#308 "Chuck" Harmon - Cincinnati Redlegs

Charles Byron Harmon
Cincinnati Redlegs
Outfield

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'2"  Weight:  175
Born:  April 23, 1924, Washington, IN
Signed:  Signed by the St. Louis Browns as an amateur free agent before 1947 season
Major League Teams:  Cincinnati Redlegs 1954-56; St. Louis Cardinals 1956-57; Philadelphia Phillies 1957

Died:  March 19, 2019, Golf Manor, OH (age 94)

Chuck Harmon was a high school and college baseball star, served in the U.S. Navy during World War II, briefly played professional basketball as a player-coach in the American Basketball League and was the first African American to play for the Reds' franchise in 1954.  A 30-year-old rookie in 1954, Harmon served as the back-up third baseman to regular Bobby Adams (#287), batting .238 in a career-high 286 at-bats.  He played in 96 games in 1955, batting .253 with five home runs and 28 RBIs for the Redlegs.  He switched teams twice in 1956 and 1957, finishing up his major league career as a bat off the bench for the Cardinals and Phillies.  Harmon played 289 games overall, batting .238 with 25 stolen bases, 15 doubles, seven home runs and 59 RBIs.

May 15, 2010 - Harmon waves to the crowd before the Civil
Rights Game in Cincinnati

He continued to play in the minor leagues through the 1961 season, within the organizations of the Phillies, Pirates, Tigers and Athletics.  Following his playing days, Harmon was a scout for the Indians and Braves, along with the NBA's Indiana Pacers.  He was inducted into the University of Toledo Athletic Hall of Fame in 1977 and the Indiana Baseball Hall of Fame in 1995.

Building the Set

December 28, 2007 from Dad's eBay purchase - Card #337

I last shared this full story with the Foster Castleman (#271) post in late December, but I'll repeat myself, in an edited version, here.  The way my Dad and I finished the 1956 Topps set was somewhat anti-climatic but nevertheless a joyful memory.  Leading up to the Christmas of 2007, my Dad (with the help of my Mom) scoured eBay and other online baseball card stores for the remaining 29 cards we needed to complete the set.  Throughout the weeks and months leading up to the holidays, he knew we had completed the set but he kept it quiet, wanting to surprise me on Christmas morning.  I have no idea, and I'll never know, what the true last card was that he acquired to finish off the set.  And I have no record, nor was he able to tell me, how much they had paid for any of these final 29 cards.  

This Harmon card was one of the final 29.  It was one of the commons included in a memorable haul that included the cards of Pee Wee Reese (#260), Roberto Clemente (#33), Whitey Ford (#240) and a spotless checklist card for the 1st and 3rd Series.

The Card / Redlegs Team Set
We're getting pretty close to the end of the set, and I found it interesting that Harmon is only the third player featured, so far, to appear in the 1954, 1955 and 1956 Topps sets, with his 1956 Topps card using a different photo than his previous Topps cards.  The other two are Sherm Lollar (#243) and Johnny Schmitz (#298).  For comparison, and again this number isn't final, there are 46 players in the set with identical photos used for their 1954, 1955 and 1956 Topps cards.

That's likely Harmon sliding into second base, given he wore #10 during his Redlegs' tenure.  The cartoons on the back of the card highlight his collegiate basketball career, his successful minor league career and his ability to play multiple positions on the field.

1956 Season

Harmon once again made the Redlegs' opening day roster, appearing in 13 games, with eight appearances as a pinch-runner.  Used sparingly, and only 0 for 4 at the plate, Harmon was traded to the Cardinals on May 16th for outfielder Joe Frazier (#141) and infielder Alex Grammas (#37).  His troubles at the plate continued, and Harmon was 0 for 17 before being demoted to Triple-A in mid-July.  Harmon's hitless streak ended while playing for the Omaha Cardinals, and in 58 games he batted .360 with 17 doubles, 10 home runs and 49 RBIs.

Phillies Career
Harmon began the 1958 season back with the Cardinals, and was traded to the Phillies on May 10, 1957 for outfielder Glen Gorbous (#174).  He appeared in 57 games overall, batting .256 with a pair of doubles, seven stolen bases and five RBIs.  Manager Mayo Smith (#60) gave him 18 starts - 11 in left field, five at third base, and one each at first base and right field.  Harmon's final big league action came on September 15, 1957, when he pinch-ran for Willie Jones (#127) and scored a game-tying run in the ninth inning with the Braves' Warren Spahn (#10) on the mound.

Harmon spent part of the 1958 season with the Miami Marlins, then the Phillies' top farm team, but never earned another promotion to Philadelphia or the majors.  His time with the club is marked by a Phillies card in the 1958 Topps set.

