Harold O. Hair, Jr.
Nicknames: Buster, Rabbit
Career: 1953, 1958
Positions: 3b, ss, of
Teams: Birmingham Black Barons, Kansas City Monarchs
Born: May 29, 1932, Jacksonville, Florida
Baseball Career Highlights:
"Being invited to the 1953 East-West All Star game as a rookie was a very exciting time for me. Also in 1958, when I led the league in hitting with a .355 average."
Professional/Personal Accomplishments:
"I earned a B.S. degree at A&T State University in Greensboro, North Carolina. While attending A&T State, I played on four straight championship teams and was the team captain my senior year. In addition, I made the Dean's list with a 3.58 grade point average and earned a master's degree in Education at the University of Florida in Gainesville."
"I've worn many hats my entire professional career. I coached basketball, baseball and football for the Duval City School System. I was the first black basketball coach at William Raines High School. In 1969, I was Coach of the Year and won the city, county, district and regional championships. I coached several players who have played sports professionally - Kenneth Burroughs (Houston Oilers), Harold Carmichael (Philadelphia Eagles), Harold Hart (Oakland Raiders) and Leonard 'Truck' Robinson (New York Knicks/Phoenix Suns)."
"I was the first black construction superintendent for Dekalb County and the superintendent of Southern District Parks and Recreation. In Jacksonville, Florida, I was an athletic director at Stanton Senior High School, an assistant dean of boys and the head basketball coach at Samuel Wolfson Senior High School, and the assistant principal at Jean Ribault Junior High School. For the last seven years, I have been the senior pastor at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church."
Awards, Honors, Titles, Championships,
Schools, Colleges:
• A&T State University Athletic Scholarship
• Four A&T State Baseball Championships
• A&T State Baseball Team Captain
• "Coach of the Year" - 1969
• Duval County, (Florida) City, County, District, Regional
Championships
• Athletic Hall of Fame Inductee - 1996
Source: NLBM Legacy 2000 Players' Reunion Alumni Book, Kansas City Missouri: Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, Inc., 2000.
Harold Hair