Jeff Harris
Encyclopedia
Jeffrey Austin Harris is a former Major League Baseball
relief pitcher
who is currently the pitching coach for the Lake County Captains
in the Cleveland Indians
organization. He batted and threw right-handed.
When Harris debuted with the Seattle Mariners
on August 2, , he was 31 years of age. This was unusually old for a major league rookie
, and was due to his meandering career. Harris, who has done construction jobs, plumbing and landscaping during offseasons, spent six years in the Minnesota Twins
organization before being released in , then played three years for the Chico Heat
of California in the independent Western Baseball League
. From there, Harris tried, but failed to make a team in Taiwan
, and bounced to China
in , when the SARS epidemic forced him to leave and go back to North America where he played for the Quebec Capitales
of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
. The Mariners found Harris playing for the Capitales and signed him in June .
Harris made eight starts and three long-relief
appearances in the 2005 season. He posted a 2-5 record with 25 strikeout
s and a 4.19 ERA
in 54.2 innings. In , Harris pitched in only 3 games early in season.
In December 2006, the Cleveland Indians signed Harris to a minor league contact. He became a free agent at the end of the season and retired. He was named the pitching coach of the Arizona League Indians for the season.
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...
relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
who is currently the pitching coach for the Lake County Captains
Lake County Captains
The Lake County Captains are a minor league baseball team in Eastlake, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. The team, a Class A affiliate of the Cleveland Indians, plays in the Midwest League....
in the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
organization. He batted and threw right-handed.
When Harris debuted with the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
on August 2, , he was 31 years of age. This was unusually old for a major league rookie
Rookie
Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of their sport or has little or no professional experience. The term also has the more general meaning of anyone new to a profession, training or activity Rookie is a term for a person who is in his or her first year of play of...
, and was due to his meandering career. Harris, who has done construction jobs, plumbing and landscaping during offseasons, spent six years in the Minnesota Twins
Minnesota Twins
The Minnesota Twins are a professional baseball team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. They play in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. The team is named after the Twin Cities area of Minneapolis and St. Paul. They played in Metropolitan Stadium from 1961 to 1981 and the...
organization before being released in , then played three years for the Chico Heat
Chico Heat
The Chico Heat were a professional independent baseball team operating in Chico, California in the Western Baseball League. They had no operating agreement with any Major League Baseball team. They were created by Chico Heat Professional Baseball LLC, with former supermarket entrepreneur Steve...
of California in the independent Western Baseball League
Western Baseball League
The Western Baseball League was an independent baseball league based in the Western United States and Western Canada. It's member teams were not associated with any Major League Baseball teams. It operated from 1995 to 2002....
. From there, Harris tried, but failed to make a team in Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, and bounced to China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in , when the SARS epidemic forced him to leave and go back to North America where he played for the Quebec Capitales
Quebec Capitales
The Québec Capitales are a professional baseball team based in Quebec City, in Canada. The Capitales are a member of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball, which is not affiliated with Major League Baseball...
of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball
The Canadian American Association of Professional Baseball, based in Durham, North Carolina, is a professional, independent baseball league located in the Northeastern United States and the Canadian province of Quebec. It operates in cities not served by Major or Minor League Baseball teams and is...
. The Mariners found Harris playing for the Capitales and signed him in June .
Harris made eight starts and three long-relief
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
appearances in the 2005 season. He posted a 2-5 record with 25 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s and a 4.19 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
in 54.2 innings. In , Harris pitched in only 3 games early in season.
In December 2006, the Cleveland Indians signed Harris to a minor league contact. He became a free agent at the end of the season and retired. He was named the pitching coach of the Arizona League Indians for the season.
Quotation
- You always have doubts, but I had a lot of support from my family and my wife. It's the only thing I've ever wanted to do, so I was going to ride it out as long as I could. I always told myself, 'I have the rest of my life to get a real job' – Harris said in the Seattle Times.