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Bucky Harris
Stanley Harris, Wash. LCCN2016839654 (cropped).jpg
Harris in 1925
Second baseman / Manager
Born: (1896-11-08)November 8, 1896
Port Jervis, New York, U.S.
Died: November 8, 1977(1977-11-08) (aged 81)
Bethesda, Maryland, U.S.
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
August 28, 1919, for the Washington Senators
Last appearance
June 12, 1931, for the Detroit Tigers
MLB statistics
Batting average .274
Home runs 9
Runs batted in 508
Managerial record 2,158–2,219
Winning % .493
Teams
As player

As manager

Career highlights and awards
Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg Baseball Hall of Fame Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg Empty Star.svg
Induction 1975
Election Method Veterans Committee

Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris (born November 8, 1896 – died November 8, 1977) was an American professional baseball player, manager, and team executive. He played as a second baseman in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators and Detroit Tigers.

Bucky Harris is most famous for his long career as a manager. He was so successful that he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.

He became a player-manager for the Senators at just 27 years old. In 1924, he led them to win the 1924 World Series. This made him the youngest manager to win a championship. He was also the first rookie manager to achieve this feat.

Harris managed teams for 29 seasons, which is one of the longest managerial careers in MLB history. He managed five different teams, including three times for Washington and twice for Detroit. During his career, he won over 2,150 games. He also led his teams to three league pennants and two World Series championships. He won in 1924 with the Senators and in 1947 with the New York Yankees. The time between his World Series wins (23 years) is the longest in baseball history!

Early Life and Baseball Beginnings

Stanley Raymond "Bucky" Harris was born on November 8, 1896, in Port Jervis, New York. When he was six, his family moved to Pittston, Pennsylvania. His family had roots in Switzerland and Wales.

Bucky's older brother, Merle, also played baseball in the minor leagues. Bucky left school at 13 to work at a local coal mine. He worked as an office boy and later as a weigh master. In his free time, he played basketball and baseball.

Playing Career

Bucky Harris was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 156 pounds. He threw and batted right-handed.

Starting in the Minor Leagues

In 1916, when Bucky was 19, Hughie Jennings signed him to his first professional contract. Jennings was the manager of the Detroit Tigers at the time. Bucky started with the Muskegon Reds but struggled with his batting.

He then played for other minor league teams like the Scranton Miners and Buffalo Bisons. By 1919, he improved his batting skills. He got 126 hits and raised his average to .282.

Washington Senators (1919–1928)

In August 1919, Bucky joined the Washington Senators. He was 22 years old. At first, he didn't play very well, batting only .214 in eight games.

However, the team's owner and manager, Clark Griffith, saw his potential. Griffith made Bucky the regular second baseman in 1920. Soon, Bucky was batting .300. He became known as a tough player who wasn't afraid to challenge even big stars like Ty Cobb.

Bucky spent most of his playing career with the Senators. In 1924, he became the team's player-manager. At 27, he was the youngest manager in the Major Leagues. He led the Senators to their only World Series title in Washington that year. Because of this amazing feat, he earned the nickname "The Boy Wonder."

He led the Senators to another American League pennant in 1925. But they lost the 1925 World Series to the Pittsburgh Pirates in a close Game 7. Bucky played incredibly well in the 1924 World Series. He set records for chances accepted, double plays, and put-outs. He also batted .333 and hit two home runs. This was impressive because he only hit nine home runs in his entire playing career!

After his successful years in 1924 and 1925, Bucky kept the Senators as a strong team. But their number of wins slowly decreased over the next few seasons.

Detroit Tigers (1929, 1931)

In 1928, the Senators traded Bucky to the Detroit Tigers. He became their player-manager. He played only a few games for the Tigers in 1929 and 1931. His playing career mostly ended with this trade.

Overall, Bucky played in 1,263 games over 13 seasons. He had 1,297 hits, 224 doubles, 64 triples, and nine home runs. He also had 508 runs batted in and a lifetime batting average of .274.

Bucky Harris, from- "Big train" and "Bucky" meet again, this time as foes. Walter Johnson and "Bucky" Harris meet again in Washington, this time as managers of opposing teams. Bucky's Detroit Tigers lost the LCCN2016889317 (cropped)
Bucky Harris in 1929

As the Tigers' manager, he had only one winning season, in 1932. He stepped down in 1933. Later, Mickey Cochrane took over and led the Tigers to two pennants and their first World Series win.

Boston Red Sox (1934)

Bucky Harris became the manager of the Boston Red Sox in 1934. The Red Sox had not had a winning season in 15 years. Their new owner, Tom Yawkey, wanted to rebuild the team.

Bucky's 1934 Red Sox team ended the season with an equal number of wins and losses (76–76). This broke their long streak of losing seasons. However, Bucky only stayed for one season. There were disagreements between him and the team's general manager, Eddie Collins. The Red Sox then traded for Joe Cronin to be their new player-manager.

Second Time with Washington Senators (1935–1942)

Just another handshaking. Washington, D.C., April 18. The traditional handshaking was repeated today as Bucky Harris and Connie Mack gripped each other just before their teams went into LCCN2016873413 (cropped)
Harris and Connie Mack shaking hands in 1938

Bucky returned to manage the Washington Senators in 1935. This was his longest time as a manager, lasting eight seasons. However, his teams didn't reach the same heights as in 1924 or 1925. Only one of his teams, the 1936 Senators, had a winning record. After three straight seventh-place finishes, he left the team in 1942.

