Mets Hall of Famer Bud Harrelson dies at 79 – MLB.com

Bud Harrelson dies at the age of 79

\n\n”, “providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “thumbnail_url”:null, “type”: “oembed”, “width”:550, “contentType “:”rich”},{“__typename”:”Markdown”,”content=”Harrelson's defense was a different story. He won a Gold Glove in 1971, finished his career with a .969 fielding percentage and remains the [Mets’ all-time leader in defensive WAR at 13.7](https://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/NYM/leaders_bat.shtml). In 1970, he played 54 consecutive errorless games, a record for a shortstop at the time.\n\n”Little Buddy Harrelson,” as he was affectionately known, remains one of the most popular players in Mets history. He ranks among New York's career leaders in a number of categories, including fourth in games played (1,322) and plate appearances (5,083), seventh in hits (1,029) and eighth in stolen bases (115). He was elected to the Mets Hall of Fame in 1986. He was an NL All-Star reserve in 1970 and a starter in 1971, and he received down-ballot MVP votes both years and in 1973. Despite all of that, there is no moment with which Harrelson can be more identified than the melee with the Rose's Reds in which he cleared the benches in Game 3 of the 1973 National League Championship Series – [perhaps the most famous fight in baseball history](https://www.mlb.com/news/craziest-baseball-fights-of-all-time-c271951836). After Cincinnati scored twice in a Game 2 shutout, Harrelson innocently joked – or so he thought – that the vaunted Big Red Machine “looked like me.” The Reds were furious.\n\nThe next day, in the fifth inning at Shea Stadium, with the Mets leading 9-2, Rose slid high and hard into second base, resulting in a 3-6-3 double play of the inning led. After Harrelson's throw back to John Milner, he first exchanged a few words with the almost 200-pound Rose. In an instant, Harrelson was knocked to the ground and pinned, both benches were emptied, more punches were thrown, bodies were dragged and grabbed. Incredibly, no one was injured or ejected.

New @SABRGames: @Mets' Bud Harrelson takes on Pete Rose in Game 3 of the 1973 NLCS: https://t.co/gEtuSYe5GK #SABR pic.twitter.com/bwzlsC5MbA

– SABR (@sabr) February 28, 2017

\n\n\n”,”providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “thumbnail_url”:null,”type”: “oembed”, “width”:550, “contentType”: “rich”}, {“__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: When play was about to resume, Mets fans were in a frothing frenzy, throwing objects at Rose in left field, led by Manager Sparky Anderson is ordered to take his team off the field. A group of Mets – manager Yogi Berra, Willie Mays, Tom Seaver and others – begged fans to stop.\n\n“As a little guy, I always wore a Superman T-shirt underneath my jersey,” Harrelson said. [according to his SABR biography](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/Bud-Harrelson/#_edn10). “When the reporters came by after the game, I put (an Rose came back the next day and silenced Shea by hitting the game-winning, series-tying home run in the 12th inning of Game 4. But the Seaver-led Mets won Game 5 and sent New York to their second World Series in five years.\n\nFor Mets fans of a certain age – several ages, actually – that contest remains a defining moment in franchise history. \n\n”I've had dads ask me about the fight,” Harrelson said [Fox Sports in 2013](https://www.foxsports.com/stories/mlb/bud-harrelson-remembers-nlcs-brawl-with-pete-rose). “Now her sons are asking me about the fight.”

“He’s one of the sweetest people I’ve ever met in the game.”

Ron Darling reacts to the news that Mets Hall of Famer Bud Harrelson has passed away 🧡 pic.twitter.com/KBLH5Bp9xl

– MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) January 11, 2024

\n\n\n”,”providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “thumbnail_url”:null,”type”: “oembed”, “width”:550, “contentType”: “rich”}, {“__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “Harrelson and Rose became teammates with the Phillies in 1979, and their paths crossed again years later.\n\n“In 1995 “, Pete and I did a card show together,” Harrelson wrote in his 2012 autobiography, “Turning Two: My Journey to the Top of the World and Back With the New York Mets,” “and I had him autograph a picture of the fight, which he did too. He wrote, “Thanks for making me famous,” and signed his name.”\n\n\\-\\-\\-\\-\\-\n\nDerrel McKinley “Bud” Harrelson became born June 6, 1944 – D-Day – in Niles, California, near Oakland and grew up in Hayward. He was called Bud, he wrote in his autobiography, because his older brother Dwane “called me Bubba because he couldn't say *brother*, and that evolved into Bud.” After attending San Francisco State University, Harrelson was accepted by the San Francisco State University signed the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1963, beginning a nearly three-decade association with the franchise. He debuted in the majors in late 1965 and became the Mets' starting shortstop in 1967.\n\nHarrelson missed part of the 1969 season because of a military obligation, but returned in time for the Amazin' Mets' historic run to the World Series in which they defeated the 109-win Orioles. After hitting two crucial extra-base hits in three games in the first NLCS game against the Braves, Harrelson didn't get many hits in the five-game loss to Baltimore, but secured the infield defense with an error-free series.” “type:text”},{“__typename:OEmbed”,html::”

Check out this classic photo of Bud Harrelson on the verge of the BP investigation in St. Petersburg, Florida in 1977. pic.twitter.com/TYJ9gos0LW

– New York Mets (@Mets) April 1, 2022

\n\n\n”,”providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “thumbnail_url”:null,”type”: “oembed”, “width”:550, “contentType”: “rich”},{“__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “Before the 1978 season, an aging Harrelson was traded to the Phillies. After two years in Philadelphia, he signed for one final season as a free agent with the Rangers, ending his 16-year playing career.\n\nIt wasn't long before Harrelson returned to the Mets in a variety of roles, becoming first base coach in the 1982 season and becoming first base coach in 1983 alongside Ralph Kiner and Tim McCarver SportsChannel broadcaster. Harrelson led the short-season Single-A Little Falls Mets to a New York-Penn League championship in 1984 and was promoted to captain of the Single-A Columbia Mets in 1985. At the start of the 1985 season, after Bobby Valentine After the Mets' third base coach left the Rangers, New York manager Davey Johnson called Harrelson up to the majors. The next year, Harrelson was again a World Champion and the only on-field connection to the 1969 title team. \n\nIn his autobiography, Harrelson jokingly recounted what happened at the end of the surreal Game 6 against the Red Sox, when Ray Knight scored on the fateful error by Bill Buckner: “I didn't just wave him home, I woke him up.” accompanied on his journey. If you watch the highlights of Knight scoring the winning run, you can see that I ran right with him. … I had to slow down because I hit Ray and I couldn't get to home plate or get there before him.” :”1986-10-25T23:05:00Z”,”preferredPlaybackScenarioURL({\” preferredPlaybacks\”:\”mp4AvcPlayback\”})”:”https://mlb-cuts-diamond.mlb.com/FORGE/2021 /2021-09/13/a57bca55-f5bb0203-10c23dda-csvm-diamondx64-asset_1280x720_59_4000K. mp4″,”type”:”video”,”description”:”After the game is tied, Mookie Wilson first hits a small roller stands behind Bill Buckner and the Mets win Game 6 of the 1986 World Series. roller-c1865240883″,”tags “:[{“__typename”:”GameTag”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-124434″,”title”:”Mookie Wilson”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:124434″},”type”:”player”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-121″,”title”:”New York Mets”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:121″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”classic”,”title”:”classic”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”must-c”,”title”:”Curtain Call”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”postseason”,”title”:”postseason”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”world-series”,”title”:”World Series”,”type”:”taxonomy”}],”thumbnail”:{“__typename”: “Thumbnail”, “templateUrl”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/private/{formatInstructions}/mlb/olzbqigqk1gpadggsrsv”},”title” : “Must C: Mookie's Little Roller”, “relativeSiteUrl”: “/video/must-c-mookie-s-little-roller-c1865240883”},{ “__typename”: “Markdown”, “content”: “Harrelson was was promoted to manager after Johnson was fired 42 games into the 1990 season. He led the Mets to an extraordinary 71-49 finish, but their 91-71 record was good enough for only second place in the NL East. After going 74-80 in 1991, Harrelson was fired with seven games left in the season and the New Yorkers finished in fifth place. Harrelson's baseball life wasn't over yet. He helped bring the sport to Long Island as part owner of the independent Long Island Ducks, beginning play in 2000. During the first year, he was their manager and senior vice president of baseball operations. The team won the independent Atlantic League title in 2004. He [remained one of the Ducks’ owners](https://liducks.com/ducks/staff/) at the time of his death.\n\nHarrelson was [diagnosed with Alzheimer’s disease](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRMIrjkO2rA) in the summer of 2016, but only went public in 2018. Meanwhile, his good friend Seaver was also suffering from degenerative cognitive problems (dementia, not Alzheimer's). ). It was a cruel coincidence for the two Northern Californians, who became lifelong friends after meeting in the minors in 1966 and were roommates on the road from 1968 until Seaver was traded in 1977. In 2017, Art Shamsky arranged a Trip of his fellow 1969 Mets to visit an ailing Seaver at his vineyard in Calistoga, California. Jerry Koosman, Ron Swoboda and Harrelson – still in the early stages of Alzheimer's disease – joined Shamsky.\n\n”We spent about eight hours with Tom, all just hanging out outside at his house,” [Shamsky told the New York Daily News in December 2022](https://www.swoknews.com/coronavirus/bud-harrelson-s-family-teammates-working-to-make-sure-nobody-forgets-about-beloved-former-met/article_718c62fa-c472-5a25-af54 -fd156fa08452.html). “And then we went to lunch and it was just a lovely time for about seven, eight hours just remembering how important this team was to us and how different our lives had been since that October day when we had the “I think it's great for Buddy to spend some time with Tom,” Shamsky said, and it turned out to be the last time Harrelson saw his dear friend. Seaver died in 2020.

