Hooper, Harry
NationalityAmerican
BiographyInducted to the Hall of Fame in: 1971Primary team: Boston Red Sox
Primary position: Right Fielder
"The best outfield trio I ever saw? That's easy. Speaker, Lewis and Hooper – and the greatest of those was Hooper." – Red Sox manager Bill Carrigan
Harry Hooper arrived in Boston for his first full season in 1910, joining Tris Speaker and Duffy Lewis in the outfield for a six-year run. The trio was dubbed the "Million-Dollar Outfield" and won two World Series together. Hooper added two more after Speaker and then Lewis left.
While Speaker was clearly the outfield's headliner, Hooper proved to be an outstanding player as well. He was known for his defense in right field and for being one of the better leadoff hitters of his time. Hooper hit .311 in 1911, the first of five times in his career he would hit better than .300. He took a step back at the plate in 1912, hitting .242 when the Red Sox won their first AL pennant in his time with Boston, but made up for it with a .290 average in the World Series.
Hooper bounced back in 1913, hitting .288 and scoring 100 runs for the first time in his career. Then in the 1915 World Series, Hooper hit .350 with two home runs as Boston defeated Philadelphia in five games.
Despite Speaker's departure for Cleveland in 1916, Boston was able to defend its World Series championship. Hooper hit .333 in five games against the Brooklyn Robins. Hooper's one poor World Series came in 1918 when he hit just .200 in six games against the Cubs. Still, Hooper finished his World Series career with a .293 average – and his Red Sox were a perfect 4-for-4 in the Fall Classic.
Like the other two members of the Million-Dollar Outfield, Hooper eventually departed Boston. He joined the White Sox for the 1921 season, playing the final five years of his career in Chicago. Hooper retired in 1925 with a career .281 batting average and 1,429 runs scored.
In 1931, Hooper became Princeton's baseball coach, a position he held for two years. He also served as the postmaster for Capitola, Calf., for more than 20 years.
Hooper was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1971. He passed away on Dec. 18, 1971.
