Bud Harrelson, the shortstop of the Mets' first two World Series teams and later the club's manager for parts of two seasons, died Wednesday at a hospice home in East Northport on Long Island. Harrelson, 79, was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease in 2016.
Harrelson was a good fielder who didn't get hits. He spent 15 years in the major leagues and was the starting shortstop on both the 1969 World Series Miracle Mets team, which defeated the Baltimore Orioles in October, and the 1973 National League pennant winner, which lost that year and won that year's World Series in seven games against the Oakland Athletics.
The Mets announced his death in a new press release Thursday morning.
“We were saddened to learn of the passing of Mets Hall of Famer Buddy Harrelson,” Mets owners Steve and Alex Cohen said in the press release. “He was a veteran defender and spark plug for the 1969 Miracle Mets. The Gold Glove shortstop played 13 years in Queens and appeared in more short games than anyone in team history. Buddy was the third base coach at the 1986 World Championships, making him the only person to wear uniform on both World Series-winning teams. We extend our deepest condolences to his entire family.”
Since 2000, Harrelson was a member of the independent league Long Island Ducks. He was their first manager, a member of their coaching staff and, at the time of his death, vice president and partner.
“Best thing I ever did in baseball,” he said many times.
Bud Harrelson, the Mircale Mets shortstop who won the 1969 World Series, has died at age 79. AP Bud Harrelson, a two-time All-Star, played 13 seasons for the Mets from 1965 to 1977. AP Mets infielders Roy Staiger #2, Bud Harrelson #3 and Felix Millan #17 gather for a group photo at Shea Stadium during the 1976 season. Focus on Sports via Getty Images
“Bud’s impact on Long Island will be felt in Ducks baseball for as long as we play,” Ducks owner and CEO Frank Boulton said in a news release Thursday. “He was my partner in bringing professional baseball to Long Island after his outstanding playing career in the MLB, and he made an impact on so many people through his donations, demeanor and kindness. He was a unique person and we miss him very much.”
As third base coach on the Mets' 1986 World Championship team – that's him who followed Ray Knight down the line when Knight scored the unlikely winning run in the 10th inning of Game 6 – Harrelson replaced the fired Davey Johnson as manager in 1990 coached the team until he was also fired at the end of the 1991 season. When he was fired in the final week of that season, he had an overall record of 145-129 as Mets manager.
“Words cannot describe this and I am so sad to hear of #BudHarrelson's passing,” Art Shamsky, Harrelson's Mets teammate from 1968 to 1971, wrote on social media. “A great teammate and friend and a huge part of the Miracle in 1969. His battle with Alzheimer's is so inspiring. A true icon in #NYMets history. Prayers to his family and loved ones. RIP buddy!”
Recap: Mets legend Buddy Harrelson spoke about his battle with Alzheimer's
Buddy Harrelson waited anxiously in the offices of Dr. Max Rudansky, a Huntington-based neurologist who asked the Mets legend about the list of troubling symptoms.
It was the summer of 2016, and words seemed to disappear from Harrelson's vocabulary. He had difficulty finishing sentences and completing thoughts and often lost his place in a conversation. These were not new concerns: In 2013, the family had taken Harrelson to a different doctor, who attributed the decline to natural aging, stress and possibly depression.
But the red flags kept popping up. Harrelson began to get lost on familiar routes. His ex-wife, Kim, was a car length behind him as Harrelson sped past a turn he'd made a million times in his Hauppauge neighborhood. He then overcorrected traffic by making a sharp left turn from the far right lane, nearly causing an accident.
Bud Harrelson at his home on Long Island. Charles Wenzelberg/NY Post
Rudansky listened as Kim described the harrowing experience before Harrelson admitted this wasn't the first time he'd lost his bearings. In October 2015, Harrelson drove to his apartment in Venice, Florida, which he visited after every baseball season. It was an annual trek – he knew the streets by heart.
Except this time.
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It wasn't until 2018, two years after his diagnosis, that Harrelson made his struggle public. But once he did, he became actively involved in the fight against Alzheimer's, raising money and awareness.
