December 23, 2004

Philadelphia Daily News Obituary:

Wilmer Harris, Negro League star

By JULIE KNIPE

knipej@phillynews.com

TWO MONTHS ago, at the very sandlot where he used to play baseball some six decades ago, 80-year-old Wilmer Harris watched as they broke ground on a park to commemorate his old team, the Philadelphia Stars.

As one of only five surviving members of the old Negro Baseball League, Harris felt proud that he lived to see his forgotten teamates remembered as the baseball pioneers they were.

He said he hoped that the park, and a statue to be erected next spring, would help educate generations about a time before baseball integrated in 1947, a time when black stars played for the love of the game.

"I would love them to know the history of it," Harris said at the Oct. 18 ground-breaking for the park at Belmont and Parkside avenues.

Harris, the ace pitcher known as having a fearsome curve ball, died Thursday at Holy Redeemer Hospital. He was 80.

Born in Philadelphia, he attended Central High School for Boys, graduating in 1941. He was captain of the school's baseball and basketball teams, and also played for the Passon Stars in the Fairmount Park League, which won four straight championships.

He joined the Philadelphia Stars in 1945 and played his first game against Satchel Paige and the Kansas City Monarchs before 40,000 fans at Yankee Stadium. Later that year, he struck out a rookie named Jackie Robinson, who was pinch-hitting for the Monarchs.

In 1946, pitching against the Newark (N.J.) Eagles, Harris struck out in order, with the bases loaded, three of the Negro League's greatest hitters - Larry Doby, Monte Pearson and Monte Irvin - at Connie Mack Stadium.

In 1947, after the Major League season was over, he played for the Jackie Robinson All-Stars, composed of Robinson and other stars of the Negro League. He ended his career with the Stars in 1952, with a career total of 120 wins and 45 losses. He also played winter baseball in the late '40s and early '50s in Panama, Venezuela and Santo Domingo.

After retiring from baseball, he worked for SPS Technologies, in Jenkintown, for 37 years, retiring as a supervisor in 1989. He then worked for Allied Securities for 12 years.

Harris, who lived in Northeast Philadelphia, was a member of the Negro League's Baseball Players Association and the Seven Philadelphia Stars, considered the "Living Legends of Negro Baseball."

He is survived by his partner, Mary Ann Kennedy; a sister, Alberta Harris; daughters Michaila, Scherri, Denise Owens and Carolyn Carter; a son, Nicholas and a godson, Warren Parker, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Services: A memorial service will be held on a date to be announced

Philadelphia Tribune Obituary:

Negro league pitcher dies
Wilmer Harris took on greats like Satchell Paige
By Chris Murray
Tribune Staff Writer

As a pitcher for the Negro League’s Philadelphia Stars, Wilmer Harris took on some of baseball’s best pitchers – including the legendary Satchell Paige – at New York’s Yankee Stadium. 

Harris, one of the five living members of the Philadelphia Stars, passed away last Thursday of a massive stroke at Holy Redeemer Hospital. He was 80.

Harris, along with teammates Mahlon Duckett, Stanley Glenn, Harold Gould and William Cash was honored last September at a fundraiser for the Negro League Memorial Statue.

The monument, which will be located at Belmont and Parkside streets, where the Philadelphia Stars played their home games, is slated to be unveiled in April.

A native of Philadelphia and a graduate of Central High School, Harris played for the Stars and the Jackie Robinson All-Stars from 1945-1952. He also played winter baseball in South America and the Dominican Republic.

Harris’ teammates, players like Duckett and Glenn, said that he was a fierce competitor who had a good curve ball and was not afraid to take on any batter. In fact, Duckett said that Harris came out of high school in 1944 with a stellar reputation.

“Wilmer had one of the best curve balls I’ve ever seen in the Negro League and was a very outstanding ball player,” Duckett said. “We had heard a lot about him. He was a great baseball player and basketball player out of Central High School. He won a lot of ball games.”

Glenn said that Harris held his own in a confrontation he had against Paige and the Kansas City Monarchs during the 1940s at Yankee Stadium.

He said that Paige had a habit of taking himself out of the game after pitching three or four innings. But when Paige faced Harris, he stayed in the game longer than he had planned.

“Because Wilmer hadn’t given up any runs, Satchell said, ‘I’m not going out and I’m not going to give up any runs I am going to pitch longer,’” recalled Glenn. “Wilmer lost the game 3-2, but that wasn’t his fault we didn’t score any runs.”

In another confrontation against Paige at Yankee Stadium in 1945, he allowed just two hits and defeated the Monarchs 3-1. 

In 1946, in a game against the Newark Eagles, he struck out Hall-of-Famer Larry Doby, the first African-American player in the American League, Monte Pearson and Monte Irvin.

Harris also took on the great Josh Gibson and broke even. He struck out the legendary homerun hitter three times while giving up one homerun and two base-hits.

Both Glenn and Duckett said that more important than a great baseball player, Harris was an exemplary human being and was a great traveling companion. In fact, Duckett, Glenn and Harris traveled around the country to various card shows.

“Wilmer was a nice man,” Duckett said. “He called me on birthday last Monday and that was kind of a guy that he was. He was a lot of fun to be around.”

After his baseball career, Harris worked at SPS Technologies of Jenkintown for 37 years and retired as a supervisor. After his retirement, he worked for Allied Securities for 12 years.

He is survived by his partner, Mary Ann Kennedy, his former wife, Mrs. Ruth Harris, his sister Alberta Harris, four daughters, one son and one godson, several grandchildren and great grandchildren. Memorial services will be held on a date to be announced.