Harry Simpson

Born: 12/3/1925 in Atlanta, GA, USA

Died: 4/3/1979 in Akron, OH, USA

MLB Debut: 1951-04-21 | Final Game: 1959-09-27

Bats: L | Throws: R | Height: 6'1" | Weight: 180 lbs

Full name: Harry Leon Simpson

📊 Compare This Player 📈 View Career Timeline

Biography

Harry Simpson was an accomplished professional baseball player who made his mark in Major League Baseball from 1951 to 1959. Born in 1925, Simpson played as a position player over the course of his career, appearing in 888 games. He recorded a total of 752 hits, which included 73 home runs and 381 RBIs, while maintaining a batting average of .266. Known for his speed on the bases, he also contributed with 17 stolen bases. Simpson's standout performance earned him an All-Star selection during his career, highlighting his talent and impact on the field. Simpson played during a transformative era in baseball, marked by the integration of players and a shift in the game’s dynamics. His ability to combine power and speed allowed him to be a versatile asset for his team. Though he may not be as widely remembered as some of his contemporaries, his contributions to the game and his consistent performance established him as a significant player of his time. After retiring on September 27, 1959, Simpson left behind a legacy that reflected the evolving nature of baseball in the mid-20th century.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
467.0	432.0	77.0	127.0	13.0	3.0	8.0	42.0	33.0	1.0	5.0	0.294	0.345	0.394	0.739

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season	PA	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB	BA	OBP	SLG	OPS
1946	143.0	128.0	30.0	32.0	3.0	1.0	1.0	9.0	13.0	1.0	2.0	0.250	0.324	0.312	0.636
1947	127.0	122.0	13.0	36.0	1.0	1.0	1.0	10.0	5.0	0	2.0	0.295	0.323	0.344	0.667
1948	197.0	182.0	34.0	59.0	9.0	1.0	6.0	23.0	15.0	0	1.0	0.324	0.376	0.484	0.860

Career Batting Statistics

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	OBP	SLG	OPS	PIV
1012	3241	414	870	119	45	76	434	23	312	430	0.268	0.334	0.403	0.737	1498.2

Career AVG .268 vs. league average .259 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OBP .334 vs. league average .331 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career SLG .403 vs. league average .384 across their career seasons — near league average.

Career OPS 0.737 vs. league average 0.716 across their career seasons — near league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year	Team	Lg	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	SB	BB	SO	AVG	Lg AVG	Lg OBP	Lg SLG	Lg OPS	PIV
1946	PS	NN2	44	127	29	33	5	2	1	16	2	21	1	0.260	.256 (+1%)	.328 (+12%)	.358 (-1%)	.687 (+5%)	169.2
1947	PS	NN2	35	114	13	34	4	1	0	13	2	5	0	0.298	.262 (+14%)	.336 (-3%)	.376 (-7%)	.712 (-5%)	-110.3
1948	PS	NN2	45	171	29	51	9	1	2	24	2	15	0	0.298	.263 (+13%)	.340 (+4%)	.379 (+5%)	.719 (+5%)	126.3
1951	CLE	AL	122	332	51	76	7	0	7	24	6	45	48	0.229	.260 (-12%)	.336 (-4%)	.385 (-19%)	.721 (-12%)	-660.1
1952	CLE	AL	146	545	66	145	21	10	10	65	5	56	82	0.266	.252 (+5%)	.326 (+3%)	.369 (+7%)	.696 (+5%)	509.2
1953	CLE	AL	82	242	25	55	3	1	7	22	0	18	27	0.227	.264 (-14%)	.335 (-16%)	.397 (-16%)	.733 (-16%)	-727.7
1955	CLE	AL	3	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0.000	—	—	—	—	0.0
1955	KC1	AL	112	396	42	119	16	7	5	52	3	34	61	0.301	.258 (+16%)	.332 (+7%)	.393 (+5%)	.726 (+6%)	0.0
1956	KC1	AL	141	543	76	159	22	11	21	105	2	47	82	0.293	.258 (+13%)	.331 (+5%)	.397 (+23%)	.728 (+15%)	1469.2
1957	KC1	AL	50	179	24	53	9	6	6	24	0	12	28	0.296	.257 (+15%)	.323 (+4%)	.391 (+31%)	.715 (+19%)	506.1
1957	NYY	AL	75	224	27	56	7	3	7	39	1	19	36	0.250	.257 (-3%)	.323 (-5%)	.391 (+3%)	.715 (-1%)	506.1
1958	NYY	AL	24	51	1	11	2	1	0	6	0	6	12	0.216	.257 (-16%)	.324 (-4%)	.394 (-25%)	.719 (-16%)	-122.7
1958	KC1	AL	78	212	21	56	7	1	7	27	0	26	33	0.264	.257 (+2%)	.324 (+6%)	.394 (+3%)	.719 (+4%)	-122.7
1959	KC1	AL	8	14	1	4	0	0	1	2	0	2	4	0.286	—	—	—	—	0.0
1959	CHW	AL	38	75	5	14	5	1	2	13	0	4	14	0.187	.256 (-27%)	.323 (-30%)	.392 (-8%)	.715 (-18%)	0.0
1959	PIT	NL	9	15	3	4	2	0	0	2	0	0	2	0.267	—	—	—	—	0.0

