Greg Harris

Harris (not the ambidextrous pitcher of the same name) boasted one of the best curves in the league, and used it repeatedly. In 1989 he established himself as the number-two man out of the Padres’ bullpen, but he moved into the rotation in 1991, posting a 2.23 ERA and a 9-5 record in his twenty starts that season.

Harris continued to pitch solidly for San Diego until a contract dispute arose after the 1992 season. Harris wanted a four-year deal; the Padres offered two. Finally, he was shipped out in a five-man deal that sent him and Bruce Hurst to the pitching-starved Rockies for Brad Ausmus, Doug Bochtler, and Andy Ashby in July 1993.

It was a death sentence for a man who relied on his breaking ball for success. Unable to adjust to Colorado’s notoriously thin air, Harris finished the season with a 1-8 record and a 6.50 ERA in a Rockies uniform, and was booed mercilessly by fans at Mile-High Stadium down the stretch. It was no better the following year as Harris suffered through a 3-12 campaign, including an uncharacteristically high 6.65 ERA.

Disheartened, Harris signed with the Twins for the 1995 season. He went 0-5 in just seven appearances for Minnesota and was released in August.