Nathan Harris

Who is Nathan Harris?

Nathan "Nate" Harris was an African-American baseball third Baseman and Captain in the pre-Negro leagues. He played for many of the best teams between 1900 and 1910.

Born and raised in Middleport, Ohio, Harris moved to Columbus, Ohio with his parents at the age of 14 and started playing baseball and football in high school. A football injury took him out of the first half of his next baseball season. The family moved again to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and he played there for the Keystones.

Harris played football for Indiana and was injured again, which left him unable to play baseball again until 1899. In 1900, he pitched and played first base for Bud Fowler and his Smoky City Giants. In June of 1901 he took over for William Binga playing third base for the Columbia Giants until Binga returned. Then, he worked the rest of the season as a utility player until the end of the 1902 season when the Columbia Giants moved to Big Rapids, Michigan.

Harris stayed in Big Rapids during the winter months, coaching the football team at the Preparatory College.

In 1903, he played third base for the Cuban Giants of New York until he was injured in a game at Portland, Maine.