) is a former American professional baseball pitcher. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the California Angels in 1968. Bill was a right-handed pitcher and could bat from both sides of the plate.

Bill Harrelson's Baseball Journey

Early Career and Rise

Bill Harrelson was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma. He is a member of the Cherokee Nation. In 1964, the California Angels baseball team signed him. This was the start of his professional baseball career.

He played in several minor leagues in 1964 and 1965. These included the Pioneer League and the California League. In 1966, he started to do better. He had 8 wins and 11 losses, with a 3.31 earned run average (ERA). An ERA shows how many earned runs a pitcher gives up per nine innings.

His best minor league season was in 1967. Playing for the San Jose Bees, he won 7 games and lost 4. His ERA was very good at 2.48. This strong performance helped him move up through the minor leagues. He eventually reached the major leagues in 1968.

Major League Moments

Bill Harrelson made his MLB debut on July 31, 1968. He pitched for the Angels against Catfish Hunter, a famous pitcher. Both pitchers did very well in the game. Bill allowed only one run through seven innings. He gave up just four hits, all of them singles. He ended up losing the game, but he showed great skill.

About a month later, on August 27, he earned his only MLB win. This happened against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Bill pitched 5 and 2/3 innings without giving up any runs. He allowed only one hit to Joe Pepitone. He left the game with a 1–0 lead. Another pitcher, Andy Messersmith, finished the game. The Angels won 2–0.

MLB Career Summary

Bill Harrelson played his final major league game on September 18, 1968. In total, he played in ten big-league games. He started five of those games as the main pitcher. His final record was 1 win and 6 losses. He also pitched one complete game, meaning he pitched the entire game himself.

During his time in MLB, he pitched for 33 and 2/3 innings. He gave up 28 hits and walked 26 batters. He also managed to strike out 22 opposing batters. A strikeout happens when a pitcher throws three strikes to a batter.

After the Major Leagues

After his time in MLB, Bill Harrelson returned to the minor leagues in 1969. He played in the Texas League and the Pacific Coast League. In 1970, he was traded to the Cincinnati Reds organization. He continued to play in the minor leagues in 1970 and 1971. After the 1971 season, he retired from professional baseball.