Harry Danning

Hit for the CYCLE 1940
All-Star Selection 1938, 39, 40, 41
Named as the BEST CATCHER in 1940

Full Name: Harry "Harry The Horse" Danning
Bats: Right Throws: Right
Height: 6-1 Weight: 190 lbs.
Born: Sep 06, 1911 in Los Angeles, CA
Major League Debut: Jul 30, 1933
Died: Nov 29, 2004 in Valparaiso, IN

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CAREER BATTING STATISTICS
 BATTING
YEAR TEAM LG AVG G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB K OBP SLG
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
.000
.330
.243
.159
.288
.306
.313
.300
.244
.279
3
53
65
32
93
120
135
140
130
119
2
97
152
69
292
448
520
524
459
408
0
8
16
3
30
59
79
65
58
45
0
32
37
11
84
137
163
157
112
114
0
7
11
2
12
26
28
34
22
20
0
0
1
2
4
3
5
4
4
3
0
1
2
0
8
9
16
13
7
1
0
7
20
4
51
60
74
91
56
34
1
1
9
1
18
23
35
35
30
34
0
9
16
5
20
40
42
31
25
29
.333
.337
.286
.183
.331
.345
.359
.349
.292
.335
.000
.433
.368
.246
.438
.438
.479
.454
.355
.350
Totals AVG
.285
G
890
AB
2971
R
363
H
847
2B
162
3B
26
HR
57
RBI
397
BB
187
K
217
OBP
.330
SLG
.415


 BATTINGBASERUNNINGMISC
YEAR TEAM LG HBP GDP TB IBB SH SF SB CS SB% AB/HR AB/K
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1942
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
0
0
0
1
1
4
2
5
1
0
1
5
4
5
8
14
12
18
12
15
0
42
56
17
128
196
249
238
163
143
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
0
1
2
3
1
1
6
2
3
3
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
0
1
0
0
0
1
4
3
1
3
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
-.---
--.-
97.0
76.0
--.-
36.5
49.8
32.5
40.3
65.6
408.0
--.-
10.8
9.5
13.8
14.6
11.2
12.4
16.9
18.4
14.1
Totals HBP
14
GDP
94
TB
1232
IBB
--
SH
22
SF
--
SB
13
CS
--
SB%
-.---
AB/HR
52.1
AB/K
13.7


CAREER FIELDING STATISTICS
YEAR TEAM LG POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1933
1934
1935
1936
1937
1938
1939
1940
1941
1941
1942
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NYG
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
NL
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
C
1B
C
C
1
37
44
24
86
114
132
131
1
116
116
2
92
179
81
396
507
636
740
2
611
525
2
78
153
70
332
449
550
634
2
530
459
0
13
22
10
57
50
80
91
0
77
55
0
1
4
1
7
8
6
15
0
4
11
0
1
6
2
7
7
13
13
0
8
7
1.000
0.989
0.978
0.988
0.982
0.984
0.991
0.980
1.000
0.993
0.979
Totals G
802
Ch
3771
PO
3259
A
455
E
57
DP
64
FPCT
0.985


ALL-STAR STATISTICS - BATTING TOTALS
BATTING PERCENTAGES
YR
1938
1939
1940
1941
TM
NY
NY
NY
NY
LG
NL
NL
NL
NL
G
0
0
1
1
AB
0
0
1
1
R
0
0
0
0
H
0
0
1
0
2B
0
0
0
0
3B
0
0
0
0
HR
0
0
0
0
RBI
0
0
1
0
TB
0
0
1
0
BB
0
0
0
0
K
0
0
0
0
SB
0
0
0
0
BAVG
-.---
-.---
1.000
.000
SLG
-.---
-.---
1.000
.000
AB/HR
--.-
--.-
--.-
--.-
AB/K
--.-
--.-
--.-
--.-
Totals G
2
AB
2
R
0
H
1
2B
0
3B
0
HR
0
RBI
1
TB
1
BB
0
K
0
SB
0
AVG
.500
SLG
.500
AB/HR
--.-
AB/K
--.-


WORLD SERIES BATTING
BATTING PERCENTAGES
YR
1936
1937
TM
NY
NY
LG
NL
NL
G
2
3
AB
2
12
R
0
0
H
0
3
2B
0
1
3B
0
0
HR
0
0
RBI
0
2
TB
0
4
BB
0
0
K
1
2
SB
0
0
BAVG
.000
.250
SLG
.000
.333
AB/HR
--.-
--.-
AB/K
2.0
6.0
Totals G
5
AB
14
R
0
H
3
2B
1
3B
0
HR
0
RBI
2
TB
4
BB
0
K
3
SB
0
AVG
.214
SLG
.286
AB/HR
--.-
AB/K
4.7


WORLD SERIES FIELDING
YEAR TEAM POS G Ch PO A E DP FPCT
1936
1937
SF
SF
C
C
1
3
4
21
3
20
0
1
1
0
0
0
0.750
1.000
Totals G
4
Ch
25
PO
23
A
1
E
1
DP
0
FPCT
0.960


TEAM ABBREVIATION KEY
YEARS
1933-1942
TM
NY
LG
NL
TEAM NAME
New York Giants
LEAGUE NAME
National League

Danning played for the New York Giants from 1933 through 1942, serving as a backup receiver to Gus Mancuso until 1937 when he became the club's regular catcher. Harry The Horse Danning picked up his nickname from a short story by famed sportswriter Damon Runyan in the 1930s. It stayed with him throughout his 10-year career with the New York Giants.

He caught 801 games, was behind the plate for the Giants in five games in the 1936 and 1937 World Series, and was a member of the National League All-Star teams from 1938 through 1941. In 1939, Danning batted .313 with 16 homers. The next season, he drove in 91 runs. He finished in the top nine in the MVP vote both years. One of his special accomplishments was hitting for the cycle [See cycle] in a game on June 15, 1940 against visiting Philadelphia. What made this cycle more special was an inside-the-park homer.

Three times he hit .300 or better and finished his career with a .285 BA. He earned a reputation (and nickname) for durability. The Horse hit 46 homers and averaged .303 in the period 1937-40. On June 9, 1939 he hit one of 5 home runs that were hit in one inning to break major league record of 4 that was set by Pittsburgh in 1894. He served in the military from 1943 through 1945 [See Military Catchers, but after his discharge, he was unable to resume his baseball career because of arthritic knees. His older brother Ike Danning preceded him to the majors by catching two games for the old St. Louis Browns in 1928.[See BROTHER CATCHERS ]

Jewish athletes are rare in baseball, but Danning joined such greats as Detroit slugger Hank Greenberg and Dodger pitcher Sandy Koufax in the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. He was also inducted in the New York Jewish Hall of Fame. [See also JEWISH CATCHERS ].

He spent his declining years in Valparaiso, Indiana where he lived with his daughter after his wife died in 1978. Danning's community involvement included sponsoring the annual Harry Danning softball tournament. One of the diamonds at Valparaiso's Fairgrounds Park is named after him. Although Harry was confined to a wheelchair the last three years of his life, he still made appearances. He generally met with other, older sports enthusiasts at a local Baker's Square for breakfast. He died at age 93 having spent a decade in the majors before going to war to serve his country and then serving his community.