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Derrel McKinley Harrelson
New York Mets
Shortstop
Born: June 6, 1944, Niles, CA
Signed: Signed by the New York Mets as an amateur free agent, June 7, 1963
Major League Teams: New York Mets 1965-77; Philadelphia Phillies 1978-79; Texas Rangers 1980
World Series Appearances: New York Mets 1969, 1973
As a Manager: New York Mets 1990-91
Died: January 10, 2024, East Northport, NY (age 79)
Mets legend Bud Harrelson is the only person to have played a part in both Mets' World Series titles - in 1969 as their starting shortstop, and in 1986 as a coach. Harrelson played in 16 big league seasons, 13 of those seasons with the Mets. He was their everyday shortstop for most of the 1970s, and was selected to be an All-Star in 1970 and 1971. Harrelson's career year came in 1971 when he won a Gold Glove while batting .252 with 16 doubles and 28 stolen bases. He famously invoked the ire of the Reds' Pete Rose (#120) during the 1973 NLCS, when Harrelson compared the Big Red Machine's hitting prowess to his own. Rose took exception and his hard slide into Harrelson during Game 3 sparked a bench-clearing brawl. Harrelson and Rose would become teammates in 1979 with the Phillies, burying the hatchet. Harrelson wrapped up his lengthy career with a stint with the Rangers in 1980 as a back-up infielder. In 1,533 career games, he batted .234 with 123 doubles, six home runs, 242 RBIs and 115 stolen bases.
As a Manager: New York Mets 1990-91
Died: January 10, 2024, East Northport, NY (age 79)
Mets legend Bud Harrelson is the only person to have played a part in both Mets' World Series titles - in 1969 as their starting shortstop, and in 1986 as a coach. Harrelson played in 16 big league seasons, 13 of those seasons with the Mets. He was their everyday shortstop for most of the 1970s, and was selected to be an All-Star in 1970 and 1971. Harrelson's career year came in 1971 when he won a Gold Glove while batting .252 with 16 doubles and 28 stolen bases. He famously invoked the ire of the Reds' Pete Rose (#120) during the 1973 NLCS, when Harrelson compared the Big Red Machine's hitting prowess to his own. Rose took exception and his hard slide into Harrelson during Game 3 sparked a bench-clearing brawl. Harrelson and Rose would become teammates in 1979 with the Phillies, burying the hatchet. Harrelson wrapped up his lengthy career with a stint with the Rangers in 1980 as a back-up infielder. In 1,533 career games, he batted .234 with 123 doubles, six home runs, 242 RBIs and 115 stolen bases.
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| From the 1978 Phillies Yearbook |
Building the Set / Card #632
September 21, 2025 from The Philly Show (Niagara Sports Cards)
On Sunday morning, September 21st, I made the hour-long drive to the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pennsylvania for the latest installment of the Philadelphia Sports Card & Memorabilia Show, known to its friends as The Philly Show. The show has a legitimate official sponsor (eBay) and the advertisement for the event notes the show is in its 50th year. I hadn't attended a baseball card show since the last Philly Show in December, and I was flying solo to this one as our oldest son is in his first month of college at Villanova. I posted a full summary of the show over at The Phillies Room.
I made stops at six tables at the show, all yielding needed cards for our 1969 Topps set, and I left the show with just 16 more cards to go for my version of a complete set. My third stop was a smaller table with the impossible to pass up offer of 1969 Topps commons that were only $1, unless marked. The binder was right at the end of the table, making it an even easier sell. The prices on some of the cards were stunningly low, so I was even more surprised when the dealer, Niagara Sports Cards, gave me an even deeper discount upon tallying up my total.
I found 12 cards needed from Niagara Sports Cards, and this was the tenth of those 12, and the 73rd of 91 cards for the set added overall on the day. I paid less than a dollar for it after the bulk dealer discount was applied.
The Card / Mets Team Set / Accuracy Index +5
The write-up on the back of the card using the adjectives "hustling" and "flashy" to describe Harrelson. He apparently taught himself how to switch-hit in 1966 while at Triple-A Jacksonville. That's pretty impressive to learn how to switch-hit at the age of 22!
Accuracy Index: Harrelson's card holds steady with a +5.
1969 Season
From his SABR biography, written by Eric Aron:
Harrelson arrived in St. Petersburg in 1969 having spent the winter lifting weights and quitting smoking. He came in weighing 165 pounds and ceded the lightest-Met prize to 157-pound Amos Otis (#31). Gil Hodges (#564) favored platoons for his club at the corners in the outfield and infield, plus second base. Catcher, center field, and shortstop were too important to Hodges to tinker with, even though Jerry Grote (#55) was no great shakes with the bat and Tommie Agee (#364) in center had a lower 1968 batting average than Harrelson (.217).
Harrelson was sorely missed when he had to serve his military obligation starting in July. Al Weis (#269) filled in at shortstop and - true to form for the Mets that year - hit both of his home runs for the season in a huge series at Wrigley Field. Harrelson started just one game in a five-week span because of his obligation, and his batting average, which had surpassed .290 at the beginning of June, got over .250 only a couple of times the rest of the season; he finished at .248. His .341 on-base percentage was crucial since he usually batted second against right-handers and slid down to eighth against southpaws. But on a team with the pitching the '69 Mets had, his glove was more important than what he generated with his bat. Harrelson committed just 19 errors in 119 games at shortstop; his best remembered play of that season was grabbing Joe Torre's (#460) grounder and starting the double play that clinched the first Eastern Division title in National League history and set off a riot at Shea Stadium on September 24. Harrelson’s game-winning single the night before against Bob Gibson (#200) had set the party in motion by assuring the Mets of at least a tie for the division title.
Harrelson was practically flawless in the field in the miraculous postseason. His only error in 44 chances came with one out and no one on in the seventh inning of New York's 11-6 win over the Braves in Game Two of the National League Championship Series. Though he was only 2-for-11 in the NLCS, he drove in three runs and both his hits went for extra bases - giving Harrelson, who would have a lifetime .288 slugging percentage, a stunning .455 slugging mark in the Mets' three-game sweep. He batted .176 in the World Series against the Orioles, but he had three singles and three walks to give him a .300 on-base percentage.
With Tim Foli handed the Mets' shortstop job for the 1978 season, Harrelson was dealt to the Phillies on March 24, 1978, towards the end of spring training, for Fred Andrews and cash. He was reunited with his former teammate Tug McGraw (#601), and expected to fill in behind a solid infield of Ted Sizemore (#552) at second base and Larry Bowa at shortstop. Harrelson played in 71 games in 1978, hitting .214 and making 22 starts all season. Manny Trillo took over for Sizemore at second in 1979, and Harrelson appeared in only 53 games. He did bat .282 and have an OBP of .395, both high marks for his career, but he made one less start than the year before with 21. He was released following spring training in 1980, with the team opting to go with Luis Aguayo and Ramon Aviles as their back-up infielders. In 124 total games with the Phillies, Harrelson batted .241 with seven doubles and 16 RBIs.
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First Mainstream Card: 1967 Topps #306
Topps Flagship Set Appearances (17): 1967-81, 1990-91
Most Recent Mainstream Card: 2021 Topps x ESPN 30-for-30: "Once Upon a Time in Queens" #33
Total Non-Parallel Baseball Cards: 152 in the Beckett online database as of 2/10/26.
Sources:
Baseball Reference / SABR / Wikipedia
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