Lanny Harris

{{short description|American baseball umpire (1940-1991)}} {{Infobox person |name = Lanny Harris |image = Lanny Harris.jpeg |image_size = |caption = |birth_name = Lanny Dean Harris |birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|2|21}} |birth_place = Greens Fork, Indiana, U.S. |death_date = {{Death date and age|1991|6|26|1940|2|21}} |death_place = Indianapolis, Indiana, U.S. |alma_mater = |employer = National League |occupation = Umpire |years_active = 1979–1985 }} '''Lanny Dean Harris''' (February 21, 1940 – June 16, 1991) was an American Major League Baseball umpire who worked in the National League from {{by|1979}} to {{by|1985}}, wearing uniform number 29 during his career. Harris umpired 851 Major League games.<ref>[http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/H/Pharrl901.htm Retrosheet]</ref>

==MLB career== Harris was promoted to the National League during the umpire strike of 1979, one of eight umpires promoted to the major leagues at that time. He was discharged by the NL in 1985.<ref>{{cite news | title =Firing of major league ump doesn't happen every day | newspaper =Lawrence Journal-World| date =May 5, 1988 | url =https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=2199&dat=19880505&id=kNMzAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cuYFAAAAIBAJ&pg=6993,1431922| accessdate =August 20, 2012}}</ref>

While in the majors, Harris felt the repercussions of having entered the league during the strike. After being hit in the throat by a foul ball during a 1979 game, Harris was examined by a trainer while his three veteran partners did not move from their positions in the field.<ref>{{cite news | last =Swift | first =E.M. | title =Odd Man Out On The Diamond | newspaper =Sports Illustrated | date =August 20, 1979 | url =https://www.si.com/vault/1979/08/20/823884/odd-man-out-on-the-diamond-veteran-umpires-have-made-life-unhappy-for-the-rookies-who-crossed-the-picket-lines-last-spring-and-then-went-to-work | accessdate =March 9, 2018}}</ref>

===Notable games=== Harris was thrown to the ground in a brawl involving Mario Soto and Claudell Washington in a 1984 Reds-Braves game.<ref>{{cite news | title =Soto faces suspension | newspaper =The New York Times | date =June 19, 1984 | url =https://www.nytimes.com/1984/06/19/sports/sports-people-soto-faces-suspension.html| accessdate =August 20, 2012}}</ref>

===Death=== Harris, a resident of Palm Harbor, Florida, died at Indiana University Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis, Indiana on June 16, 1991 after an extended illness. His body was cremated.<ref>{{cite news |title=Lanny Harris |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/palladium-item-obituary-for-lanny-harris/179910100/ |access-date=August 28, 2025 |work=The Palladium-Item |date=June 18, 1991 |location=Richmond, Indiana |page=A4|via=Newspapers.com}}</ref>

==References== {{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Harris, Lanny}} Category:1940 births Category:1991 deaths Category:Major League Baseball umpires Category:National League umpires Category:Sportspeople from Indiana