Greg Harris (pitcher, born 1955)

Greg Allen Harris (born November 2, 1955 in Lynwood, California) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Montreal Expos, San Diego Padres, Texas Rangers, Philadelphia Phillies, Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees from 1981 to 1995. Harris pitched in 703 games in his career, starting 98. He pitched for the Padres in the 1984 World Series, which they lost to the Detroit Tigers in five games.

Harris is best known as the only pitcher in the modern era to pitch with either arm. A natural right-hander, by 1986 he could throw well enough left-handed that he felt he could pitch with either hand in a game, but the opportunity did not arise. Harris wasn't allowed to throw lefty in a regular-season game until September 28, 1995, the next-to-last game of his career, for the Expos. In the ninth inning, Harris retired Reggie Sanders pitching right-handed, then switched to his left hand for the next two hitters, Hal Morris and Ed Taubensee, who both batted lefty. Harris walked Morris but got Taubensee to ground out. He then went back to his right hand to retire Bret Boone to end the inning.

During his career, Harris was often known as Greg A. Harris to differentiate him from fellow pitcher Greg W. Harris, whose career he overlapped.

See also

• Pat Venditte, a minor-league pitcher who throws with both hands
• List of Major League Baseball all-time saves leaders

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube
• Box score from Harris' ambidextrous game, Sept. 28, 1995
• Story on Harris