Bill Harrelson

William “Wee Willy” Harrelson had an intriguing albeit short major-league baseball career. Harrelson was a rarity for a pitcher because he was a switch-hitter. He stood 6-foot-5 and was listed at 215 pounds during his playing career, which made him an imposing presence on the mound. He appeared in only 10 games in one season with the California Angels in 1968. In 1970 he was part of a trade in which none of the players who were involved ever played professional baseball again. Despite his brief career, Harrelson played in several memorable games against many future Hall of Famers.

William Charles Harrelson was born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, on November 17, 1945, to William Harrelson, Sr. and Margaret Harrelson. His father was an auto parts salesman, and his mother was a waitress. He is a full-blooded Cherokee. He attended Bakersfield (California) High School, where he wrestled and played football and baseball. Pitching in one game, he struck out 12 for the Drillers. Harrelson was a wrestling and football champion and was twice named to the All-Valley baseball team. Harrelson’s one ambition was “to become one of the greatest pitchers in baseball.”1 After high school he attended Bakersfield Junior College in 1963.

Before the 1964 season, Harrelson was signed by the Los Angeles Angels as an amateur free agent by scout Bert Niehoff. With the San Jose Bees of the Class-A California League, Harrelson appeared in seven games, starting three of them. His time with the Bees was short: After compiling an 0-2 record and a 15.00 ERA, he was sent to the Idaho Falls Angels of the Pioneer League (Rookie), where he got off to a much better start. In 15 games (10 starts), he pitched 66 innings, threw two complete games, and finished the season with a 4-5 record and an ERA of 5.59.

In 1965 Harrelson moved on to Davenport, Iowa, home of the Quad Cities Angels of the Class-A Midwest League. With 

Davenport, Harrelson pitched in 16 games, starting 12 while throwing two complete games, going 3-9 and recording an ERA of 4.99.

In 1966 Harrelson pitched for the Batavia Trojans of the Class-A New York-Pennsylvania League. Harrelson started 22 of his 24 games, hurling eight complete games, one a shutout. He finished the season with an 8-11 record and an ERA of 3.31. He finished second in the league in strikeouts (181).

Harrelson returned to San Jose in 1967. He started 10 of the 22 games he appeared in, throwing two complete games (one a shutout). He finished with a record of 7-4 and a better ERA of 2.48.

In 1968 Harrelson moved up to the Double-A El Paso Sun Kings of the Texas League. There he threw four complete games in seven starts. Harrelson finished his short stint with the Sun Kings with a 3-2 record and 3.60 ERA before moving up to the Seattle Angels of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League. There he pitched in 10 games (nine starts) and threw four complete games, two of them shutouts, and went 4-3 with a 4.17 ERA.

In June of 1968, Harrelson’s contract was purchased by the California Angels. The Angels had been an expansion team, purchased for $2.5 million in 1960 by Gene Autry.2 Autry was an ever-present figure at the ballpark, mingling with the crowd and watching the games. His Angels made the playoffs three times during his tenure and lost each time.3 

Some baseball records show Bill Harrelson’s first major-league appearance as occurring  in the nightcap of a doubleheader with the Boston Red Sox that had begun on June 13, 1968. However, Angels third baseman Paul Schaal was beaned in the left ear in the top of the fourth inning by Red Sox pitcher José Santiago, and was sent to Sancta Maria Hospital with a fractured skull. The Angels won that game 4-2. The Red Sox, led by Carl Yastrzemski, donned plastic batting helmets with ear flaps for game two. Spurred by the memory of Tony Conigliaro who was beaned by California Angels pitcher Jack Hamilton in 1967, Yastrzemski said, “It makes you realize you could be next.”4 

The Angels and Red Sox got in a half game in the second game of the doubleheader before the game was suspended in the bottom of the sixth inning because the Angels needed to make their 5:55 P.M. flight back to Los Angeles. The game was completed on August 4, 1968, when the Angels returned to Fenway Park.5 When the game resumed that day, the score was tied, 1-1.  

