Harry Clayton Harper (April 24, 1895 – April 23, 1963) was an American professional
baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
, businessman, and politician. He played in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
,
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
, and
Brooklyn Robins
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brookl ...
between 1913 and 1923. Harper started Game 6 of the
1922 World Series
The 1922 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1922 Major League Baseball season, 1922 season. The 19th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League (baseball), National League champion 1922 New ...
for the Yankees.
Harper was from
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is the most populous municipality in and the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
, and was often called "Hackensack Harry" during and after his baseball career. Harper invested his salaries in his business career while he was a baseball player. After retiring from baseball, Harper entered politics, and won election as
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
of
Bergen County
Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Republican. He served in the
cabinets
A cabinet in governing is a group of people with the constitutional or legal task to rule a country or state, or advise a head of state, usually from the executive branch. Their members are known as ministers and secretaries and they are ...
of Governors
Walter Evans Edge
Walter Evans Edge (November 20, 1873October 29, 1956) was an American diplomat and Republican politician who served as the 36th governor of New Jersey, from 1917 to 1919 and again from 1944 to 1947, during both World War I and World War II. Edge ...
and Alfred E. Driscoll, as the Commissioner of Labor and Industry. He also lost elections to the
New Jersey Legislature
The New Jersey Legislature is the legislative branch of the government of the U.S. state of New Jersey. In its current form, as defined by the New Jersey Constitution of 1947, the Legislature consists of two houses: the General Assembly and ...
and
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the legislature, legislative branch of the federal government of the United States. It is a Bicameralism, bicameral legislature, including a Lower house, lower body, the United States House of Representatives, ...
.
Early life
Harper was born on April 24, 1895, in
Hackensack, New Jersey
Hackensack is the most populous municipality in and the county seat of Bergen County, New Jersey, Bergen County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey.
, to Elizabeth (
née
The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Van Saren) and Henry Clay Harper. He was the second of three sons born to the couple. He started earning money through selling newspapers, coffee, and tea when he was ten years old. Harper's father died when he was 13 years old, and he dropped out of school after the eighth grade to work in a factory in New York City, earning $7 per week ($ in current dollar terms).
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
. They convinced his mother to give permission for Harper to join the team. Harper made his MLB debut for the Senators on June 27, 1913, pitching three
innings
An innings is one of the divisions of a cricket match during which one team takes its turn to bat. Innings also means the period in which an individual player bats (acts as either striker or nonstriker). In cricket and rounders, "innings" is ...
as a
relief pitcher
In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
. He played in four games during the 1913 season, with a 3.55
earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) in
innings pitched
In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
.
Harper signed a contract with the Senators in 1914 that contained a clause barring him from pitching on Sundays. He had a 2–1
win–loss record Win–loss may refer to:
* Win–loss analytics, analysis of the reasons why a visitor to a website was or wasn't persuaded to engage in a desired action
* Win–loss record, also winning percentage
* Win–loss record (pitching), the number of ...
and a 3.47 ERA in 57 innings in 1914, but also committed three
errors
An error (from the Latin , meaning 'to wander'Oxford English Dictionary, s.v. “error (n.), Etymology,” September 2023, .) is an inaccurate or incorrect action, thought, or judgement.
In statistics, "error" refers to the difference between t ...
in 14
total chances
In baseball statistics, total chances (TC), also called ''chances offered'', represents the number of plays in which a defensive player has participated. It is the sum of putouts plus assists plus errors. ''Chances accepted'' refers to the total ...
. When the Senators needed to reduce their roster size by a mid-May deadline in 1915, they sent Harper to the
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...
of the
Class AA
Double-A (officially Class AA) is the second-highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946, below only Triple-A. There are currently 30 teams classified at the Double-A level, one for each team in Major League B ...
no-hitter
In baseball, a no-hitter or no-hit game is a game in which a team does not record a hit (baseball), hit through conventional methods. Major League Baseball (MLB) officially defines a no-hitter as a completed game in which a team that batted in ...
for Minneapolis in May, and had a 7–9 record with a 2.81 ERA in 154 innings, while issuing 127 walks. He returned to Washington in July. He had a 4–4 record and a 1.77 ERA in 19 games, 10 games started, for Washington in 1915.
Throughout his career, Harper was a bad-luck pitcher either due to injury or playing on a bad baseball team. He played for the Senators for seven seasons. His most productive season came in 1916 with Washington, when he posted career numbers in wins (14),
strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
s (149) and
innings pitched
In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
(), while recording a 2.45 ERA. Harper had a 11–12 record and a 3.01 ERA in 31 games, all starts. In 1918, Harper went 11–10 in 244 innings, His 2.18 ERA ranked him sixth between the
American League
The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
pitchers, while his 13
wild pitch
In baseball, a wild pitch (WP) is charged against a pitcher when his pitch is too high, too short, or too wide of home plate for the catcher to control with ordinary effort, thereby allowing a baserunner, or the batter (on an uncaught third st ...
es led the league. He had a 6–21 record with a 3.72 ERA for the Senators in 1919; his 21 losses led the league.
