The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1929-01-03

TALLEST BASEBALL PITCHER
TO JOIN MINNEAPOLIS CLUB
Slim Harriss, Six Feet Six
Inches, Is Too Tall and Too
Frail to Make Good Pitcher:
Is Sent From Major Leagues
by Boston Red Sox.
BY BILLY EVANS

I 0llIn 06rrlSS, O0Se0all'S talleSt
twirler. has passed from the majo,
league picture. Recently he was sent
to the Minneapolis club Of the Amer.
lean Association by the Boston Red
Sox In trade involving the shiftine
OF several players.
Harriss, stretched out to the lin
1t, measured six feet six inches and
tipped the scales at 1876. He could
have carried SO pounds more and
wouldn't have been considered fat
1t Is the opinion that too much height
and too little weight were his great
est handicaps.
The passing Of Harriss to the
minors is another case Of q pitcher
who had all the stuff in the world
to make him an outstanding hurler
IN the majors but who never got be-
You'd the mediocre class. In 1925, his
best year, he won 10 while losing II
for the Philadelphia Athletics and
gave every evidence of having arrived.
However, that big year was but a
flash in the pan.
Was Exceptional Hurler
Few pitchers in the history of the
game had more speed and can re-
call no right handler who had faster
breaking curve ball. His great size
added to his deception, for the ball
would come at the batsman from
peculiar and unusual angle, since few
pitchers measure six feet six inches.
AS would be expected, Harriss was
anything but great fielder and op-
posing teams who could bunt, made
plenty Of trouble for the tall HEAVIER.
It Is no easy task to bend over ones
six feet six inches and handle q well
placed bunt while some speedy rum
ner is dashing madly for first base.
The only thing that saved Harriss
from being hunted out of the league
was the great stuff he possessed.
making it exceedingly difficult to
bunt his delivery.
Nine Years In Majors
Harriss came to the Athletics in
1920 and has spent nine years in the
majors. A few years ago he was
passed on to the Boston Red Sox by
Connie Mack. Due to the scarcity
of twirlers. as proved by the roster
Of several major league clubs. it was
q bit Of surprise that all Is clubs
waived on him.
Throughout Harriss' big league
career he has heard often mention OF
the woe that comes to one who kills
q black cat. I have no doubt but
that the constant repetition Of the
affair did get on "Slim's" nerves and
in a way affected his work.
Look out for that black cat"
Never kill black cat. Slim" Kill
ing black cat is worse than break
ing 100 looking glasses" That's the
black cat jinx."
He Killed Black Cat
These and many other such ex-
pressions would be repeated over and
over again by the opposition in any
game that Harriss worked. While
Slim" always smiled and gave no
outward evidence Of being bothered,
his pitching didn't always make it |
seem as If he wasn't bothered In |
wardly.
The story is that one winter down
Texas way, Harriss. amusing himself |
with q slingshot that he had asked
youngster to let him take, took q |
shot at a black cat that hailed in
sight and killed it. The news got out |
and Harriss was singled out by the
players as the pitcher with the black |
cat jinx on his trail.
Possibly ''Slim's" passing from the
majors can be blamed on the hoodoo |
that the killing Of the black cat cast
over his career. I