In his major-league debut, against the Oakland A’s on July 31, 1968, at Oakland, Harrelson faced off against future Hall of Famer Catfish Hunter. He scattered four singles over the first seven innings. Then in the eighth inning Harrelson walked Ted Kubiak and gave up a single to Sal Bando. With two on and two out, Harrelson gave up a three-run home run to Mike Hershberger that put the A’s ahead 3-0. Harrelson wound up pitching a complete-game six-hitter and losing, 4-1.6 

The suspended game on June 13, 1968 resumed on August 4 with the score tied, 1-1. Harrelson was brought on in the bottom of the sixth inning and pitched well until the bottom of the ninth. Mike Andrews singled to left field and then Joe Foy and Carl Yastrzemski walked to load the bases. Andy Messersmith replaced Bill Harrelson after he loaded the bases and began pitching to Ken Harrelson.7 Messersmith quickly ran up the count to 3-1 and Ken Harrelson blasted his next pitch into deep left field for the first grand slam of his career. “I was charged up,” the batter said. “I just wanted to hit the ball hard to the outfield.”8 His grand slam put the Red Sox up 5-1 to win the game. Bill Harrelson was given the loss making him winless in his first two appearances at 0-2.

The defeat made Bill Harrelson’s record 0-2. Under major-league rules, the game was “played” in its entirety on June 13. So, Harrelson’s first defeat officially came on June 13, and his defeat on July 31 put his record at 0-2.

Harrelson made his second start on August 9, 1968, against Baltimore Orioles hurler Dave McNally at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium. In the bottom of the third inning, a Frank Robinson single scored Don Buford to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Then with one man on base in the seventh inning, Buford took a Harrelson offering deep for a two-run homer. The Angels, plagued by poor run support and wildness, lost the game. To make matters worse, the pitchers in the game hit four different batters including Brooks Robinson.9 No matter the cause, the Angels lost 3-0 and Harrelson’s record sank to a dismal 0-3.10

Harrelson faced another challenge on August 16, 1968, when he dueled Washington Senators pitcher Joe Coleman. Harrelson gave up three hits in five innings and struck out seven. The Senators capitalized on shoddy Angels fielding to score four runs off Harrelson, all unearned.11

Rookie third baseman Winston Llenas made his second error in as many games during the fourth inning, giving the Senators a two-run lead. Errors by shortstop Jim Fregosi and catcher Tom Satriano in the fifth inning contributed two more unearned runs to the Senators’ lead. Harrelson did himself no favors, throwing wild pitches in the fourth and fifth innings as the Angels lost 4-2. Over the course of his first five games, Harrelson had pitched 22 innings and received one run of support. Speaking of Harrelson after the game, Angels manager Bill Rigney said, “We sure didn’t give that kid much support, at bat or in the field.”12 “I’ll have to admit this is shaking my confidence a little,” Harrelson said. “When I go out there, I feel like I can’t give up a run, earned or unearned.” Harrelson added that he was “due to get some runs.”13

The next game gave Harrelson everything he had asked for. On August 27 the Angels played the New York Yankees in a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium. In the first game the Yankees took the win, 2-0, behind clutch hitting from Mickey Mantle and Bobby Cox. In the nightcap, Harrelson pitched a no-hitter into the sixth inning before Joe Pepitone looped a one-out single to left field. Harrelson then walked Andy Kosco and Rocky Colavito. Then, out of the dugout came Mickey Mantle to pinch-hit to the delight of the 21,419 fans in attendance. As Mantle strolled to the plate, Angels shortstop Jim Fregosi walked to the pitcher’s mound to talk to Harrelson. “Do you know who that is?” Fregosi asked Harrelson. The Angels rookie hurler stood there silently. Fregosi continued, “That’s Mickey Mantle,” and Harrelson replied, “That’s who I thought it was.”14 Whether Harrelson recognized Mantle or not, Angels manager Rigney pulled Harrelson out of the game in favor of Andy Messersmith, who struck out Mantle. Even though Harrelson did not get to face Mantle, he got the first and only win of his major-league career.

