Transactions
Acquired: April 21, 1963 - Purchased from the Cincinnati Reds
Released: September 11, 1964 - Released by the Yankees
Highlights
July 20, 1963: Harry's two-run homer of Dick Donovan in the
bottom of the 7th proves to be the margin of victory for the Yankees over the
Indians in a 5-4 victory. Following a Johnny Blanchard single in the 4th
and a two-run homer by Joe Pepitone in the 6th, Bright's HR gave the Yankees and
Whitey Ford a 5-1 lead over the Tribe. It stayed that way until the 9th when
Ford allowed a one-out, two-run triple to Max Alvis (who homered off Ford
earlier for Cleveland's first run.) Ford was lifted for Hal Reniff who
gave up an RBI pinch-hit single to Fred Whitfield, followed by another single by
John Romano. However, Reniff managed to induce a 1-6-3 double play to end
the threat and the game as Ford improved to 15-3 on the season.
July 21, 1963: Harry bats fifth and goes 2-for-3 with 3 RBI including a home run as the Yankees best the Indians 5-2 in the first game of a double-header sweep in the Bronx.
The Yankees got to Tribe starter Jack Kralick right out of the gate as the first
three Yankee batters in the first (Tony Kubek, Bobby Richardson and Joe
Pepitone) loaded the bases on consecutive singles. Elston Howard followed
with a sac fly, plating Kubek, and a two-run single by Harry Bright (only one
was credited as an RBI as the second run scored on an error. Hector Lopez
followed with an infield single and Kralick was pulled in favor of Pedro Ramos,
who got a strike-em-out/throw-em-out double play courtesy of batter Phil Linz
and baserunner Lopez.)
Ramos and Jerry Walker held the Yankees at three runs until Bright reached
Walker for a two-run homer with two out in the eighth. Yankee starter Al
Downing shut out Cleveland until he was lifted in the 9th after walking the
first two batters of the frame. Hal Reniff relieved, striking out Tito
Francona, then allowing a single (Willie Kirkland) and a double (Max Alvis) to
plate two runs. Reniff recovered to retire Joe Adcock and pinch-hitter Fred
Whitfield to notch his 13th save on the season. Downing improved to 6-1.
Notes
Paul from Wading River reported that he saw a scorecard from a May 4th, 1963 game listing Harry as #29. He would later switch to #14. For the record, the Yankees won that game 3-2
in Minnesota. Stan Williams, going 8-2/3 of four hit ball, got the win over Jim
Kaat. Bright started at first base, batting fifth behind Mickey Mantle and went
0-for-3 with a strikeout. Bright was lifted for pinch hitter Joe Pepitone
in the top of the ninth. Pepitone fared no better, flying out to deep
center. Hal Reniff relieved Williams in the 9th with two out after an Earl
Battey two-out double closed the Minnesota deficit to 3-2. Reniff retired
future Yankee Bernie Allen on a grounder to second for the save.
