Tailwind Tommy

[Tailwind Tommy]

TOMMY HARPER

PILOTS BESTS: Most games played (148); most hits (126); most singles (105); most stolen bases (73); most strikeouts (90); most walks (95); most times stealing home (1); most double plays by third baseman (9); most errors by third baseman (10); most putouts by third baseman (70); most assists by third baseman (123).

HONORS: American League leader stolen bases 1969 (73).

YEAR POS. G AVG H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO
1969 2B, 3B 148 .235 126 10 2 9 41 73 95 90

[Tailwind Tommy]

Tailwind Tommy Flys On The Basepaths!

Tommy Harper singled to center field in the 9th inning, then stole his 60th and 61st bases (2nd base; 3rd base) off Cleveland's Ron Law on August 22, 1969. The Pilots lost 8-9.

Tommy Harper walked in the 6th inning, then stole his 62nd base (2nd base) off Baltimore's Tom Phoebus on August 26, 1969. The Pilots won 2-1. Tommy equaled the total by the Athletics’ Bert Campaneris in 1968. Tommy needed one more to exceed the highest American League figure in 49 years, set by the Senators’ Sam Rice in 1929.

[Tailwind Tommy]

Harper In Dugout

Tommy Harper in dugout. Game was on May 28th, 1969 against the Baltimore. The Orioles won 9-5. Harper stole his 27th base that day. Jim Gosger is looking on.

[Seattle1]

Thanks for this information. He must have been extremely speedy!

[Delahanty on the bridge]

GREAT images...from a part of MLB history not often remembered. Thanks!

[philliesfiend55]

Over 400 career steals plus a stolen base and run scoring championship or two. Harper was fairly solid at most other phases of the game as well. A speed guy who was a contributor but not a star. (He made one all-star team (1970) in 15 seasons.) Overshadowed on the Reds by by Pete Rose, with whom he reached the majors at the same time. Among the batters that baseball-reference.com lists as him being statistically similar to are: Paul Blair, Jimmy Piersall, Roy White, Billy Bruton, Lloyd Moseby and Jose Cardenal. Harper made his living wih his speed and glove (he played all oufield positions and occasionally at second or third) more so than his bat (.257 lifetime).