Harry Elliott (baseball) facts for kids

Harry Lewis Elliott (born December 30, 1923 – died August 9, 2013) was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals. Harry was an outfielder and played in 92 games during the 1953 and 1955 seasons. He was 5 feet 9 inches tall and weighed 175 pounds. Harry threw and batted with his right hand.

Early Life and Talents

Harry Elliott was born in San Francisco, California. When he was young, his family moved to Watertown, Minnesota. Harry was a very talented musician. He started playing piano professionally at age 15. He played Big Band music until the mid-1990s.

Harry graduated from Watertown High School in 1942. He was an amazing athlete there. He earned special awards in football, basketball, and baseball. After high school, Harry went to the University of Minnesota. He played both football and baseball for the university. In 1949, he was the first athlete from his school to earn a top award in college baseball. For a short time, he also taught in Austin, Minnesota.

Journey to Major League Baseball

Harry started playing professional baseball when he was 27 years old. This was a bit older than most players. But he quickly showed how good he was at hitting the ball. In 1951, he hit for a .391 average with 221 hits. This was for the Alexandria Aces in a minor league. The next year, he had 204 hits for the Shreveport Sports.

In 1954, Harry played for the San Diego Padres. He had a fantastic season, hitting .350 with 224 hits. He also had 42 doubles, 15 home runs, and 110 runs batted in. Over his seven years in the minor leagues, Harry had a lifetime batting average of .326.

The St. Louis Cardinals team noticed Harry's talent. They brought him up to the Major Leagues in 1953. He played for the Cardinals for the last two months of that season. His first MLB home run came against the Brooklyn Dodgers on September 1.

Harry spent all of 1954 back in the minor leagues. He was named an all-star for his great season with San Diego. The Cardinals brought him back for the entire 1955 season. He played in 29 games in the field. He also played in over 40 games as a pinch hitter, meaning he would bat in place of another player. Harry hit his second and final Major League home run on September 19, 1955. In total, Harry got 45 hits in the Major Leagues. This included ten doubles and one triple. He stopped playing professional baseball after the 1958 season.

Life After Baseball

After leaving baseball, Harry Elliott became a teacher. He taught physical education at El Cajon Valley High School. For 27 years, he also coached many sports. He coached baseball, football, basketball, and soccer.

Later, Harry lived in Yuma, Arizona, for 30 years. He enjoyed traveling often in his motor home.

His Final Years

Harry Elliott spent his last days in Lyons, Kansas. He was with his family. He passed away on August 9, 2013, at a nursing home in Little River, Kansas.