While fans connect the Homestead Grays with players like Josh Gibson and Buck Leonard, it was the combative, fiery player/manager Vic Harris that may have had the greatest impact on the organization. He was with them from the early days till the very end,
Elander Victor Harris was born 10 June 1905 in Pensacola, Florida. In 1914, the family moved to Pittsburgh and although Cum Posey wanted him to play for his Grays, Harris signed with the Cleveland Tate Stars in 1923. He played for Rube Foster’s American Giants and in 1925 shifted over to the Homestead Grays.
The Grays were an independent team and didn’t join the American Negro League in 1929. Harris was primarily a left fielder. A left handed spray hitter with some but not much power, and a weakness for high fast balls. He finished with a .299 average in the Negro Leagues. Three seasons he was voted MVP and a six time All Star. A good fielder he was a terror on the bath bases, blessed with speed and aggressiveness.
The Grays experienced some of their greatest success during this period and were blessed with a great collection of talent, Josh Gibson, Oscar Charleston, Smokey Joe Williams, to name a few. In 1934 he followed other players to Gus Greenlee’s Pittsburgh Crawfords. Greenlee was crime boss running lucrative number rackets and other operations. He even built his own stadium. A blessing in the Negro Leagues since they often had to pay large sums to brokers to play games at stadiums.
Harris returned to the Grays in 1935, and was their player-manager. While not considered a great tactician he was noted for getting the most out of his players.
In the book, “Beyond the Shadow of the Senators,” by Brad Snyder, there is a picture of Harris standing on the dugout steps at Griffith Stadium. He is in uniform with his players behind him. He has a stern unflinching look. His nickname was “Vicious Vic,” He is referred to as one of the “four big bad men of black baseball.” He was good with his hands and knew how to use them, and his will be covered in a following article.
He remained with the Grays until the league folded in 1948, with the exception of 1943-1944 when he was in essential defense work. He continued on in the Nero League for two more years.
Harris died on 22 February 1978, he was 73. He was survived by his wife Mrs. Dorothy Harris, his children and siblings.
