Position: first base, outfield Bats: left Throws: right

Red Harris is one of seven children born and raised in Birmingham, Alabama. His mom and dad, Florence and Ed Harris, were devoted parents who taught their three boys and four girls the importance of family unity and the value of hard work. Mrs. Florence was a wonderful mother, primary care taker and role model for the children. Mr. Ed Harris worked in the coal mines before he eventually took to a career in landscaping. The seven Harris children were very close. They grew up in extremely tight quarters, sharing a single bedroom and just about everything else that they had.

As a young schoolboy, Willie began playing baseball with his classmate and close friend Gary Mitchell. As he entered high school, he took an interest in the Industrial Arts under the direction of his favorite teacher Mr. Spears. Although his high school days were split between Ulman High and Parker High, his interest in baseball remained deeply in tact, and his game grew stronger and stronger. Willie's dad "wasn't really keen about ball," as Willie puts it, but he would none the less sneak out to see several of his son's baseball games.

His began his Negro Leagues Baseball career in 1953 with the Louisville Clippers. That year, Harris hit 15 home runs and received an invitation to play in the East-West All-Star game in Chicago. He was selected once again to play in the All-Star game the following year after he put up numbers for the Memphis Red Sox as both a first baseman and outfielder. He stayed with the Sox for two seasons before returned home to Birmingham.

In 1957, Willie "Red" Harris entered the U.S. Army for what turned out to be an extremely short tour. He did his basic training in Fort Jackson South Carolina, and the remainder of his training at Ft. Hood, Texas. Willie returned once again to Birmingham where he played first base for the Black Barons until the close of the 1958 season.