Player #83B: Stanley R. "Bucky" Harris. Second baseman for the Washington Senators in 1919-1928. 1,297 hits and 167 stolen bases in 12 MLB seasons. 1924 and 1947 World Series champion. In 1975, inducted to the MLB Hall of Fame. Named player-manager of the Washington Senators in 1924 at age 27. "The Boy Wonder" led Washington to World Series victory as "rookie" manger. Managed Washington Senators in 1924-1928, 1935-1942, and 1950-1954. Managed the Detroit Tigers in 1929-1933 and 1955-1956. Managed the Boston Red Sox in 1934. Managed the Philadelphia Phillies in 1943. Managed the New York Yankees in 1947-1948, including winning the 1947 world Series. Served as the General Manager of the Boston Red Sox in 1959-1960.
Smiles presents Harris' 1921 season: Bucky stayed hot in the early going (of the 1921 season) and the scribes noticed: "Bucky Harris is being groomed as the successor to Eddie Collins as the premier second sacker in the American League. The lightning-like stride of Harris in engineering double plays has given him a new first choice among sportswriters as the new Collins. Stan is a phenom and soon may be classed with Eddie Collins and Ross Barnes as the super second basemen of all time. Leading the league in stolen bases, batting around .500, and never failing to come through with a hit or near hits when men are on and contributing sensational plays in every game, his work is astonishing the most jaded." (The Sporting News, April 28, 1921.)
An example of Bucky's Collins-like playing made it into the New York Times: "Harris dropped a drenched blanket on the crowd's hopes in the eighth inning of the game at the Polo Grounds when he made a glistening stop of Baker's hot shot off his right hand. His throw to first was wide and high, for he had no time to get set for it; but Judge came to the rescue with a neat one-handed nab. Spectacular, but very unjust." . . .
. . . Bucky didn't miss a game in '21. He led the American League in double plays by second basemen and was second in putouts and assists to the A's J1mmy Dykes. He batted .289 with a .367 on-base average, led the league in being hit by pitches again, was second in stolen bases, and scored 82 runs. Bucky started the season batting fifth. By August he was batting second regularly. (Bucky Harris by Jack Smiles.)
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