Career Pitching Statistics

W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	HR	BB	SO	ERA	Pitcher PIV
0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0.3	2	1	0	0	0	27.00	0

Career ERA 27.00 vs. league average 3.97 across their career seasons — 579.8% worse than league average.

Season-by-Season Pitching

Year	Team	Lg	W	L	G	GS	CG	SHO	SV	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA	Lg ERA	Pitcher PIV
1947	PS	NN2	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0.3	2	1	0	0	27.00	—	0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
5	12	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	4	0.083

Playoff Batting by Year

Year	Round	Team	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	SO	AVG
1957	WS	NYA	5	12	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	4	0.083

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1B	211	123	1702	93	16	169
2B	8	8	23	14	5	3
3B	5	5	3	8	0	0
OF	685	389	1247	45	39	11
P	1	0	0	0	0	0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year	Team	Pos	G	GS	PO	A	E	DP
1946	PS	2B	1	1	2	0	0	0
1946	PS	3B	4	4	3	8	0	0
1946	PS	OF	34	31	36	2	4	0
1947	PS	2B	2	2	3	3	2	1
1947	PS	3B	1	1	0	0	0	0
1947	PS	OF	32	24	54	5	1	1
1947	PS	P	1	0	0	0	0	0
1948	PS	2B	5	5	18	11	3	2
1948	PS	OF	40	40	79	5	4	0
1951	CLE	1B	50	0	326	17	4	28
1951	CLE	OF	68	0	132	3	4	1
1952	CLE	1B	28	0	276	8	2	21
1952	CLE	OF	127	0	226	11	3	4
1953	CLE	1B	2	0	12	0	0	1
1953	CLE	OF	69	0	118	4	4	0
1955	KC1	1B	3	1	10	2	0	2
1955	KC1	OF	100	95	262	5	6	2
1956	KC1	1B	32	29	269	15	4	32
1956	KC1	OF	111	109	188	3	7	2
1957	KC1	1B	27	27	243	23	1	21
1957	KC1	OF	21	21	29	1	1	0
1957	NYA	1B	21	19	143	8	0	18
1957	NYA	OF	42	36	55	5	3	1
1958	NYA	OF	15	10	21	0	0	0
1958	KC1	1B	43	42	384	18	4	44
1958	KC1	OF	11	10	24	1	1	0
1959	KC1	1B	4	4	30	2	0	2
1959	CHA	1B	1	1	9	0	1	0
1959	CHA	OF	12	11	18	0	1	0
1959	PIT	OF	3	2	5	0	0	0