Sunday, November 11, 2018

Final Card: Chuck Harrison

After being left out of the 1968 card set, Chuck Harrison returned for one last card (#116) – this time as a member of the expansion Kansas City Royals.

Harrison was signed by the Houston Colt .45s in 1963, and made his major-league debut with 12 games in September 1965.

He was the Astros' regular 1st baseman in 1966, playing in 119 games, but 9 home runs and 52 RBI aren't very much for a corner infielder.

After starting 113 games in '66, he spent much of the 1967 season on the bench, only starting 44 games, with newly-acquired Eddie Mathews replacing him at 1st base.


In October 1967 Chuck was included in the trade that sent Sonny Jackson to the Braves in return for pitcher Denver Lemaster and shortstop Denis Menke.

Harrison spent the entire 1968 season playing at triple-A Richmond. Three days after the expansion draft, the Royals purchased both Harrison and Dave Nicholson (also missing from the 1968 Topps set) from the Braves.

Chuck was with the Royals for all of 1969, but only played 75 games, as the team went with ex-Orioles prospect Mike Fiore as their first baseman.

Harrison spent all of 1970 and the first half of 1971 in the minors, before returning to KayCee in June 1971 to play his final 49 major-league games.

He hung up his spikes after playing for the Rangers’ AAA Denver team in 1972.