Bill Harman
Encyclopedia
William Bell "Bill" Harman (January 2, 1919 – September 22, 2007) was a professional baseball
player. After graduating from the University of Virginia
, Harman played one season for the Philadelphia Phillies
of Major League Baseball
and finished his professional career in the minor leagues
. During his Phillies tenure, he was officially listed as standing 6 in 4 in (193.04 cm)—the tallest catcher in major league history to that point—and weighing 200 pounds (90.7 kg).
. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Virginia
, where he played basketball
and baseball for the Cavaliers
and was the student body president. In the 1940 season, the Cavaliers were Virginia state baseball champions, finishing with an 18–4 win–loss record as Harman served as both a pitcher and a catcher for the team. In 1941, Harman's final collegiate season, he opened the year with a strong performance against Dartmouth
, with a two-run home run in the fourth inning of the season's second contest. Against Pittsburgh
in the season's fourth game, Harman took the mound in the ninth inning after catching
the first eight frames, and struck out the side on 11 pitches. For the 1941 season, the Cavaliers finished with an 11–8 record, while Harman himself batted
.350 and hit eight home run
s. Harman graduated from Virginia after the season "with honors and a degree of bachelor of science
" and was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies
immediately thereafter.
against the St. Louis Cardinals
. His first games as catcher and pitcher
came on the same day; he replaced Mickey Livingston
at catcher in the first game of a doubleheader
against the Cincinnati Reds
—making an out
in his only at-bat—and then entering the day's second contest as a pitcher in relief of Lee Grissom
, allowing one earned run
on two hits
and one walk
in his only inning of work. On June 30, Harman relieved Johnny Podgajny
, allowing three runs on four hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers
, walking two batters and striking out one.
In July, Harman participated in an exhibition game against a United States Army
team drawn from the 44th Infantry Division. Harman pitched in the contest before a crowd of 10,000; the Phillies won, 15–0, as the Army team managed only four hits. His first, and only, major-league hit came on August 2 against the Cardinals, when he entered as a mid-game replacement at catcher for Bernie Warren
. He singled against Redbirds starter Howie Krist
and was later driven in to score his first major league run
. He pitched four innings on August 18 after starter Boom-Boom Beck
gave up four runs in inning. He allowed three runs (two earned) in that outing, walking three. He appeared in six more games in September, all short appearances with one at-bat save one: a three-inning, one-run pitching appearance on September 23 against the New York Giants
. Harman appeared in 15 games during the season, accumulating a .071 batting average with his lone hit in 14 at-bats, and allowing 8 runs in 13 innings; all 15 games in which he appeared were Phillies losses.
, where he batted .197 with four doubles
and one home run. He caught in 17 games, making 85 putout
s, 6 assists
and 2 errors
for a .978 fielding percentage
. He left minor league baseball to become the head coach at Waynesboro High School
in Waynesboro, Virginia
during the 1943 season, but resigned, purportedly to take a position with an insurance company. He returned to the minor leagues in 1944, resurfacing with the class-D Wellsville Yankees, but did not appear in any games.
. He also served in the United States Marine Corps
. Harman died on September 22, 2007, in Greenville, Delaware
, and was interred at Lower Brandywine Cemetery in Wilmington
.
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
player. After graduating from the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, Harman played one season for the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
of 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...
and finished his professional career in the minor leagues
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
. During his Phillies tenure, he was officially listed as standing 6 in 4 in (193.04 cm)—the tallest catcher in major league history to that point—and weighing 200 pounds (90.7 kg).
Early life and college
Bill Harman was born on January 2, 1919, in Bridgewater, VirginiaBridgewater, Virginia
Bridgewater is an incorporated town in Rockingham County, Virginia, United States. The population was 5,644 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Harrisonburg, Virginia Metropolitan Statistical Area. Bridgewater is home to the Reds of the Rockingham County Baseball League...
. After graduating from high school, he attended the University of Virginia
University of Virginia
The University of Virginia is a public research university located in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States, founded by Thomas Jefferson...
