Danning, Harry

Harry Danning

Known affectionately as "Harry the Horse" after a Damon Runyon short story, the stalwart catcher of the New York Giants hit .300 or better for three consecutive years 1938-1940, while catching at least 120 games each season. Harry was a four-time All-Star (1938-1941) whose older brother, Ike Danning, played two games in the majors in 1928.

Birth and Death Dates:
b. September 6, 1911 - d. November 30, 2004

Career Highlights:
Danning broke into the majors in 1933 with the New York Giants and served as a back-up his first four seasons, hitting .330 in 1934. In 1936, he played for the Giants in the World Series, appearing in two games and going 0-2; the Giants lost to the New York Yankees in six games. The following year, Danning took over as the regular catcher and helped the Giants return to the World Series. In the fourth game of the Series, Harry went 3-4 in the Giants' only win -- they again lost to the Yankees, this time in five games.

1938 proved to be a turning point for Danning, as he became one of the best players in the league. He was an All-Star for the next four seasons, and hit over .300 for the next three (306, .313 and .300, respectively). In 1939, Danning finished among the league leaders in batting (.313 - 9th), total bases (249 - 9th), and home runs (16 - 9th); and finished 9th in the voting for MVP. In 1940, Harry continued his brilliance with a .300 average and 34 doubles (7th in the league), and 91 RBI (9th) while again finishing in the top ten in the voting for MVP (7th). That season, Harry also hit for the cycle against the Pittsburgh Pirates, including an inside-the-park home run that landed in front of the Giants' clubhouse, wedged behind the Eddie Grant memorial.

Danning played the next two seasons with injuries; and though he was again an All-Star in 1941, his hitting suffered. After he retired in 1942, he was drafted into the Army during World War II. Harry was issued a silver lifetime pass by baseball, and although he did not attend many games, he remained connected with the game through the great number of letters he received from fans until he passed away in 2004 at the age of 93. He is a member of the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame and the New York Jewish Sports Hall of Fame.

Career Dates:
Danning played with the New York Giants, 1933-1942.

Position:
Catcher. He did play first base once.

Physical description:
6'1", 190 pounds
Right-handed

Career Statistics:
Games: 890
Batting Avg.: .285
Slugging Avg.: .415

At-bats: 2971
Hits: 847
Doubles: 162
Triples: 26

Home Runs: 57
Home Run %: 1.9
Runs: 363
RBI: 397

BB: 187
Strike Outs: 216
Stolen Bases: 13

Pinch Hitting
At-bats: 85
Hits: 19

Fielding Statistics
Put-outs: 3259
Assists: 455
Errors: 57
Double-plays: 64

Total Chances per Game: 4.7
Fielding Avg: .985

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