Harrelson’s next appearance came against the Oakland Athletics on September 1 at Anaheim Stadium. Things got off to a bad start for the Angels starter, Clyde Wright, who threw a wild pitch in the top of the fifth to score Sal Bando and give the A’s a 1-0 lead. With one on and two out in the sixth inning Wright gave up a 489-foot home run to Reggie Jackson. Wright gave up a single to Danny Cater before allowing Sal Bando to smash a 400-foot home run to give the A’s a 5-0 lead. In the top of the eighth, Harrelson came into the game and got the first batter to fly out to center field and struck out Jackson. Angels catcher Tom Satriano threw out Cater trying to steal second base to end the inning. In the ninth, Harrelson retired the A’s on two fly outs and a groundout. The Angels scored two runs in the sixth inning, but that was all the offense they could muster, losing 5-2.15

On September 4 Harrelson started against the Cleveland Indians and Luis Tiant who was 18-9 at that point. Harrelson was in trouble from the beginning giving up four runs in 1⅓ innings before Clyde Wright replaced him. Wright fared no better. Tiant meanwhile pitched 5⅔ innings, and the Indians won, 9-5. Harrelson’s record dropped to 1-5.16

On September 10 at Anaheim Stadium, Harrelson faced a Detroit Tigers team primed to win the pennant and their ace Denny McLain, who was looking for his 29th win of the season. Harrelson entered the game in the top of the sixth inning and coaxed Don Wert into a fly out to center field for the first out of the inning. He struck out McLain looking but walked Dick McAuliffe and gave up a single to Mickey Stanley. With runners in scoring position, Harrelson retired Jim Northrup on a fly ball to left field to end the inning. Harrelson was removed for a pinch-hitter in the bottom of the inning as the Tigers won, 7-2.17

In the rubber match the next day, Harrelson had a repeat performance of game two. He entered the game in the second inning and allowed a run to score on a sacrifice fly. Then in the third inning, Harrelson gave up two solo home runs in a row before leaving the game in the third inning. The Angels lost, 8-2.18

Harrelson endured his sixth loss of the season in game one of a road doubleheader against the Minnesota Twins on September 18. Entering a 1-1 game in the bottom of the fourth inning, he gave up three runs on four walks, two singles and a run-scoring balk. The final score, 4-3, pushed his won-lost record to 1-6.19

After the season the Angels returned Harrelson to the minors. He began 1969 with the Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League, appearing in four games, starting two of them, and going 1-0. Then he moved on to the El Paso Sun Kings of the Double-A Texas League. For El Paso he pitched 94 innings and had two complete games (one a shutout), finishing with a 4-9 record and a 4.40 ERA. Harrelson married Jane Sisson on February 8, 1969.

On January 14, 1970, the Angels traded Harrelson and utilityman Daniel Loomer to the Cincinnati Reds for pitcher Jack Fisher. None of the men in the trade would play in majors again. Loomer toiled for five more years in the minors, last playing for the Double-A Arkansas Travelers of the Texas League in 1974. Fisher pitched eight games for the Rochester Red Wings of the Triple-A International League, where he threw five complete games and finished with a 4-4 record before being moved to the Tulsa Oilers of the Texas League, where he appeared in nine games. In that nine-game span he pitched a shutout and was credited with two saves. Fisher never saw the majors again.

Harrelson was also relegated to the minors for the remainder of his career. He appeared in 22 games for the Indianapolis Indians of the Triple-A American Association, where he went 3-8 with a 5.48 ERA. Over 22 games he pitched one complete game (a shutout) and recorded one save. He continued pitching for Indianapolis in 1971, appearing in nine games, starting three, and recording one save. Harrelson moved down to the Trois-Rivieres Aigles (Eagles) of the Double-A Eastern League. He appeared in 16 games (started eight) and finished with a 2-3 record while recording one save.

In 1972 Harrelson played for Charros de Jalisco of the Mexican League. He appeared in 18 games, 17 of which he started for the Charros. He finished the 1972 season with a 5-7 record and a 5.55 ERA. Harrelson finished the season with three complete games for the Charros. He retired from the game after the 1972 season.

As of 2025, Harrelson lived in Ada, Oklahoma. Despite repeated attempts to reach him, the author was unable to obtain any information about his life since 1972. We understand that he and his family prefer to remain private.

