#177 Lenny Harris

About the Front: I hope that Lenny Harris waited until he made contact to release the bat with his left hand. He's not Reggie Jackson, after all.

About the Back: I wonder if they give out trophies for the Eastern League's Best Defensive Third Baseman? Or maybe a nice gift certificate for Wendy's?

Triple Play:

1. Lenny holds a number of pinch hit records, including: most career pinch hits (212), most pinch hit at-bats in a season (83 in 2001), and most career pinch hit at-bats (804).

2. He spoiled Mark Gardner's no-hit bid on July 26, 1991 with a leadoff single in the tenth inning. Two batters later, he scored the winning run on a base hit by Darryl Strawberry.

3. Like many ex-players, Harris got into coaching, and spent two seasons as the batting instructor for the Nationals. In 2010, he was working for the Dodgers as a minor league instructor when he suffered a massive heart attack while throwing batting practice. He underwent a successful triple bypass and has had no further health problems since.

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: Before researching him for this blog entry, I couldn't have told you any more about Lenny Harris than I knew as a kid - that he was a pinch hit specialist.

Bill James Said: "He's an awfully good bench player - a lefthanded line drive hitter who can run and play third base or second."

On This Date in 1993: March 17. The Kurdistan Workers' Party, also known as the PKK, declares a unilateral ceasefire in Iraq.