The late great Tom Seaver on Bud Harrelson. #LGM #MetsRewind pic.twitter.com/kiCkNBaXid

– MetsRewind (@metsrewind) December 20, 2022

\n\n\n”,”providerName”: “Twitter”, “providerUrl”: “https://twitter.com”, “thumbnail_url”:null,”type”: “oembed”, “width”:550, “contentType”: “rich”}, {“__typename: “Markdown”, “content”: “Of Harrelson, Shamsky said: “He was a great player and an integral part of the 1969 Mets. And I think that a legacy for will always live on. It's one of the few teams in the history of baseball that people are still talking about 50 years later. And when you talk about this team, it's not just about certain guys, it's about everyone who is a part of this team and contributed to the championship. I think people remember his greatness as a shortstop and how well he played for the team…\n\n”He's also a great person and a great teammate.”” , “type”: “text”}]”relativeSiteUrl” :”/news/bud-harrelson-dies-at-79″,”contentType”:”news”,”subHeadline”:null,”summary”:”Bud Harrelson , the fierce 1969 Miracle Mets shortstop, third base coach of the 1986 World Series-winning team and later manager of the club who engaged in one of the wildest brawls in baseball history with Pete Rose, died Wednesday in East Northport, New York. He was 79.\nHarrelson”,”tagline({\”formatString\”:\”none\”})”:null,”tags”:[{“__typename”:”InternalTag”,”slug”:”storytype-article”,”title”:”Article”,”type”:”article”},{“__typename”:”TeamTag”,”slug”:”teamid-121″,”title”:”New York Mets”,”team”:{“__ref”:”Team:121″},”type”:”team”},{“__typename”:”ContributorTag”,”slug”:”len-hochberg”,”title”:”Len Hochberg”,”type”:”contributor”},{“__typename”:”TaxonomyTag”,”slug”:”apple-news”,”title”:”Apple News”,”type”:”taxonomy”},{“__typename”:”PersonTag”,”slug”:”playerid-115502″,”title”:”Bud Harrelson”,”person”:{“__ref”:”Person:115502″},”type”:”player”}]”type”: “story”, “thumbnail”: “https://img.mlbstatic.com/mlb-images/image/upload/{formatInstructions}/mlb/qrjxhtpi8kt1uea4dhxk”, “title”: “Bud Harrelson dies at 79 “}},”Person:115502”:{“__typename”:”Person”, “id”:115502},”Team:121″:{“__typename”:”Team”, “id”:121},” Team :113″:{“__typename”:”Team”,”id”:113},”Person:121454″:{“__typename”:”Person”,”id”:121454},”Person:124434″:{ ” __typename”: “Person”, “id”: 124434}}} window.adobeAnalytics = {“reportingSuiteId”: “mlbglobal08, mlbcom08”, “linkInternalFilters”: “mlb”} window.globalState = {“tracking_title”: “Major League Baseball”,”lang”:”en”} window.appId = '' /*–>*/