Vic Harris (second baseman)

Infobox MLB retired
name=Vic Harris
position=Utility player


bats=Switch
throws=Right
birthdate=birth date and age|1950|3|27
city-state|Los Angeles|California
debutdate=July 21
debutyear=by|1972
debutteam=Texas Rangers
finaldate=October 5
finalyear=by|1980
finalteam=Milwaukee Brewers
stat1label=Batting average
stat1value=.217
stat2label=Home runs
stat2value=13
stat3label=Runs batted in
stat3value=121
teams=
*Texas Rangers (1972-73)
*Chicago Cubs (1974-75)
*St. Louis Cardinals (1976)
*San Francisco Giants (1977-78)
*Milwaukee Brewers (1980)
*Kintetsu Buffaloes (NPB) (1981-83)

Victor Lanier Harris is a former Major League Baseball player. He played all or part of eight seasons in the majors between by|1972 and by|1980. He also played three seasons in Japan for the Kintetsu Buffaloes from by|1981 until by|1983.

Harris was drafted in the first round of the secondary phase of the 1970 Major League Baseball Draft by the Oakland Athletics. In July 1972 he was traded to the Texas Rangers, and made his major league debut for them the following day. He spent the rest of the season as the Rangers' regular second baseman, replacing Lenny Randle. In 61 games, Harris batted an anemic .140.

The following season, by|1973, the Rangers moved Harris to center field, replacing Joe Lovitto. In his first, and what would prove to be only, season as a regular, Harris batted .249 with 8 home runs. That offseason, Harris was part of a trade that brought future Hall of Famer Ferguson Jenkins to the Rangers from the Chicago Cubs.

Harris started the by|1974 season back at second base, where he was the starter for most of the first half of the season. However, after hitting just .195 in 62 games, Harris was sent back to the minor leagues and replaced by Dave Rosello and Billy Grabarkewitz. Harris spent by|1975 on the Cubs' bench, being used mostly as a pinch hitter and batting .179. That winter, he was traded to the St. Louis Cardinals for infielder Mick Kelleher.

Harris spent the next three seasons with the Cardinals and then the San Francisco Giants, serving as a utilityman, playing all three outfield positions along with second base, third base, and shortstop. In by|1978, after hitting just .150, Harris was let go by the Giants. He was signed to a minor league contract by the Milwaukee Brewers. After a season back in the minors, Harris played in 34 games for the Brewers in 1980 to close out his major league career.

Harris became a free agent after the 1980 season, and for 1981 he signed with the Buffaloes. That season, he batted .268 with 22 home runs and 74 RBI, all of which would have been MLB career highs. The following season, while he batted .272, his power declined, and Harris totaled just 9 home runs and 35 RBI. After another decline the following season, with just a .198 average, Harris' career was done.

Harris wound up playing 579 games in the majors, and was a true utilityman. He played at least 27 games at six different positions, with the largest number, 212, coming at second base.

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