World Series hero Willie Harris applies lessons from playing days to first managerial assignment

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Willie Harris is best remembered for his World Series heroics, but he thinks it’s what he recalls about playing that has helped make his transition to manager a smooth one.

Harris, who scored the only run in the Game 4 clincher of the 2005 World Series, is in his first season as the White Sox manager for the Single-A Winston-Salem affiliate. He’s only in his second season as a coach and isn’t far removed from his playing career, which ended in 2012. That potentially gives Harris, 39, an advantage as baseball’s up-and-down, unrelenting nature is still fresh in his mind.

“It’s been a pretty easy transition for me because I feel like I’m more of a players-type manager, I get it,” Harris said. “I understand the grind. I know what it’s like to strike out with a runner on third and less than two outs and I understand those things.

“I think what makes me feel good about myself is my players knowing that I have their back in all situations. Obviously, we want to see everyone do well. But in this game you’re not supposed to do well. We share those thoughts with each other and we try to make each other better.”

Harris didn’t wait long to jump into coaching after his 12-year playing career ended in 2012. He spent several seasons coaching a travel team in St. Augustine, Fla. and hoped to make a career of it. In 2015, Harris attended the team’s 10-year World Series reunion and spoke to Rick Hahn, Kenny Williams and chairman Jerry Reinsdorf about a potential coaching gig.

Several months later his phone rang with a job offer.

Harris has been taking care of his players since.

“He definitely knows what it’s like to play a full season and more being that he is a World Series champ,” said Double-A catcher Zack Collins, who was recently promoted after playing for Harris. “He made sure that all of his boys were feeling as good as possible going into the game and knows that half of the battle is just having confidence. He’s one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.”

While Harris wouldn’t mind having a winning record, it’s far from his priority as a manager. He realizes how critical development is for minor leaguers and wants to do everything he can to help players graduate to the next level. Helping a player reach the majors would have more meaning than any victories. It’s just another reason Harris knew he wanted to get back into baseball after retiring.  

“You definitely miss it,” Harris said. “The first two years was really hard for me just being at home and watching the game and seeing some guys play and you know in your heart, ‘Man, I could still be doing that.’ But at some point in this game your time is going to run out. No matter how good of a player you are, your time is going to run out. My time ran out and I came to terms with that and I understand that and now I just want to help others. I just want to give what I have to someone else and hopefully make their dreams come true and be big league ball players.”

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