Bill Harris

Who was Bill Harris?

William Thomas Harris was a Canadian pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the Brooklyn and the Los Angeles Dodgers teams. Listed at 5' 8", 187 lb., Harris batted left handed and threw right handed. Born in Duguayville, New Brunswick, he attended Dorchester School.

Bill Harris appeared in only two major league games with the National League Dodgers – a losing start to the Philadelphia Phillies in 1957 and a relief appearance against the Chicago Cubs in 1959.

About his major league debut, Harris said, "It was at Shibe Park against the Phillies and I did o.k. but lost 3–2. I was pinch-hit for in the seventh inning and Sandy Koufax came on in relief. Roy Campanella was the catcher and it turned out to be his last game".

In addition, Harris pitched in 14 Minor league seasons from 1951 through 1964, seven of them for the Montreal Royals of the International League, a Triple-A affiliate of the Dodgers. His most productive season came in 1952, when he posted a 25–6 record with a minuscule 0.83 earned run average and 12 shutouts in 294 innings of work.

Harris marveled at the talent that was around him in Montreal. "I think we had a team in Montreal that would beat most of the major league teams. Sparky Anderson was my second baseman. We also had Rocky Nelson, John Roseboro, George Shuba, Dick Williams and Chico Fernández. Those were some great names", he explained.