The Hall of Fame Case for Vic Harris

Do you know how many managers have been elected from the Negro Leagues into the Baseball Hall of Fame?

Zero.

There have been some players and executives who did some managing. Oscar Charleston played and managed. Rube Foster was the brains behind creating the Negro National League and was at the helm of some great teams. But nobody is in primarily for their managerial accomplishments.

There are two managers who I believe have a great case: Vic Harris and Candy Jim Taylor.

Today, I’m going to focus on Vic Harris – the manager – and why he has a great case to be elected to the HOF by the Eras Committee this year.

The Case for Vic Harris

The biggest-name team in the Negro Leagues during the 1930s and 1940s was the Homestead Grays. They were headlined by Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard, among others. The manager for almost that entire stretch was Vic Harris. He was nicknamed “Vicious Vic” because of his intense personality.

After struggling to finish slightly above .500 in his first season as manager, Harris went on a tear, winning the Negro National League pennant in five of the next six seasons. In the final season of that stretch, 1942, the Negro Leagues World Series was reinstituted. The Grays faced off against the Negro American League champions – the Kansas City Monarchs. Harris and the Grays came up on the short end of that battle. But another, much more consequential battle was on the horizon.

During World War II, Harris left the baseball diamond to work at a defense plant for two years. He returned to the Grays as their full-time manager in 1945 after helping the war effort. Upon his return, the Grays won the Negro National League pennant again, but lost in the Negro Leagues World Series once more. Finally, in 1948, a year after the death of his star catcher, Josh Gibson, from a brain tumor, Harris and the Grays triumphed over the Birmingham Black Barons in the World Series. It was the last season before the Negro National League disbanded. By 1950, Harris had retired from baseball.

His overall career statistics are mind-boggling. In 11 seasons, he compiled a 637-322 record (.664), won seven pennants, and captured one World Series title. He never had a season at .500 or below.

In addition, Harris played for much of this time with the Grays. He was a very good player, finishing with a .303 batting average while leading the league in runs scored and doubles on separate occasions.

If there was ever a manager deserving of a spot in the Baseball Hall of Fame, Harris seems to have as good a case (if not better) as any of the other candidates.