Page 252 - 1975 BoSox

’75—THE RED SOX TEAM THAT SAVED BASEBALL 245
Harrelson started to show promise in 1961, where he hit 25 home runs, with 114 RBIs, and had a .301 average in 135 games. e next year, Harrelson exploded; in a magni cent season with Binghamton, he set Eastern League records with 38 homers and 138 RBIs. In 1963, Harrelson continued to improve, and his solid play with Portland of the Paci c Coast League, did not go unnoticed, as the Athletics promoted Harrelson to the majors, where he began to discover his more color- ful side. In ‘64, Harrelson played only 49 games with the Athletics, who nished in tenth place. In 1965, the Hawk played 150 games and slug 23 homers—though the Athletics still nished in tenth again anyway.
Harrelson was a shrewd businessman and colorful hustler who always understood the value of a dollar, and, before long, he began to realize that the “Hawk” character was a persona that could make him lots of money. Harrelson was right, and as the out elder began to hit home runs and grow more popular,“ e Hawk” began to surface more often, and, almost over- night, his ashy alter-ego made Harrelson a fan fa- vorite throughout the American League. After the 1964 season, Harrelson decided to play winter baseball in Venezuela, and it was there that he really discovered “ e Hawk” personality.5 “ e Hawk was a character,” says Harrelson’s former Venezuela winter ball team- mate Billy Bryan,“he was a hell of a pool shooter and arm-wrestler, and a fun roommate besides.”6
Harrelson also learned some lessons about relating to fans during his early years in Kansas City. One day, after a tough day at the plate, Harrelson, who was in a hurry to get to a party, rebu ed a bunch of kids requesting his autograph. While he was shoving his way through the overeager youngsters, he felt a rm hand on the back of his neck, pulling him back towards the clubhouse. Harrelson, by now incensed and ready to ght, turned towards the person who the hand belonged to, but felt his anger melt away when he found himself face to face with his mother’s favorite player and his own childhood hero, baseball legend Rocky Colavito. Colavito pulled Harrelson aside, and let him have it, telling the rookie on no uncertain turns that he should always take the time to sign
autographs for the people who paid his salary. Harrelson never forgot the lesson, and from that point on would treat the fans with respect and courtesy.7
ough “ e Hawk” would soon make a name for himself on the baseball eld, what really would put him on the radar in professional baseball was his prowess on the golf course. In 1964, just a year after his major-league debut, Harrelson played in his rst golf tournament for major leaguers. After he earned second place behind Albie Pearson, one of baseball’s best golfers, many players, managers, and owners began to take notice of the sweet-swinging out elder.8 Gol ng, besides being e Hawk’s passion, would become part of his legacy — the popularization of the batting glove. One day in 1963 after two long rounds of gol ng with Athletics teammates Ted Bows eld, Sammy Esposito and Gino Cimoli, Harrelson devel- oped painful blisters on his hands.9 Arriving at the ballpark for that night’s game, he found it would be easier to grip a bat if he wore the gloves he had used earlier that day to golf. When e Hawk stepped to the plate in the rst inning against the New York Yankees, his teammates sco ed, but after Harrelson had a great night at the plate, both the Athletics and the Yankees showed up at the ballpark the next day wearing golf gloves. And thus, the batting glove was born.10
Growing up with little money, Harrelson could always sense when there was something to be earned. Raised in a rough-and-tumble area of Savannah, Harrelson chose his battles carefully and cautiously measured his actions. Despite his portrayal as an impulsive individual, the skinny baseball player learned how to maneuver his way out of unavoidable tight spots, using perceptive street smarts, the power of persuasion, and his extensive network of contacts and friends. Harrelson’s autobiographical tome, Hawk, written with Al Hirshberg in 1969, describes the adventures of “ e Hawk” in great detail. From pool hustling to gol ng for money, dozens of anecdotes depicting shrewd play and smooth operating are contained in the book’s 244 pages, and the stories, which start to pick up speed around 1964, show us the reluctant, slow