An important aspect of the game the Black Baseball Mixtape will be monitoring closely is the journey of Black managers in college and professional baseball. Black managers are grossly underrepresented in MiLB and D1 baseball. Yesterday, Vince Harrison Jr., an experienced minor league player and coach, was named the 12th manager in the history of the Dayton Dragons, the High-A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds.
Harrison Jr., 44, will bring ten seasons of minor league managing/coaching experience to the Dragons in 2024. He recently served as a coach with the Reds Triple-A club, the Louisville Bats, in 2023. Harrison Jr. brings a nine-year professional career as a player, playing in the Rays, Mets, and Marlins systems as a third baseman.
Vince is the older brother of current MLB player Josh Harrison. He was a standout baseball and football player at Princeton High School in Cincinnati and the Univesity of Kentucky before being drafted by the Rays in 2001.
We at the Mixtape wish Coach Harrison the best as he takes the next step in his coaching career.
