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{{Short description|American baseball player (1957–2024)}}
{{redirect-distinguish|Chappas|Chapas|Chappa}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name=Harry Chappas
|image=
|position=[[Shortstop]]
|bats=Both
|throws=Right
|birth_date={{Birth date|1957|10|26}}
|birth_place=[[Mount Rainier, Maryland]], U.S.
|death_date={{Death date and age|2024|9|15|1957|10|26}}
|death_place=
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate=September 7
|debutyear=1978
|debutteam=Chicago White Sox
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate=June 13
|finalyear=1980
|finalteam=Chicago White Sox
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label=[[At bat]]s
|stat1value=184
|stat2label=[[Home run]]s
|stat2value=1
|stat3label=[[Runs batted in]]
|stat3value=12
|teams=
*[[Chicago White Sox]] ({{mlby|1978}}–{{mlby|1980}})
}}

'''Harry Perry Chappas''' (October 26, 1957 – September 15, 2024) was an American baseball player who was a [[shortstop]] with the [[Chicago White Sox]] in parts of three seasons, from 1978 until 1980.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-10-09 |title=Harry Chappas, White Sox shortstop whose height generated national media attention, dies at 66 |url=https://chicago.suntimes.com/obituaries/2024/10/09/harry-chappas-dead-white-sox-shortstop-whose-height-generated-national-media-attention-dies-at-66-obituary |access-date=2025-05-23 |website=Chicago Sun-Times |language=en}}</ref> Though he appeared in only 72 career games, he became a cult hero on the [[South Side, Chicago|South Side]] due primarily to his stature. Chappas was measured by [[Harry Caray]] and publicly declared to be {{height|ft=5|in=3}}, an inch or two shorter than established star [[Freddie Patek]].<ref name=siarticle1979>{{cite magazine|url= https://vault.si.com/vault/1979/03/19/its-not-only-a-game-of-inches-whether-rookie-shortstop-harry-chappas-is-or-isnt-the-smallest-big-leaguer-is-of-little-concern-the-really-big-question-is-can-he-help-chicago-pull-up-its-sox-and-win| title= It's Not Only A Game Of Inches| magazine= [[Sports Illustrated]]| last= Keith| first=Larry| date= 1979-03-19 |access-date=October 5, 2024}}</ref> He was one of the shortest players in Major League history, although Chappas stated in an interview in ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' that he was closer to {{height|ft=5|in=5}}, and implied that team owner [[Bill Veeck]] exaggerated his short stature for publicity reasons.<ref name="si">{{cite web|url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/weekly/catchingup/0929/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070103145459/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/features/1997/weekly/catchingup/0929/|title=Catching Up With... Harry Chappas|last=Wertheim|first=Jon|access-date=2007-05-22|archive-date=2007-01-03|date=1997-07-29|magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>

Chappas' professional baseball career began with the [[barnstorm (sports)|barnstorming]] ex-[[Negro league]] [[Indianapolis Clowns]], who had become racially integrated, and had developed into more of an entertainment product than a competitive team. When Chappas later made his major league debut, he became the final player and first white player to make the major leagues from a team formerly a member of the Negro leagues.

Chappas signed with the White Sox in 1976 as a sixth round draft pick. He impressed Veeck with good performances for the [[Wisconsin Timber Rattlers|Appleton Foxes]] in 1978. This earned Chappas a September callup, during which he hit an effective .267 in 20 games.

Primarily due to his height, he gained more and more national interest, highlighted by an appearance on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' during [[spring training]] in 1979.<ref name="si"/> In spring training that year, Chappas unseated veteran [[Don Kessinger]] and became the opening day shortstop. He lost his job after two weeks after missing a sign as a baserunner, only returning in September. Chappas made the opening day roster the following year as well, but only as a reserve player, and he was subsequently sent to the minors after hitting .160 in 50 at bats.

Overall, Chappas hit .245 in the majors and hit a single home run, off the Brewers' [[Bill Travers (baseball)|Bill Travers]], in 1979.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1979/B08200MIL1979.htm |title=Milwaukee Brewers 5, Chicago White Sox 3 |date=August 20, 1979 |access-date=2007-05-22 |publisher=[[Retrosheet]]}}</ref>

Chappas died on September 15, 2024, at the age of 66.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://obits.coralspringsfuneralhome.com/obituary/harry-chappas |title=Harry P. Chappas |website=CoralSpringsFuneralHome.com |access-date=October 5, 2024}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
{{Baseballstats |mlb=112207 |espn= |br=c/chappha01 |fangraphs= |brm=chappa001har |retro=C/Pchaph101}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chappas, Harry}}
[[Category:1957 births]]
[[Category:2024 deaths]]
[[Category:Appleton Foxes players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Canada]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Mexico]]
[[Category:Baseball players from Prince George's County, Maryland]]
[[Category:Chicago White Sox players]]
[[Category:Denver Bears players]]
[[Category:Edmonton Trappers players]]
[[Category:Glens Falls White Sox players]]
[[Category:Indianapolis Clowns players]]
[[Category:Iowa Oaks players]]
[[Category:Knoxville Sox players]]
[[Category:Major League Baseball shortstops]]
[[Category:Miami Dade College alumni]]
[[Category:Miami Dade Sharks baseball players]]
[[Category:People from Mount Rainier, Maryland]]
[[Category:Savannah Braves players]]
[[Category:Sultanes de Monterrey players]]
[[Category:Tigres de Aragua players]]
[[Category:American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela]]

Harry Chappas - Revision history

imported>CornStormSReal 0r: citation added