My Vintage Minneapolis Millers & St. Paul Saints Collection

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Spencer Harris - Minneapolis Millers (1928-37)

Baseball fans know well that Pete Rose is the major league "hit king", with 4,256 hits in 24 seasons. But how many baseball fans know the minor-league hit leader, Spencer Harris? Born in Duluth, MN, Spencer Harris accumulated 3,617 hits in 26 minor-league season from 1921 to 1948. The speedy leadoff man had a keen eye at the plate. In his prime from 1928 to 1937, Harris accumulated 1,792 hits and averaged .336 during his ten seasons with the Minneapolis Millers. Harris never hit under .300 and racked up more than 200 hits in a season four times. He still holds the all-time minor league record for at bats (11,377), Hits (3,617) runs scored (2,287) and ranks fourth all-time in RBI's (1,769). Harris played parts of four Major League seasons with the Chicago White Sox (1925-26), Washington Senators (1929), and Philadelphia Athletics (1930). He also had a long successful PCL career that expanded nine season with San Diego, Hollywood, Seattle and Portland.

Two for the price of one. The first bat is an early career circa 1925-28 H&B that was returned to Hillerich & Bradsby Factory and the second is circa 1933-35 H&B that is attributed to two home runs during the 1935 season while playing with the Millers. There are two vintage hand written statements on the bat. Below the center brand reads, "Harris broke this bat on his third trip to the plate". The other statement is just below the engraved signature and reads, "Spencer Harris hit two home runs with this bat on April 27, 1935. The home runs were made on Spencer's first two appearances at the plate." There is an additional sentence that is no longer legible. Based on the standing, statistics, and game results research compiled by Minnesota Baseball Historian Stew Thornley - the Minneapolis Millers were defeated by the St. Paul Saints 14-2: LP-Morrow. Spencer Harris hits 2 home runs.