A Quick Look at Josh Harrison

Josh Harrison is perhaps the most exciting player to watch on the 2012 Pirates, but amazingly enough most fans have no idea how "The J-Hay Kid" ended up in the Steel City.

A quick look at the career of the Pirates do-it-all super-utility player and what his future may hold for the Bucs.


-   Josh Harrison was born 7/8/1987 in Cincinnati, Ohio and is the nephew of former major league outfielder John Shelby.

-  Harrison played his high school baseball at Princeton High School in Cincinnati, a stellar student-athlete who was named to the All-City team by the Cincinnati Enquirer and was a three-year letter winner.  He was named Team MVP in his senior season and was a two-year captain.

-  Recruited by the University of Cincinnati and immediately became a star for the Bearcats.

2006 Season (Freshman):

Named a Louisville Slugger Freshman All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

A third team All-BIG EAST selection.

Led team in hitting (.367), runs (67), hits (84) and multi-hit games (27).

Finished season with career-best 15-game hitting streak. Had nine multi-hit games during stretch.

Among BIG EAST leaders in runs (second), hits (sixth) and on-base percentage (5th, .473).

Tied for sixth on UC single season hits list and listed eighth in runs.

Started all 58 games, drawing nods at six different positions (C, 2B, 3B, SS, LF, RF).

Twice put together four-hit games, including an upset win over Kentucky (3/1).

Blasted five home runs, including grand slams against Oakland (3/19) and Ball State (5/10).

Had career-high six RBI against Oakland (3/19) while scoring career-high three runs in five different games.

Named to BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Feb. 27 after batting .545 (6 for 11) in series at High Point.

Ranked second on squad in stolen bases (10). 

Summer 2006: Played for the Cincinnati Steam of the Great Lakes League ... named the co-Top Hitting Prospect in the league and was a first team all-league performer ... ranked the sixth-best prospect in the GLSCL by Baseball America.

2007 Season (Sophomore):

An ABCA All-Region and All-BIG EAST second team selection.

Ranked among the BIG EAST leaders in runs (T-6th, 59), doubles (T-9th, 17), home runs (T-12th, 9), RBI (10th, 56), total bases (T-11th, 120), slugging percentage (9th, .545), sacrifice fly (1st, 9) and stolen bases (T-7th, 21).

Tallied first career multi-homer game and tied school record with eight RBI in win at Pittsburgh (3/24). Also scored career-high four runs in contest.

Paced squad in runs, hits, doubles and multi-hit games (24) and was third in batting average (.327).

Ranked on several UC single season lists including: stolen bases (T-10th), RBI (12th), runs (T-14th), doubles (T-14th) and hits (T-17th).

Saw career-best 18-game hit streak which extended from 2006 season end on Feb. 18 at Austin Peay.

Named to the College Baseball Foundation National Honor Roll on Feb. 12 after hitting .385 and blasting home runs in three straight games at Florida Atlantic. 

Summer 2007:

Played for the Cotuit Kettlers of the Cape Cod League.

Batted .264 in 38 games in the country's most prestigious summer league; added seven doubles, one triple, two home runs, 13 RBI and 14 stolen bases. 

2008 Season (Junior):

Drafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 6th round (191st overall) of the MLB Draft.

Tabbed the BIG EAST Co-Player of the Year and a second team All-American by Collegiate Baseball.

Ranked among the BIG EAST leaders in average, runs, hits, doubles, total bases, RBI and stolen bases.

Hit .467 with six runs, two doubles, a triple, five runs and three steals to earn a spot on the BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament Team.

Named the BIG EAST Player of the Week after going 10-for-10 during UC's series with Louisville (4/25-4/27).

Led the team with 30 multi-hit games, including a team-best 11 three-hit performances.

Drove in a season-high five runs, with two home runs, during a win at Miami (Ohio) (4/8).

Tallied walk-off single during UC's ninth inning comeback win over Niagara (3/16).

Scored multiple runs 17 times, including four four-run games.

Named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on May 12 after going 7-for-13 in four games. 

2008 COLLEGIATE BASEBALL ALL-AMERICAN SECOND TEAM

2008 BIG EAST CO-PLAYER OF THE YEAR

2008 ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM

2007 ABCA ALL-REGION SECOND TEAM

2007 ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM

2006 LOUISVILLE SLUGGER FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICAN

2006 ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM Career:

Had at least one hit in all but 34 of 173 career games.

Ranks among the UC leaders in average (4th, .358), at bats (8th, 687), runs (3rd, 192), hits (4th, 246), doubles (4th, 53), RBI (5th, 153), total bases (5th, 366), stolen bases (2nd, 63), walks (20th, 80) sacrifice flies (1st, 21), slugging percentage (15th, .533) and on-base percentage (5th, .439).

Harrison was rafted by the Chicago Cubs in the 6th round of the MLB Draft in 2008.  He opted to skip his senior season at Cincinnati to begin his professional career.  He started out with the Cubs in 2008 and made it all the way up to A-Daytona of the Florida State League, hitting .286 with 10 SB in just 78 plate appearances before being traded to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the July 30, 2009 deal that sent P Tom Gorzelanny and P John Grabow to the Cubs.  In exchange, the Bucs got SP Kevin Hart, RP Jose Ascanio, and Harrison.

He reported immediately to AA-Altoona and began to show his talent as a speedy, slap hitting super -utility player who could play anywhere on the field.  In 2010 for the Altoona Curve, he hit .300 with 4 HR and 75 RBI, adding 19 SB and scoring 74 runs.  He played primarily at third base for the Curve, but began honing his skills at 2nd base and shortstop that season and the following season at AAA-Indianapolis before being called to Pittsburgh after hitting .310 at AAA.

In 2011, He spent a great deal of his season in the majors with the Bucs, showing his exciting brand of baseball to a fan base hungry for gritty, hard-nosed players.  They found that player in Harrison.  In his rookie season he hit .272 in 65 games and played at third base and second base for the Pirates.  He immediately became a fan favorite, and made the club out of spring training 2012.

Harrison has slowly worked his way into the everyday lineup this season by hitting well and playing everywhere on the field, including left field.  He is willing to do whatever it takes to help the team win and is beginning to show that he could very well be the Bucs shortstop of the present and future.

Right now, nobody is hitting as well as Josh Harrison for the Pirates.  He has been seeing the ball well and stroking line drives all over the field.  He has also played superb defense and continues to show the personality and character to make him a favorite player to many young Buccos fans.

When the trade was made in July of 2009, Harrison was basically a throw in player to the deal.  The Cubs were desperate for pitching and gave him up without a fight.  The Pirates ended up losing out on that deal as Hart and Ascanio flaked out and are no longer in the organization, but Harrison has showed that he can be a solid major league player and a spark-plug that this team desperately needs.

If you have kids and want to show them how the game of baseball is meant to be played, introduce them to Josh Harrison.  A player who works hard, has fun, and does things the right way.  Pirates fans are blessed to have the "J-Hay Kid" on this roster.

--------------------------------------------------------

You can follow Jeff Snedden on Twitter @jeffsnedden


You can follow Jeff Snedden on Facebook


If you want to read more Jeff Snedden sports writing, head on over to www.jeffsnedden.com


And of course, if you want to read some great Pittsburgh sports writing, bookmark www.412sportstalk.com