Later career
After the 1919 season, the Senators traded Harper,
Eddie Foster
Edward Cunningham Foster (February 13, 1887 – January 15, 1937) was an American professional baseball third baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1910 to 1923 for the New York Highlanders, Washington Senators, Boston Red Sox ...
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
for
Braggo Roth
Robert Frank Roth (August 28, 1892 – September 11, 1936), nicknamed Braggo, was an American professional baseball outfielder. He played in Major League Baseball over parts of eight seasons with the Chicago White Sox, Cleveland Indians, Ph ...
and Red Shannon. He had a 5–14 record with a 3.04 ERA for the Red Sox in 1920, which was seventh-best in the league. After the 1920 season, the Red Sox traded Harper,
Waite Hoyt
Waite Charles Hoyt (September 9, 1899 – August 25, 1984) was an American right-handed professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball for seven different teams during 1918–1938. He was one of the dominant pitchers of the 19 ...
,
Mike McNally
Michael Joseph McNally (September 13, 1893 – May 29, 1965), nicknamed "Minooka Mike", was an American professional baseball player, scout, manager and general manager. He played in Major League Baseball as an infielder and utility player from ...
, and
Wally Schang
Walter Henry Schang (August 22, 1889 – March 6, 1965) was an American professional baseball player and manager. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from to for the Philadelphia Athletics, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, St. Lou ...
to the
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
Muddy Ruel
Herold Dominic "Muddy" Ruel (February 20, 1896 – November 13, 1963) was an American professional baseball player, coach, manager and general manager. He played as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1915 to 1934 for the Washington Senat ...
,
Hank Thormahlen
Herbert Ehler Thormahlen aka ''Lefty'' (July 5, 1896 – February 6, 1955) was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees (1917–20), Boston Red Sox (1921) and Brooklyn Robins (1925). Listed at , 180& ...
, and
Sammy Vick
Samuel Bruce Vick (April 12, 1895 – August 17, 1986) was an American professional right fielder in Major League Baseball. He played for the New York Yankees from 1917 to 1920, and the Boston Red Sox in 1921. He stood , and weighed 163 lb. ...
. In his first start for the Yankees, on May 13, his thumb was broken by a
line drive
In the sports of baseball and softball, a batted ball is a pitch that has been contacted by the batter's bat. Batted balls are either fair or foul, and can be characterized as a fly ball, pop-up, line drive, or ground ball. In baseball, a fou ...
hit by Eddie Ainsmith. He did not return to the Yankees until August. He started six games for the Yankees in September, finishing the season with a 4–3 record and a 3.76 ERA. The Yankees won the American League pennant and Harper started Game 6 of the
1921 World Series
The 1921 World Series was the championship series in Major League Baseball for the 1921 season. The 18th edition of the World Series, it matched the National League champion New York Giants and the American League champion New York Yankees.
Th ...
, but did not earn a decision.
The Yankees did not use Harper in a game during the 1922 season due to an injury to his pitching hand, and he was released by the team in June 1922. He pitched for a semi-professional team in Hackensack after he was released. Harper signed with the
Brooklyn Robins
The Brooklyn Dodgers were a Major League Baseball team founded in 1883 as the Brooklyn Grays. In 1884, it became a member of the American Association as the Brooklyn Atlantics before joining the National League in 1890. They remained in Brookl ...
for the 1923 season. He pitched in one game for Brooklyn before he was released, and he returned to playing semi-professional baseball. In May 1924, he joined the
Reading Keystones
The Reading Fightin Phils (also called the Reading Fightins) are a Minor League Baseball team based in Reading, Pennsylvania, playing in the Northeast Division of the Eastern League. The team plays their home games at FirstEnergy Stadium. The Re ...
of the Class AA
International League
The International League (IL) is a Minor League Baseball league that operates in the United States. Along with the Pacific Coast League, it is one of two leagues playing at the Triple-A (baseball), Triple-A level, which is one grade below Major ...
. He continued to pitch and manage in semi-professional baseball for a team based in Hackensack.
In a 10-season career, Harper posted a 57–76 record with 623 strikeouts and a 2.87 ERA in 219 appearances, including 171 games started, 66
complete game
In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
s, 12
shutout
In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
With the salary that he drew from the Senators in 1913, Harper purchased a truck and opened a garbage collection business. His fiancé compelled him to sell the business before they married. Harper formed a trucking business in 1922, and requested a leave of absence from the Yankees to pursue it. The company expanded into construction, helped build the
Holland Tunnel
The Holland Tunnel is a vehicular tunnel under the Hudson River that connects Hudson Square and Lower Manhattan in New York City in the east to Jersey City, New Jersey, in the west. The tunnel is operated by the Port Authority of New York an ...
and moved pipe that was laid from the
Catskill Mountains
The Catskill Mountains, also known as the Catskills, are a physiographic province and subrange of the larger Appalachian Mountains, located in southeastern New York. As a cultural and geographic region, the Catskills are generally defined a ...
to New York City.