, where he played basketball
Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball
The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program represents the University of Virginia in the Atlantic Coast Conference in the NCAA's Division I. The team is coached by Tony Bennett.-Statistics:-Retired numbers:-Retired jerseys:...
and baseball for the Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers baseball
The Virginia Cavaliers baseball team represents the University of Virginia in NCAA Division I college baseball. Established in 1889, the team participates in the Coastal division of the Atlantic Coast Conference and plays its home games at Davenport Field. There was discussion at one time to...
and was the student body president. In the 1940 season, the Cavaliers were Virginia state baseball champions, finishing with an 18–4 win–loss record as Harman served as both a pitcher and a catcher for the team. In 1941, Harman's final collegiate season, he opened the year with a strong performance against Dartmouth
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, with a two-run home run in the fourth inning of the season's second contest. Against Pittsburgh
University of Pittsburgh
The University of Pittsburgh, commonly referred to as Pitt, is a state-related research university located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded as Pittsburgh Academy in 1787 on what was then the American frontier, Pitt is one of the oldest continuously chartered institutions of...
in the season's fourth game, Harman took the mound in the ninth inning after catching
Catcher
Catcher is a position for a baseball or softball player. When a batter takes his turn to hit, the catcher crouches behind home plate, in front of the umpire, and receives the ball from the pitcher. This is a catcher's primary duty, but he is also called upon to master many other skills in order to...
the first eight frames, and struck out the side on 11 pitches. For the 1941 season, the Cavaliers finished with an 11–8 record, while Harman himself batted
Batting average
Batting average is a statistic in both cricket and baseball that measures the performance of cricket batsmen and baseball hitters. The two statistics are related in that baseball averages are directly descended from the concept of cricket averages.- Cricket :...
.350 and hit eight home run
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
s. Harman graduated from Virginia after the season "with honors and a degree of bachelor of science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
" and was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
immediately thereafter.
Philadelphia Phillies
Harman made his major league debut for the Phillies on June 17, 1941, pinch hitting for Rube MeltonRube Melton
Reuben Franklin Melton was a pitcher in Major League Baseball. He pitched from 1941-1947 with the Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies....
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...
. His first games as catcher and 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...
came on the same day; he replaced Mickey Livingston
Mickey Livingston
Thompson Orville "Mickey" Livingston was a professional baseball player who played catcher for six Major League teams from 1938 to 1951.-Sources:*...
at catcher in the first game of a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
against the Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
—making an out
Out (baseball)
In baseball, an out occurs when the defensive, or fielding, team effects any of a number of different events, and the umpire rules a batter or baserunner out. When a player is called out, he is said to be retired...
in his only at-bat—and then entering the day's second contest as a pitcher in relief of Lee Grissom
Lee Grissom
Lee Theo Grissom was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1934-1941 for the Cincinnati Reds, New York Yankees, Brooklyn Dodgers and Philadelphia Phillies. His brother Marv was also a professional baseball player...
, allowing one earned run
Earned run
In baseball, an earned run is any run for which the pitcher is held accountable . Any runner who tags his base and reaches home plate is scored against the pitcher as an earned run...
on two hits
Hit (baseball)
In baseball statistics, a hit , also called a base hit, is credited to a batter when the batter safely reaches first base after hitting the ball into fair territory, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice....
and one walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
in his only inning of work. On June 30, Harman relieved Johnny Podgajny
Johnny Podgajny
John Sigmund Podgajny was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for five seasons. He played for the Philadelphia Phillies from 1940 to 1943, the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1943, and the Cleveland Indians in 1946....
, allowing three runs on four hits against the Brooklyn Dodgers
Los Angeles Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers are a professional baseball team based in Los Angeles, California. The Dodgers are members of Major League Baseball's National League West Division. Established in 1883, the team originated in Brooklyn, New York, where it was known by a number of nicknames before becoming...
, walking two batters and striking out one.
In July, Harman participated in an exhibition game against a United States Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
team drawn from the 44th Infantry Division. Harman pitched in the contest before a crowd of 10,000; the Phillies won, 15–0, as the Army team managed only four hits. His first, and only, major-league hit came on August 2 against the Cardinals, when he entered as a mid-game replacement at catcher for Bernie Warren
Bernie Warren
Dr. Bernie Warren is an internationally respected researcher, writer and teacher on the role of the arts for persons with a disability, the arts in healthcare and therapy, and drama-in-education and community...