Philadelphia Phillies (1943)

In 1943, Bucky managed the Philadelphia Phillies. The Phillies were one of the worst teams in baseball. Under Bucky, they improved their play.

However, the team's owner, William D. Cox, often interfered with Bucky's decisions. When Bucky complained, Cox fired him after only 92 games. After his firing, Bucky helped baseball officials learn that Cox was betting on games. This led to Cox being banned from professional baseball.

New York Yankees (1947–1948)

Photograph of President Truman shaking hands with Washington manager Ossie Bluege and New York Yankees manager Bucky... - NARA - 199579 (cropped)
United States President Harry Truman (left) shaking hands with Washington Senators manager Ossie Bluege (center) and New York Yankees manager Bucky Harris (right) on April 18, 1947.

Bucky spent three years out of the Major Leagues, managing the Buffalo Bisons. In 1946, the Yankees hired him for a front-office role.

In 1947, Bucky became the manager of the New York Yankees. He led them to win their 15th American League pennant. With star players like Joe DiMaggio, the 1947 Yankees won 97 games. They then won Bucky's second World Series championship. They beat the Jackie Robinson-led Brooklyn Dodgers in an exciting seven-game series.

Bucky managed the Yankees for a second season in 1948. His team won 94 games and finished third in a close pennant race. However, the Yankees' owners wanted more. They replaced Bucky with Casey Stengel, who went on to lead the Yankees to many more championships.

Third Time with Washington Senators (1950–1954)

Bucky returned to the minor leagues in 1949. Then, he started his third time as manager of the Washington Senators in 1950. The team had lost 104 games the year before. Under Bucky, they improved by 17 wins in his first season. They also had a winning record in 1952. But the team couldn't climb higher in the standings during his five-year term.

Detroit Tigers (1955–1956)

The Detroit Tigers hired Bucky again as their manager in 1955. In his first season back, the 1955 Tigers won 79 games. This was 11 more wins than the previous year. They had their first winning season since 1950.

In 1956, the Tigers won 82 games. However, the team was facing changes in its ownership. Bucky was fired by the new owner. He ended his 29-year MLB managing career with 2,158 wins and 2,219 losses. As of 2019, he ranked seventh in MLB manager career wins.

Managerial Record

Team Year Regular season Postseason
Games Won Lost Win % Finish Won Lost Win % Result
WSH 1924 154 92 62 .597 1st in AL 4 3 .571 Won World Series (NYG)
WSH 1925 151 96 55 .636 1st in AL 3 4 .429 Lost World Series (PIT)
WSH 1926 150 81 69 .540 4th in AL
WSH 1927 154 85 69 .552 3rd in AL
WSH 1928 154 75 79 .487 4th in AL
DET 1929 154 70 84 .455 6th in AL
DET 1930 154 75 79 .487 5th in AL
DET 1931 154 61 93 .396 7th in AL
DET 1932 151 76 75 .503 5th in AL
DET 1933 152 73 79 .480 resigned
BOS 1934 152 76 76 .500 4th in AL
BOS total 152 76 76 .500 0 0
WSH 1935 153 67 86 .438 6th in AL
WSH 1936 153 82 71 .536 4th in AL
WSH 1937 153 73 80 .477 6th in AL
WSH 1938 151 75 76 .497 5th in AL
WSH 1939 152 65 87 .428 6th in AL
WSH 1940 154 64 90 .416 7th in AL
WSH 1941 154 70 84 .455 6th in AL
WSH 1942 151 62 89 .411 7th in AL
PHI 1943 92 39 53 .424 fired
PHI total 92 39 53 .424 0 0
NYY 1947 154 97 57 .630 1st in AL 4 3 .571 Won World Series (BKN)
NYY 1948 154 94 60 .610 3rd in AL
NYY total 308 191 117 .620 4 3 .571
WSH 1950 154 67 87 .435 5th in AL
WSH 1951 154 62 92 .403 7th in AL
WSH 1952 154 78 76 .506 5th in AL
WSH 1953 152 76 76 .500 5th in AL
WSH 1954 154 66 88 .429 6th in AL
WSH total 2752 1336 1416 .500 7 7 .500
DET 1955 154 79 75 .513 5th in AL
DET 1956 154 82 72 .532 5th in AL
DET total 1073 516 557 .481 0 0
Total 4377 2158 2219 11 10 .524

Front Office Career

In 1957, Bucky Harris joined the Red Sox front office. He worked as an assistant general manager. In 1959, he became the general manager (GM).

During his time as GM, the Red Sox made history. On July 21, 1959, they brought Pumpsie Green to the team. This made the Red Sox the last of the 16 original MLB teams to integrate their roster.

However, the Red Sox had two losing seasons under Bucky as GM. He made some trades to try and improve the team. But some of these trades didn't work out as planned. He also had disagreements with the owner about hiring managers. Bucky was fired in September 1960.

Bucky Harris finished his long baseball career as a scout. He worked for the Chicago White Sox and later for the new Washington Senators team. He spent over 55 years involved in baseball!

Bucky Harris passed away in Bethesda, Maryland, on his 81st birthday. He had been battling Parkinson's disease. He is buried in Hughestown, Pennsylvania.

Personal Life

Bucky Harris's first marriage ended in 1951. His first father-in-law was Howard Sutherland. Sutherland was a former United States Senator from West Virginia.

See also

  • 1924 World Series
  • 1925 World Series
  • 1947 World Series
  • List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders
  • List of Major League Baseball player-managers
  • List of Major League Baseball managers by wins
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