Harry Robison

 

Player

 

Inducted 1991

 

Prior to softball, Harry Robison played baseball in high school and college and spent three years in the Boston Red Sox organization.  In 1952, Harry started playing softball in the Portsmouth Major Fast-Pitch League.  The next six years, he played for the best fast-pitch teams (Merchants, Barr Brothers, Parker’s Market and B&B) in Portsmouth in tournaments.  In 1955, in the District tournament, Harry hit a homerun in the finals against the powerful Foxhill Merchants to send his team into the Virginia State tournament.  He played in five State tournaments - twice making the All-Star team.  In 1958, Harry played first-base in the Men’s Major Fast-Pitch National tournament.  Harry’s lifetime batting average in fast-pitch was .350.  In addition, he was considered to be one of the best first-basemen to have ever played fast-pitch softball in Portsmouth.  Starting in 1959, Harry played slow-pitch softball for another ten years.  In 1968, he began umpiring and, at the time of his induction, was still active and held the distinction in Portsmouth of being the ‘oldest umpire.’