“I didn’t know what it was,” he said in 2018. “Now I do.”
Of course, Harrelson has never shied away from a fight. Harrelson was a determined competitor despite his size (5'6″, 170 lbs). He is probably best remembered for his fight with Pete Rose in Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS, when Harrelson disrupted a hard slide into second base by the Cincinnati left fielder. Their skirmish in the swirling infield dirt of Shea Stadium resulted in a bench-clearing brawl.
The Reds' Pete Rose (l) hits Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson (r) during Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS. RELATED PRESS
“I stopped by Cincinnati for a bit after that [Game 2]Harrelson said. “I made a stupid statement, the Reds looked like I had beaten. I didn't think it was that bad. I belittled myself a little, but I also belittled her. Then I heard they were coming after me. … Then I figured that was it, and when he hit me after I had already thrown the ball, I got angry. And we had a little match. He just picked me up and laid me down to sleep, and then it was all over.”
Harrelson was traded to the Phillies in 1978. Rose joined the team as a free agent the following season and the two became friends.
“I love this guy,” Harrelson told The Post in 2018. “He could beat you in a lot of ways, a really smart player, one of the best in the game.” He signed a picture [of the fight] and wrote: “Thanks buddy. “You made me famous.” ”
Bud Harrelson was the Mets' manager in 1990 and 1991. Getty Images Bud Harrelson as Mets manager in 1991. New York Post Bud Harrelson, 23, was the third base coach for the 1986 World Series champion Mets. Getty Images
Derrel McKinley Harrelson was born on D-Day, June 6, 1944, in Niles, California, and grew up in nearby Hayward. He was given the nickname Bud when his older brother Dwayne couldn't pronounce Derrel and started calling him Brother, which evolved into Bud. It's stuck.
Despite weighing 97 pounds, Harrelson was a star in three sports: football, basketball and baseball. With little interest from major league teams, he attended San Francisco State University on a basketball scholarship, but only played baseball. He batted .430 in 30 games.
“We played a top-notch schedule against schools like Stanford, and soon the pro scouts were putting pressure on me,” Harrelson said nearly 50 years later. “I decided it was time to take advantage and give professional baseball a shot.”
Bud Harrelson (r) during a ceremony honoring the Mets' 1969 World Series team in 2019. Paul J. Bereswill for the NY Post
While the Yankees offered him the most money, the Cubs and Cardinals also showed interest. But the Mets were 40-120 in their first season and Harrelson, no fool, sensed a great opportunity for promotion. The day after Harrelson turned 19, he signed with the Mets for just over $10,000.
After a few minor league seasons, he made his Mets debut in September 1965, but started the following year at Triple-A Jacksonville, where he met Tom Seaver. The two Northern Californians – Seaver was from Fresno – lived with the Mets from 1968 until Seaver was transferred in 1977.
“We were perfect roommates,” Harrelson wrote in his book “Turning Two.” “Tom read everything and I did all the talking.”
Bud Harrelson married Kim Battaglia in 1976. New York Post Bud Harrelson played guitar in 1974. New York Post
Seaver died in August 2020 while battling dementia.
A lifetime .236 hitter, Harrelson made two All-Star teams (1970 and 1971). He was the starting shortstop in that 1971 game, when his NL teammates included Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Roberto Clemente, Willie McCovey, Johnny Bench and Willie Stargell, all Hall of Famers.
“Before the game, I went out and punted and took ground balls at shortstop, but I didn’t take any batting practice,” Harrelson wrote. “With all these hitters firing bombs, I figured no one would come by to see me lay down three bunts and hit a couple of loopers out of the opposing field.”
After spending two seasons with the Phillies following his move from the Mets, Harrelson ended his playing career with the Texas Rangers in 1980. He served in the Mets organization before joining Johnson's major league team midway through the 1985 season after Bobby Valentine left him to become manager of the Rangers.
Harrelson is survived by his ex-wife Kim Battaglia, who remained his primary caregiver, his children Kimberly, Jessica, Timothy, Alexandra, Kassandra, Troy Joseph and his grandchildren.