Former Astros first baseman Chuck Harrison dies at 82

Chuck Harrison, who played portions of three seasons for the Astros from 1965-67, died Dec. 30 in his hometown of Abilene. He was 82. Harrison played in 194 games in three seasons in Houston. His best season was1966, when he hit nine home runs and drove in 52 runs while carrying a .256 batting average. At the end of the 1967 season, Harrison was traded with infielder Sonny Jackson to the Atlanta Braves in a deal that brought pitcher Denny Lemaster and infielder Denis Menke to Houston. Harrison, who primarily played first base, also appeared in 124 games in the 1969 and 1971 seasons with Kansas City. He was the starting first baseman in the Royals' first game, a 4-3 loss to the Minnesota Twins on April 8, 1969. His MLB totals included 17 home runs, 126 runs batted in and a .238 average. Harrison retired after the 1971 season.