Billy Harrell

Who was Billy Harrell?

William Harrell was a reserve infielder in Major League Baseball who played between 1955 and 1961 for the Cleveland Indians and Boston Red Sox. Listed at 6 feet 1 inch, 180 pounds, Harrell batted and threw right-handed. He was signed by Cleveland in 1952 out of the Siena College.

In a four-season career, Harrell was a .231 hitter with eight home runs and 26 RBI in 173 games, including 54 runs, seven doubles, one triple, and 17 stolen bases. In 151 games as an infielder, he appeared at shortstop, third base, second and first, and also played right field in one game, posting a collective fielding percentage of .952.

After finishing his professional playing career in the Red Sox farm system in 1966, Harrell briefly served as a Boston scout.

In 1966, Harrell became the third alumnus to be inducted into the Siena Athletics Hall of Fame.

In 2000, Harrell was named by Times Union as one of the top 10 athletes for the Capital Region for the 20th Century.

On January 13, 2006, Harrell became the first Siena Saints basketball player to have his jersey number retired by the school.

Harrell died May 6, 2014 at his home in Albany, New York. He was 85.