Harry Chiti

Full Name: Harry Chiti
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 225 lbs.
Born: Nov 16, 1932 in Kincaid, IL
Major League Debut: Sep 27, 1950
Final Game: June 10, 1962 vs. CHC
Died: Jan 31, 2002 in Haines City, FL

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CAREER BATTING STATISTICS
  BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1950
1951
1952
1955
1956
1958
1959
1960
1960
1961
1962
ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
KCA
KCA
KCA
Det
Det
NYM
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
.333
.355
.274
.231
.212
.268
.272
.221
.163
.083
.195
3
9
32
113
72
103
55
58
37
5
15
6
31
113
338
203
295
162
190
104
12
41
0
1
14
24
17
32
20
16
9
0
2
2
11
31
78
43
79
44
42
17
1
8
0
2
5
6
6
11
11
7
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
4
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
5
11
4
9
5
5
2
0
0
0
5
13
41
18
44
25
28
5
0
0
0
2
5
25
19
18
17
17
10
1
1
0
2
8
68
35
48
26
33
12
2
8
.333
.394
.305
.282
.281
.311
.344
.288
.235
.154
.233
.333
.419
.451
.352
.340
.417
.444
.337
.221
.083
.220
Totals AVG
.238
G
502
AB
1495
R
135
H
356
2B
49
3B
9
HR
41
RBI
179
BB
115
K
242
OBP
.294
SLG
.365


 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1950
1951
1952
1955
1956
1958
1959
1960
1960
1961
1962
ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
KCA
KCA
KCA
Det
Det
NYM
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
0
0
0
1
1
3
1
1
0
0
1
0
3
3
8
9
7
9
8
6
1
2
2
13
51
119
69
123
72
64
23
1
9
--
--
--
8
3
4
1
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
3
3
5
0
5
1
0
0
--
--
--
5
1
6
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
3
0
1
0
0
0
--
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
3
0
0
-.---
-.---
.000
-.---
-.---
.600
.000
1.000
.000
-.---
-.---
--.-
--.-
22.6
30.7
50.8
32.8
32.4
38.0
52.0
--.-
--.-
--.-
15.5
14.1
5.0
5.8
6.1
6.2
5.8
8.7
6.0
5.1
Totals HBP
8
GDP
56
TB
546
IBB
17
SH
18
SF
13
SB
4
CS
7
SB%
.364
AB/HR
36.5
AB/K
6.2


CAREER FIELDING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1950
1951
1952
1955
1956
1958
1959
1960
1960
1961
1962
ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
ChC
KCA
KCA
KCA
Det
Det
NYM
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
AL
AL
AL
AL
AL
NL
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
1
8
32
113
67
83
47
52
36
5
14
2
46
186
573
369
472
256
292
193
22
68
1
34
170
495
327
425
228
263
173
19
62
1
8
13
69
35
41
25
24
17
3
4
0
4
3
9
7
6
3
5
3
0
2
0
1
6
10
2
9
5
1
0
0
1
1.000
0.913
0.984
0.984
0.981
0.987
0.988
0.983
0.984
1.000
0.971
Totals G
458
Ch
2479
PO
2197
A
240
E
42
DP
35
FPCT
0.983


TEAM ABBREVIATION KEY
YEARS
1950-1956
1958-1960
1960-1961
1962-1962
1962
TM
Chi
KC
Det
NY
CLE
LG
NL
AL
AL
NL
AL
TEAM NAME
Chicago Cubs
Kansas City Athletics
Detroit Tigers
New York Mets
Cleveland Indians
LEAGUE NAME
National League
American League
American League
National League
American League


On June 29, 1950 Harry Chiti was signed by the Chicago Cubs as an amateur free agent and became the youngest player in the National League when he made it into three games at age 17. After a couple more stays in Chicago while still a teenager and two years in the United States Army, he became a semi-regular behind the plate in Wrigley Field before being traded to the New York Yankees for veteran backup receiver, Charlie Silvera.

But Harry never made it into pinstripes and was drafted from the Yankees by the Kansas City Athletics in the 1957 Rule V Draft. After hitting in the .270 range for two seasons in Kansas City, he was sold to the Detroit Tigers on July 26, 1960. He was with the Tigers until July 21, 1961, did not play up to their expectations, and was traded to the Baltimore Orioles for Frank House.

The Orioles sent him to the Rochester Red Wings, their International League farm club and he hit .326 in 46 games. Baltimore then traded him, along with Ray Barker and Art Kay to the Cleveland Indians for Johnny Temple. On April 26, 1962 Harry was purchased by the New York Mets from the Indians for cash.

Chiti appeared in 15 games for the Mets, hitting .195 and was returned to the Indians in another cash transaction.

Harry Chiti is the only man in baseball history to be traded for himself. On April 26, 1962 he was acquired by the New York Mets, in their inaugural season, from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later. On June 15, 1962 he was named as the player to be named later and was returned to the Cleveland Indians, but never had an at-bat. This finished out his 10-season major league run. Harry appeared in 502 games, ending up with a career .238 batting average.

Harry spent the next two seasons in the International League (Jacksonville Florida AAA Cleveland Minors) and retired after the 1964 season with 13 active years in pro baseball. His minor league sheet shows he appeared in 608 games and had a career .271 batting average.

Chiti retired from baseball at age 30 to work as a district manager for Columbia Pictures, placing films in theaters. In the early 1970s he became a bailiff in the Shelby, Tennessee courthouse, before retiring in Winter Haven, FL. He died on January 31, 2002, at age 69 in Haines City, FL.

Harry's son Dom Chiti was a minor league pitcher who remained in the game as a major league coach.