Harry Oliver
Harry Oliver always told people that his professional baseball career started in a cow pasture in Centerville. He was very proud of where he came from and his hometown of Bedford.
In 1955, he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies organization as a pitcher.
He started in the Pony D League in Bradford. After two years he was called to military service in 1957. He played two years of baseball for the Army in Fort Knox, Kentucky. It was there that he met his wife of 52 years Dolores Kramer.
He returned to professional baseball in 1959 with the Phillies and would stay with them until his retirement. He enjoyed several good years in the minors and posted some impressive stats that would get him invited to big league spring training in 1964. He always felt he had a good showing, but was sent back to AAA
where he would eventually need surgery on his elbow that would end his career. He finished his 10-year pitching career with a 59-55 record and an ERA of 3.81.
He made lifelong friends who he stayed in contact with over the years. He and his wife would return to her hometown of Jeffersonville, Indiana, where they would make their home and raise their son Scott and daughter Joeanna.
Harry went to work for the largest inland ship builder in the United States, Jeffboat, which was located on the banks of the Ohio River in Jeffersonville. He eventually worked his way to foreman, and would oversee the building of The Mississippi Queen, as well as the first gambling boat in Indiana called The Aztar.
These were two of the most notable building projects for Jeffboat.
Because he never lost his love for the game of baseball, he would go on to coach Little League then moved up to American Legion. Several of his players went on to play college and professional baseball, including his son Scott, as well as major leaguer Walt Terrell. He retired from Jeffboat in 1999. He would spend his time
hunting, fishing, and enjoying watching his granddaughters Casey and Carly grow up.
He lost his battle with cancer in 2010. He was a very respected member of his community. His funeral visitation and procession was one of the largest ever seen in Jeffersonville. Thousands came out to pay their respects to the country boy from Bedford, Pennsylvania, who never knew a stranger and was loved by all who knew him.
Harry Oliver always told people that his professional baseball career started in a cow pasture in Centerville. He was very proud of where he came from and his hometown of Bedford.
In 1955, he was signed by the Philadelphia Phillies organization as a pitcher.
He started in the Pony D League in Bradford. After two years he was called to military service in 1957. He played two years of baseball for the Army in Fort Knox, Kentucky. It was there that he met his wife of 52 years Dolores Kramer.
He returned to professional baseball in 1959 with the Phillies and would stay with them until his retirement. He enjoyed several good years in the minors and posted some impressive stats that would get him invited to big league spring training in 1964. He always felt he had a good showing, but was sent back to AAA
where he would eventually need surgery on his elbow that would end his career. He finished his 10-year pitching career with a 59-55 record and an ERA of 3.81.
He made lifelong friends who he stayed in contact with over the years. He and his wife would return to her hometown of Jeffersonville, Indiana, where they would make their home and raise their son Scott and daughter Joeanna.
Harry went to work for the largest inland ship builder in the United States, Jeffboat, which was located on the banks of the Ohio River in Jeffersonville. He eventually worked his way to foreman, and would oversee the building of The Mississippi Queen, as well as the first gambling boat in Indiana called The Aztar.
These were two of the most notable building projects for Jeffboat.
Because he never lost his love for the game of baseball, he would go on to coach Little League then moved up to American Legion. Several of his players went on to play college and professional baseball, including his son Scott, as well as major leaguer Walt Terrell. He retired from Jeffboat in 1999. He would spend his time
hunting, fishing, and enjoying watching his granddaughters Casey and Carly grow up.
He lost his battle with cancer in 2010. He was a very respected member of his community. His funeral visitation and procession was one of the largest ever seen in Jeffersonville. Thousands came out to pay their respects to the country boy from Bedford, Pennsylvania, who never knew a stranger and was loved by all who knew him.
Bedford County Sports Hall of Fame
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Bedford County, Pennsylvania
Class of 2017