. He singled against Redbirds starter Howie Krist
Howie Krist
Howard Wilbur Krist was a pitcher in Major League Baseball from 1937-1946. "Spud" played his entire career for the St. Louis Cardinals of the National League, and was a member of the 1942 and 1946 World Series Championship teams.Krist's 10-0 record in 1941, his first full season, is the third-best...
and was later driven in to score his first major league run
Run (baseball)
In baseball, a run is scored when a player advances around first, second and third base and returns safely to home plate, touching the bases in that order, before three outs are recorded and all obligations to reach base safely on batted balls are met or assured...
. He pitched four innings on August 18 after starter Boom-Boom Beck
Boom-Boom Beck
Walter William "Boom-Boom" Beck was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He played twelve seasons in the major leagues with the St. Louis Browns , Brooklyn Dodgers , Philadelphia Phillies , Detroit Tigers , Cincinnati Reds , and Pittsburgh Pirates...
gave up four runs in inning. He allowed three runs (two earned) in that outing, walking three. He appeared in six more games in September, all short appearances with one at-bat save one: a three-inning, one-run pitching appearance on September 23 against the New York Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
. Harman appeared in 15 games during the season, accumulating a .071 batting average with his lone hit in 14 at-bats, and allowing 8 runs in 13 innings; all 15 games in which he appeared were Phillies losses.
Minor leagues
In 1942, Harman played for the Petersburg Rebels, a class-C team in the Virginia LeagueVirginia League (1939–1942)
Virginia League was the name of an American professional baseball league. It operated during four seasons from 1939 to 1942. It began with only four teams: the Harrisonburg Turks, the Lynchburg Grays, the Salem- Roanoke Friends, and the Staunton Presidents.. In 1941, two new teams were...
, where he batted .197 with four doubles
Double (baseball)
In baseball, a double is the act of a batter striking the pitched ball and safely reaching second base without being called out by the umpire, without the benefit of a fielder's misplay or another runner being put out on a fielder's choice....
and one home run. He caught in 17 games, making 85 putout
Putout
In baseball statistics, a putout is given to a defensive player who records an out by one of the following methods:* Tagging a runner with the ball when he is not touching a base...
s, 6 assists
Assist (baseball)
In baseball, an assist is a defensive statistic, baseball being one of the few sports in which the defensive team controls the ball. An assist is awarded to every defensive player who fields or touches the ball prior to the recording of a putout, even if the contact was unintentional...
and 2 errors
Error (baseball)
In baseball statistics, an error is the act, in the judgment of the official scorer, of a fielder misplaying a ball in a manner that allows a batter or baserunner to reach one or more additional bases, when such an advance would have been prevented given ordinary effort by the fielder.The term ...
for a .978 fielding percentage
Fielding percentage
In baseball statistics, fielding percentage, also known as fielding average, is a measure that reflects the percentage of times a defensive player properly handles a batted or thrown ball...
. He left minor league baseball to become the head coach at Waynesboro High School
Waynesboro High School
Waynesboro High School is a public high school in Waynesboro, Virginia, United States....
in Waynesboro, Virginia
Waynesboro, Virginia
Waynesboro, deriving its name from General Anthony Wayne, is an independent city surrounded by Augusta County in the U.S. state of Virginia. The population was 21,006 in 2010.....
during the 1943 season, but resigned, purportedly to take a position with an insurance company. He returned to the minor leagues in 1944, resurfacing with the class-D Wellsville Yankees, but did not appear in any games.
Later life
During his season coaching at Waynesboro, Harman married Janet Cline of Staunton, VirginiaStaunton, Virginia
Staunton is an independent city within the confines of Augusta County in the commonwealth of Virginia. The population was 23,746 as of 2010. It is the county seat of Augusta County....
. He also served in the United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. Harman died on September 22, 2007, in Greenville, Delaware
Greenville, Delaware
Greenville is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 2,326 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Greenville is located at ....
, and was interred at Lower Brandywine Cemetery in Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
.