Dick Harley

Who was Dick Harley?

Richard Joseph Harley was a professional baseball player. He played all or part of seven seasons in Major League Baseball from 1897 until 1903.

Born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and a graduate of Georgetown University, Harley played in 740 games, all but two as an outfielder, including 539 in left field, 106 in right field, and 93 in center field. He had a career batting average of .262 and an on-base percentage of .332 with 755 hits, 389 runs scored, 236 RBIs, 106 extra base hits, 229 bases on balls, 139 stolen bases, and 78 times hit by a pitch.

On June 24, 1897, Dick collected six hits in one game, a game played in Pittsburgh. Harley also has the dubious distinction of having been the starting left fielder for the 1899 Cleveland Spiders, who some consider that team to be the worst team in baseball history. The Spiders went 20–134, scoring 529 runs and allowing 1,252 runs.

Later Dick became a highly respected college baseball coach at the University of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania State University, and Villanova University. Dick died at the age of 79 in Philadelphia, where he is interred in Cathedral Cemetery.