Sources

In addition to the sources cited in the Notes, the author consulted Baseball-Reference, Retrosheet, Baseball Almanac, Stats Crew, and the Bill Harrelson player file at the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Thanks to Anne R. Keene, who tried to help me track down Bill Harrelson. Thanks to Rachel Wells at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Bill Nowlin for tracking down newspaper articles for Harrelson’s first major-league appearance. Special thanks to Pat and Holly Scheller.

Written in memory of Greg Fowler.

Notes

1 “William J. Weiss Baseball Questionnaire,” June 22, 1964. Ancestry.com, https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/61599/records/94023, accessed June 18, 2024.

2 Myrna Oliver, “From the Archives: Cowboy Tycoon Gene Autry Dies,” Los Angeles Times, October 3, 1988. https://www.latimes.com/local/la-me-gene-autry-19981003-story.html, accessed June 18, 2024. Known as the Singing Cowboy, Autry is the only actor to have five stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the first actor to star in both movies and television series, and to have his number 26 (representing his symbolic standing as the 26th man on a 25-man roster) retired by the Angels as team owner. He is most famous for the songs “Back in the Saddle Again,” “Yellow Rose of Texas,” “Frosty the Snowman,” and “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer.”

3 Scott Martelle, “‘Win One for the Cowboy’ is Still a Battle Cry in Anaheim,” Los Angeles Times, October 10, 2002. https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-oct-10-me-autry10-story.html, accessed June 18, 2024.

At the time of Conigliaro’s beaning the batting helmet did not have the protective earpieces that are standard today.  Conigliaro was struck in the left cheek fracturing his cheekbone and severely damaging the retina in his left eye. He missed the entire 1968 season and was eventually traded by the Red Sox to the Angels in 1970. Conigliaro retired after the 1970 season and tried to make a comeback with the Red Sox in 1975. Despite being only 30 years old, his eyesight had deteriorated, and he played in only 21 games. Conigliaro retired for good after the 1975 season. Will McDonough, “Pitch Fractures Schaal’s Skull,” Boston Globe, June 14, 1968: 29.

5 Bob Sales, “Red Sox Lose, 4-2, Tie,” Boston Globe, June 14, 1968: 29.

6 “Angels Lose Two Games to Athletics,” Lodi (California) News Sentinel, August 1, 1968: 11.

7 Bill Harrelson has no known relation to Ken Harrelson.

8 Leigh Montville, “Hawk Slam in 9th Gives Sox Split,” Boston Globe, August 5, 1968: 21.

9 The Angels hit four different batters in the game including Don Buford (hit by Bill Harrelson), Mark Belanger (hit by Marty Pattin), Frank Robinson (hit by Marty Pattin), and Brooks Robinson (hit by Dennis Bennett).

10 “O’s Spank Angels, 3-0,” Eureka (California) Times Standard, August 10, 1968: 7.

11 Dave Distel, “‘Comedy of Errors’ Gives Nats Victory,” Santa Ana (California) Register, August 17, 1968: 13.

12 Fred Claire, “Angels Give Bats, Balls to Fans, Game to Nats,” Long Beach (California) Press-Telegram, August 17, 1968: 18.

13 Claire.

14 “McLain Bids for 26 Again,” Redwood City (California) Tribune, August 28, 1968: 9.

15 “Homers Win for A’s, 5-2,” Fremont (California) Argus, September 2, 1968: 9.

16 “Tribe Tees Off on Halo Hurlers as Tiant Gets 19th,” San Bernardino County Sun (San Bernardino, California), September 5, 1968: 48.

17 Dave Distel, “McLain Notches No. 29 With 7-2 Win Over Angels,” Santa Ana Register, September 11, 1968: 35.  The win was McLain’s 29th of the season.  It made him the first Tigers pitcher to accomplish that feat since Hal Newhouser won 29 games in 1944.

18 “Tigers Bomb Angels, Reduce Number to 8,” Oklahoma City Times, September 12, 1968: 33.

19 “Spencer Shocks Twins with Play,” Pomona (California) Progress Bulletin, September 19, 1968: 85.