Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Harry Chiti

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Harry Chiti
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Memories of
Harry Chiti

Harry Chiti
Ultimate Mets Database popularity ranking: 350 of 1233 players

Harry Chiti
Born: November 16, 1932 at Kincaid, Ill.
Died: January 31, 2002 at Haines City, Fla. Obituary
Throws: Right Bats: Right
Height: 6.02 Weight: 221

Harry Chiti was the most popular Ultimate Mets Database daily lookup on November 22, 2005, December 7, 2009, September 12, 2010, February 3, 2015, and November 24, 2021.

First Mets game: April 28, 1962
Last Mets game: June 10, 1962

Father of Dom Chiti

Share your memories of Harry Chiti

HERE IS WHAT OTHER METS FANS HAVE TO SAY:

Jack
Harry Chiti has the dubious distinction of being the only player in baseball history to be traded for himself. The Mets shipped him to the Indians for a player to be named later in 1962. The Indians kept him for a month and ended up offering him back to the Mets as the "player to be named later." The Mets accepted and Harry went on to an entirely unremarkable career.

mets
May 28, 2003
The first big league game I saw at the Polo Grounds between the Giants and Cubs Harry Chiti hit two home runs. His son Dom Chiti is a coach for the Texas Rangers.

Jonathan Stern
October 10, 2003
Since the Mets tend to specialize in negative records, and since we Mets fans have no choice but to glory in them, I will say that Harry Chiti being the first player ever to be traded for himself is my favorite Mets negative record of all. I would have like to have met the man, but he passed away last year. Any family members out there wish to tell us more about him?

Harry Kalish
February 21, 2004
I guess some people might consider this tasteless, and, thinking about it now, they'd be right. But, please keep in mind, my friends and I were probably only about 10 years old at the time Harry came to the Mets.
So, when we read about the Mets picking up Harry Chiti, none of us were quite sure how to pronounce C-H-I-T-I. After much agonizing brain work (and, admittedly, we didn't have much to work with), we concluded that Harry pronounced his last name Sh... Well, I guess you get the picture. So to us kids in Sheepshead Bay in 1962, Harry Chiti will forever be known as Harry Sh...
Rest in peace, Harry.

Kiwiwriter
July 1, 2004
Traded for yourself! How do you get traded for yourself?
I wonder how he lived with that?

maestro
August 18, 2005
Many years ago I saw the coolest t-shirt of all time at a beach in the Hamptons: "Harry Chiti Fan Club." Never saw it again.

flushing flash
August 27, 2005
In the days of the New York Times online Baseball Trivia Forum (1997-2004), if someone answered a question correctly, passed on asking the next question, but then later changed his mind and asked it, it was called exercising "Harry Chiti rights". Chiti was famously traded for a player to be named later, who turned out to be himself.

jeff
October 30, 2008
When Harry Chiti lived in Memphis, TN I was a kid only about 5 years old. I lived behind him and between us there were no fences. This was about 1973-4. It was a new neigborhood and we didn't have any trees. He had planted an apple tree in his yard maybe a year before this incident happened. Anyway, being a kid, I climbed up Harry Chiti's apple tree and picked his first apple. He saw me, and summarily caught me in the act. I had absolutely no idea who he was, or what he had done because I was too young really to follow baseball at 4 or 5. My dad told me he was a major league ball player, and I really didn't realize anything about him until the internet age. I don't even know why he was in Memphis in 1974. But I know I got the first apple off his tree and he was none too pleased. Of course, he also thought it was funny.
I sure wish I could return to those days when mischief was stealing your neighbor's apple. He actually brought me back home to my parents' house! Wish I coulda had a beer with ya, Harry.

Gary
November 5, 2008
I had the pleasure and honor of working with Harry in the late 80's and 90's as a deputy sheriff in Memphis where he worked after he left baseball . His somewhat gruff manner was a feeble attempt to hide a heart as big as they come. He was a good friend and I miss him.

Ed K
January 31, 2012
Today (1/31/12) marks the tenth anniversary of Harry's passing away. He had a 10-year MLB career which ended with the 1962 Mets.
Jim's post above actually reversed the details of the famous deal. On April 26th, the Indians traded Harry to the Mets for cash and a player to be named later. Harry played his last 15 MLB games for the Mets and hit .195. On June 15th, the Mets returned him to the Indians as the player to be named later.