1954 Topps #182

1955 Topps #82

1957 Topps #299

1958 Topps #48

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1954 Topps #182
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (5):  1954-58
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2007 Topps Heritage Real One Autographs #ROA-CH

10 - Harmon non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/14/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

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Set Order: #307 Hoyt Wilhelm - New York Giants / #309 Don Blasingame - St. Louis Cardinals

Order Collected: #306 Curt Roberts - Pittsburgh Pirates / #311 Hal Naragon - Cleveland Indians

#307 Hoyt Wilhelm - New York Giants

James Hoyt Wilhelm
New York Giants
Pitcher

Bats:  Right  Throws:  Right  Height:  6'0"  Weight:  190
Born:  July 26, 1922, Huntersville, NC
Acquired:  Purchased by the Boston Braves from Mooresville (North Carolina State), October 28, 1947
Major League Teams:  New York Giants 1952-56; St. Louis Cardinals 1957; Cleveland Indians 1957-58; Baltimore Orioles 1958-62; Chicago White Sox 1963-68; California Angels 1969; Atlanta Braves 1969-70; Chicago Cubs 1970; Atlanta Braves 1971; Los Angeles Dodgers 1971-72

Hall of Fame Induction:  1985

Died:  August 23, 2002, Sarasota, FL (age 80)

Hoyt Wilhelm served during World War II, seeing action at the Battle of the Bulge, before making his big league debut with the Giants in 1952 at the age of 29.  On the strength of his resiliency and his knuckle ball, he went on to have a Hall of Fame career over the next 21 seasons, pitching until he was nearly 50 years old.  His sole postseason action came in 1954 when his Giants swept the Indians in four games in the World Series.  Wilhelm was an eight-time All-Star and his league's ERA leader in 1952 with the Giants and in 1959 with the Orioles.  He threw a no-hitter with the Orioles in 1958 and 1959 was perhaps his best season as he appeared in 32 games and went 15-11 with a 2.19 ERA and a career-high 139 strikeouts.  He appeared with nine different teams, spending the most time with the White Sox.  Between 1963 and 1968 with the White Sox, Wilhelm went 41-33 with a 1.92 ERA and 99 saves.  He was the oldest player in the majors between 1966 and his retirement in 1972.

Wilhelm holds the major league record for wins in relief (124) and he was also the first pitcher in major league history to reach the 200 save plateau and to appear in 1,000 games.  For his career, Wilhelm was 143-122 in 1,070 games pitched (currently 6th all-time) with 228 saves (43rd) and 1,610 strikeouts.  Upon his retirement, he had the lowest career ERA (2.52) of any pitcher since 1927 (Walter Johnson) to have pitched in at least 2,000 innings.  He briefly managed in the minor leagues following his retirement, and then was a minor league pitching coach with the Yankees for 22 years.  He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame in 2002.

Some text for this post originally appeared on my 1965 Topps blog.

Building the Set

Summer of 1983 or 1984 in Millville, NJ - Card #41
This was one of the Original 44, and I re-told the story of how my Dad and I started collecting this set with the Walker Cooper (#273) post in January.  Seven of the Original 44 came from series one, with 11 coming from series two, and 16 from series three.   This is the seventh of ten cards to come from the final series four.  Wilhelm is one of eight Hall of Famers (or future Hall of Famers) from that Original 44 haul, along with Ed Mathews (#107), Yogi Berra (#110), Willie Mays (#130), Red Schoendienst (#165), Early Wynn (#187), Larry Doby (#250) and Bob Lemon (#255).

The Card / Giants Team Set
Wilhelm appeared exclusively in the 1955 Bowman set, and this card marks his return to Topps after that one-year absence.  The cartoons on the back focus on his knuckle ball, his workhorse reputation and his successful rookie campaign in 1952.

1956 Season

Wilhelm relieved in 64 games for the Giants in 1956, which was the second most appearances in the league behind Roy Face (#13), who made 68 appearances.  Wilhelm was 4-9 with a 3.83 ERA and eight saves in 89 1/3 innings pitched.

1952 Topps #392

1954 Topps #36

1959 Topps #349

1968 Topps #350

1972 Topps #777

Other Notable Baseball Cards
First Mainstream Card:  1952 Topps #392
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (20):  1952-54, 1956-72
Most Recent Mainstream Card:  2023 Topps Archives 1969 Topps Team History Baseball Post Card Box Topper #H69-CHW

509 - Wilhelm non-parallel baseball cards in the Beckett online database as of 9/6/24.

Sources:  
Baseball Reference
Beckett Database

National Baseball Hall of Fame

SABR
The Trading Card Database

Wikipedia

Previous Card / Next Card

Set Order: #306 Curt Roberts - Pittsburgh Pirates / #308 "Chuck" Harmon - Cincinnati Redlegs

Order Collected: #293 Stu Miller - St. Louis Cardinals / #313 Gene Stephens - Boston Red Sox