In 1925, Harper was elected president of the Hackensack chapter of the
Kiwanis
Kiwanis International ( ) is an international service club founded in 1915 in Detroit, Michigan. It is headquartered in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, and is found in more than 80 nations and geographic areas. In 1987, the organization ...
Club. He entered local politics in 1927 with a campaign for
sheriff
A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland, the , which is common ...
of
Bergen County
Bergen County is the List of counties in New Jersey, most populous County (United States), county in the U.S. state of New Jersey.Republican. He defeated Mort O'Connell, the
political boss
In the politics of the United States of America, a boss is a person who controls a faction or local branch of a political party. They do not necessarily hold public office themselves; most historical bosses did not, at least during the times of th ...
of the Bergen County Democratic Party by around 10,000 votes. He served a three-year term as sheriff, and ran in a
special election
A by-election, also known as a special election in the United States and the Philippines, or a bypoll in India, is an election used to fill an office that has become vacant between general elections.
A vacancy may arise as a result of an incumben ...
for the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...
in 1931, following the expulsion of Ralph W. Chandless. Harper won the Republican nomination by defeating County Judge John Zabriskie with 61% of the vote. Harper lost the general election to William H. J. Ely, a Bergen County District Judge, 52%–48%, during what was a difficult year for Republicans due to the unpopularity of President
Herbert Hoover
Herbert Clark Hoover (August 10, 1874 – October 20, 1964) was the 31st president of the United States, serving from 1929 to 1933. A wealthy mining engineer before his presidency, Hoover led the wartime Commission for Relief in Belgium and ...
's economic policies.
In 1934, Governor
Harold G. Hoffman
Harold Giles Hoffman (February 7, 1896 – June 4, 1954) was an American businessman and Republican Party politician who served as the 41st Governor of New Jersey from 1935 to 1938. His time in office was marked by controversy over his support ...
appointed Harper to serve on the
New Jersey Civil Service Commission
The New Jersey Civil Service Commission is an independent body within the New Jersey state government under the auspices of the Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The commission existed from 1908 to 1986, being reestablished in 20 ...
. He remained in that role for a decade, until Governor
Walter Evans Edge
Walter Evans Edge (November 20, 1873October 29, 1956) was an American diplomat and Republican politician who served as the 36th governor of New Jersey, from 1917 to 1919 and again from 1944 to 1947, during both World War I and World War II. Edge ...
appointed him Commissioner of Labor and Industry in 1944. Alfred E. Driscoll kept Harper in the position after he was elected governor in 1946.
In 1948, Harper ran for
United States Senate
The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...
seat occupied by Albert W. Hawkes, who was retiring, against Driscoll's wishes. Driscoll endorsed Harper's primary opponent, Robert C. Hendrickson, the New Jersey State Treasurer. Hendrickson won the primary by over 60,000 votes, though Harper carried Bergen County in a landslide. Harper resigned from the state cabinet in order to run in a special election in February 1950 for the
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...
for following the resignation of
J. Parnell Thomas
John Parnell Thomas (January 16, 1895 – November 19, 1970) was an American stockbroker and politician. He was elected to seven terms as a U.S. Representative from New Jersey as a Republican, serving from 1937 to 1950.
Thomas later served nin ...
New Jersey General Assembly
The New Jersey General Assembly is the lower house of the New Jersey Legislature.
Since the election of 1967 (1968 session), the Assembly has consisted of 80 members. Two members are elected from each of New Jersey's 40 legislative districts f ...
. Though Harper had the support of the Bergen County Republicans, he narrowly lost the primary election to Widnall, 50%–40%, a margin of 402 votes.
Personal life and family
Throughout his baseball career, Harper refused to play on Sundays; he held out from the Red Sox after his trade there in part to ensure that clause was added to his contract.
Harper became engaged to Bessie (née Brewster) of Hackensack, daughter of Sheriff George Brewster, in October 1917. They were married on February 26, 1918. They had a son,
George
George may refer to:
Names
* George (given name)
* George (surname)
People
* George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George
* George Papagheorghe, also known as Jorge / GEØRGE
* George, stage name of Gior ...
, and a daughter, Elizabeth. George represented Sussex County in the
New Jersey Senate
The New Jersey Senate is the upper house of the New Jersey Legislature by the Constitution of 1844, replacing the Legislative Council. There are 40 legislative districts, representing districts with an average population of 232,225 (2020 figure ...
and served as New Jersey Auditor from 1964 to 1974. Harry Harper's grandson, George Jr., became mayor of Sandyston.
Death
Later in life, Harper relocated to the Layton section of
Sandyston Township, New Jersey
Sandyston Township is a small rural Township (New Jersey), township in Sussex County, New Jersey, Sussex County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is located in the northwestern part of the state near the Pennsylvania border. The township is s ...
.
Harper had surgery at St. Vincent's Hospital in New York, and died in the hospital on April 23, 1963.