Harry Bright | |||
---|---|---|---|
Bright in 1962.
|
|||
Utilityman | |||
Born: Kansas City, Missouri |
September 22, 1929|||
Died: March 13, 2000 Sacramento, California |
(aged 70)|||
|
|||
MLB debut | |||
August 7, 1958, for the Pittsburgh Pirates | |||
Last MLB appearance | |||
June 30, 1965, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
MLB statistics | |||
Batting average | .255 | ||
Home runs | 32 | ||
RBI | 126 | ||
Teams | |||
Career highlights and awards | |||
|
Harry James Bright (September 22, 1929 – March 13, 2000) was an American first baseman, third baseman, utilityman and scout in Major League Baseball, and a longtime player and manager in minor league baseball. Born in Kansas City, Missouri, Bright stood 6 feet (1.8 m) tall, weighed 190 pounds (86 kg), and threw and batted right-handed.
During his minor league playing career, Bright was known for his versatility in the field — he played every infield position, caught and played the outfield — his batting ability, and his frequent changes of address: in a 12-year stretch, 1947 through 1958, he played for 14 different minor league teams and at least four different MLB organizations. He led the Class C West Texas–New Mexico League in batting average in 1950 with a .413 mark. Two years later, as the 22-year-old playing manager of the Janesville Cubs of the Class D Wisconsin State League, Bright led the league in runs batted in with 101 — although Janesville finished seventh in the eight-team WSL.
Bright's best minor league season came when he was a 30-year-old veteran playing for the 1960 Salt Lake City Bees in the Pacific Coast League. He slugged 27 home runs, led the PCL with 119 RBI and batted .313. Bright was a fixture in the Pacific Coast League of the 1950s, having played three and a half seasons for the Sacramento Solons (1955–58). He became a resident of Sacramento, and later managed the Solons in 1975.