#CardCorner: 1984 Topps Toby Harrah

For most of the latter half of the 1970s, a contingent of Yankee fans wanted the team to replace Dent with one man: Toby Harrah. Yankees owner George Steinbrenner shared that same dream, because every summer, newspapers in New York City and Westchester County reported rumors that the team was working on a deal for Harrah. At the time, Harrah was the starting shortstop for the Texas Rangers.

Some people regarded Toby Harrah as a subpar defensive shortstop, but some Yankees fans grew excited about the other side of Harrah’s game: His ability to hit. He reached the 20-home run mark three times with the Rangers, usually hit .260 or better, annually achieved double figures in stolen bases, and drew a ton of walks.

Harrah had come a long way in just a few seasons with the Rangers. When he had made his major league debut, the Rangers were still the Washington Senators, and Harrah was a scrawny 160-pound, light-hitting middle infielder. But by the middle of the 1970s, he had evolved into a strong 180-pounder who could more than hold his own against American League pitching.

Harrah represented a rare breed in 1970s baseball: An American League shortstop who could hit and hit with power. Keep in mind that Hall of Famer Robin Yount had not yet entered his prime, Alan Trammell wouldn’t arrive in Detroit until 1978 (and even then he was only 20), and Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr.s’ debut remained several years away. Most AL shortstops fell into the one-dimensional category of all-field and little-hit, including the likes of Mark “The Blade” Belanger, Dave Chalk, Frank Duffy, and Tom Veryzer. Compared to those light hitters, Harrah looked like an Adonis in the batter’s box.

Even though the Rangers moved Harrah from shortstop to third base in 1977, largely because of knocks against his range and reliability, Harrah seemed to have enough athletic ability to make the switch back. As long as Harrah could play shortstop reasonably well – you know, better than Bobby Murcer once did – Yankee fans were going to be satisfied. There existed a hope that Steinbrenner and the Yankees’ general manager at the time (Gabe Paul, followed by Al Rosen) would do whatever they could to get that deal done.

Harrah was also a likeable player. Ever since he had joined the Senators, he had forged a reputation as one of the game’s wholesome characters. He answered questions from reporters by addressing them as “sir.” He used words like “golly” and “gee,” in stark contrast to the usual profanity that flowed in major league clubhouses.

Harrah also brought a toughness to the playing field. He hardly ever took days off. “I was the type of player who would do anything to beat you,” Harrah once told the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “Hit behind the runner, steal a base, break up a double play, play every day. I wanted to win in the worst way.”

As good as this card is, Harrah’s career with the Yankees did not match it. He did not like playing in New York, nor did he play well. Harrah ended up splitting time with Smalley, hit all of one home run in pinstripes, slugged an inadequate .296, and batted only .217. Clearly not the player he once was, Harrah became trade bait after the season, as the Yankees dealt him to the Rangers for outfielder Billy Sample. Harrah would play better in Texas, well enough to become their starting second baseman, but that only made the situation more frustrating for Yankee fans.

In the meantime, the Yankees continued their search for a new shortstop, some of whom could hit, some of whom could field, and some who could do neither. Smalley (who had been a very good player with the Minnesota Twins) tried and failed, as did Andre Robertson, Bobby Meacham, Paul Zuvella, Wayne Tolleson, Rafael Santana, Alvaro Espinoza, Spike Owen, and even a fading Tony Fernandez.

The Yankees’ quagmire of shortstop mediocrity continued until 1995. That’s when Toby Harrah finally arrived. Not the actual Toby Harrah, but a newer, better version of Toby Harrah.

Like Harrah, he would receive criticism for his defensive struggles, but he would do wondrous things offensively. He would also spearhead the next Yankee dynasty, winning five world championships along the way.

Yes, Toby Harrah finally did arrive – in the form of a 21-year-old phenom named Derek Jeter.