# Greg Harts

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**Gregory Rudolph Harts** (born April 21, 1950) is an American former professional [baseball](/source/Baseball) player who played for the [National League](/source/National_League_(baseball)) champion [New York Mets](/source/New_York_Mets) in 1973. Although he never played the field in the Major Leagues, in the [minor leagues](/source/Minor_leagues) he was primarily an [outfielder](/source/Outfielder).

Harts was signed by the Mets as an amateur free agent in 1970. He spent most of the 1971 season with the [Marion Mets](/source/Marion_Mets) in the [Rookie League](/source/Rookie_League) but also played 5 games for the [Single-A](/source/Single-A_(baseball)) [Pompano Beach Mets](/source/Pompano_Beach_Mets).[1] He spent the 1971 season with the Single-A [Visalia Mets](/source/Visalia_Mets).[1] Harts began the 1972 season with the [AA](/source/Double-A_(baseball)) [Memphis Blues](/source/Memphis_Blues_(minor_league)) but was sent down to the Visalia in May.[2][3][4] Memphis manager [Johnny Antonelli](/source/Johnny_Antonelli) said of him before 1972 the season started "He's got good speed and a good arm. I wasn't worried about his defensive ability after watching him in the [Instructional League](/source/Florida_Instructional_League). His hitting has been very satisfactory since he reported to us. So he has a chance to make the club. It depends a great deal on who [Tidewater](/source/Tidewater_Tides) sends to us."[2] He was added to the Mets' 40-man roster after the 1972 season.[5]

In spring training of 1973 he competed with [Don Hahn](/source/Don_Hahn), [Rich Chiles](/source/Rich_Chiles) and [Dave Schneck](/source/Dave_Schneck) to back up 42-year-old expected-starter [Willie Mays](/source/Willie_Mays) in [center field](/source/Center_field) for the Mets, but ended up being sent down to the Blues before being recalled to the Mets in September.[6][7][8][9] Harts made his Major League debut as a [pinch hitter](/source/Pinch_hitter) for the Mets on September 15, 1973 at [Shea Stadium](/source/Shea_Stadium) against the [Chicago Cubs](/source/Chicago_Cubs), batting for pitcher [Buzz Capra](/source/Buzz_Capra).[10] He has the distinction of getting a [hit](/source/Hit_(baseball)) in his first major league [at bat](/source/At_bat).[10] However, he only had one other at bat in 1973, in which he grounded out, and never played in the Major Leagues again.[11][12] When the Mets moved into first place in the [National League Eastern Division](/source/National_League_Eastern_Division) in late September for the first time and the large, jubilant home crowd started chanting, Mets' pitcher [Tom Seaver](/source/Tom_Seaver) said of him and young pitcher [Bob Apodaca](/source/Bob_Apodaca) that "Some of these young kids were absolutely awed by the whole thing. They'd never seen a crowd like this. I think it scared them a little.[13]

In 1974 Harts began the season with the [AAA](/source/Triple-A_(baseball)) [Tidewater Tides](/source/Tidewater_Tides) but was sent down to the AA [Victoria Toros](/source/Victoria_Toros) after batting less than .200 in 35 games with Tidewater.[14] Harts was outrighted to Tidewater at the end of the season, removing him from the Mets' 40-man roster.[15] An attempt to become a pitcher in the minor leagues in 1975 did not result in a Major League pitching career.[16][1]

He was nicknamed "The Peanut Man."[17]

## References

1. ["Greg Harts Minor Leagues Statistics"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=harts-001gre). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 14 September 2022.

1. Bell, Jim (March 26, 1972). ["Slugging isn't Texas League plus"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109549166/the-commercial-appeal/). *Commercial Appeal*. p. 3-4. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. Burk, Bill E. (April 7, 1972). ["Hopes high for '72 Blues"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109549779/the-memphis-press-scimitar/). *Memphis Press-Scimitar*. p. 18. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. Bell, Jim (May 18, 1972). ["Schneck powers Blues"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109550002/the-commercial-appeal/). *Commercial Appeal*. p. 68. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Mets call up four players"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109550208/johnson-city-press/). *Johnson City Press*. October 26, 1972. p. 14. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. Franklin, Paul (March 14, 1973). ["Rich Chiles tries to be a 'somebody'"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109528114/the-journal-news/). *Journal News*. p. 4D. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. Lee, Bill (March 27, 1973). ["With malice towards none"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109528192/hartford-courant/). *Hartford Courant*. p. 45. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspaper.com.

1. ["Mets slice 2"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109528340/quad-city-times/). *Quad-City Times*. March 23, 1973. p. 22. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Mets recall eight"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109528456/the-herald-news/). *Herald-News*. September 12, 1973. p. 39. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. Drogo, Ron (September 16, 1973). ["Mets split is backward step"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109527523/the-record/). *The Record*. p. C-1. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Greg Harts Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More"](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/h/hartsgr01.shtml). *[Baseball-Reference.com](/source/Baseball-Reference.com)*. [Sports Reference](/source/Sports_Reference). Retrieved 14 September 2022.

1. Foley, Red (September 18, 1973). ["Bucs top Mets as big 5-set opens"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109527970/daily-news/). *Daily News*. p. 70. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["Amazing Mets take Bucs, first place!"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109527861/pacific-daily-news/). *Pacific Daily News*. September 23, 1973. p. B-1. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. Rowin, Dwight (August 18, 1974). ["Rookie back in groove"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109550754/victoria-advocate/). *Victoria Advocate*. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. ["3 Anderson Mets make N.Y. squad"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109554318/anderson-independent-mail/). *Anderson Independent-Mail*. October 6, 1974. p. 2C. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. Parker, Cecil (June 1, 1975). ["Where are the Toros?"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109529083/victoria-advocate/). *Victoria Advocate*. p. 9. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

1. McIntyre, Bill (April 29, 1973). ["...Counting the House"](https://www.newspapers.com/clip/109527665/the-times/). *The Times*. p. 2-D. Retrieved 2022-09-14. – via newspapers.com.

## External links

- [Greg Harts](https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/greg-harts/) at [SABR](/source/Society_for_American_Baseball_Research) Bio Project

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Greg Harts](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Harts) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greg_Harts?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.