Nine Questions with Dragons Manager Vince Harrison Jr.
Vince Harrison Jr. served as manager of the Dayton Dragons in 2024 and will return in the same role in 2025. In 2024, Harrison guided the Dragons to a record of 74-58 (.561) as the team won a Second Half division title for the first time since 2011 and qualified
Vince Harrison Jr. served as manager of the Dayton Dragons in 2024 and will return in the same role in 2025. In 2024, Harrison guided the Dragons to a record of 74-58 (.561) as the team won a Second Half division title for the first time since 2011 and qualified for the Midwest League playoffs for the first time since 2017.
Harrison has 11 seasons of minor league managing/coaching experience. Prior to serving as the Dragons manager in 2024, he worked as a coach with the Reds Triple-A club, the Louisville Bats, in 2023. Harrison played at Princeton High School in Cincinnati before starring in both baseball and football at the University of Kentucky. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in 2001 and spent four years as a player in their farm system, reaching the Double-A level. His best seasons came in 2003 with Charleston (.275 batting average with 19 home runs) and 2004 with Bakersfield and Montgomery (.275, 16 home runs, .838 OPS). Harrison enjoyed a nine-year professional career as a player in the Rays, Mets, and Marlins systems as a third baseman.
After Harrison’s playing career ended following the 2011 season, he was hired as a coach by the Pirates. He joined the Diamondbacks organization as a hitting coach in 2014 and spent five years in that role before becoming a manager. He managed for three years in the Diamondbacks system before joining the Reds organization in 2023.
We spoke with Vince in the off-season on a variety of topics. Here is the conversation for Minor League Baseball’s “The Nine” initiative:
Q: What was your most memorable moment as manager of the Dragons in 2024?
VH: “The day we clinched to qualify for the playoffs in Great Lakes. The smiles and hugs from everyone were priceless.” (The Dragons clinched their first post-season berth since 2017 with a 1-0 victory over the Great Lakes Loons on September 2, 2024 in Midland, Michigan)
Q: As you were playing sports as a kid in the Cincinnati area, who was your role model?
VH: “My role models playing sports as a kid were my uncle John Shelby and Barry Larkin. To see my family and a local guy doing big things made me want to follow in their footsteps. My uncle was #31 and Barry was #11. I have always worn #13 as a tribute to them because it combines their numbers.” (Vince’s uncle, John Shelby, played 11 years in the Major Leagues, mostly with the Orioles and Dodgers. He played in more than 1,000 MLB games and hit a career high 22 home runs in 1987.)
Q: Over the course of your long career in professional baseball as a player, coach, or manager, what player do you feel you impacted the most as a teammate or in a leadership role?
VH: “The player that I feel I have impacted the most in a leadership role is my brother, Josh. He watched me going through the minor leagues. He saw me get injured and rehab and lose two seasons. He got a glimpse into my world at an early age and he saw good things and bad. I was able to talk to him and prepare him to be a pro. (Josh Harrison went on to play 13 years in the Major Leagues, collecting over 1,000 career hits, and playing to two MLB All-Star games).
Q: What advice do you have for the new generation of baseball players?
VH: “Don’t be satisfied with average. Strive for greatness.”
Q: Aside from Day Air Ballpark in Dayton, what is your all-time favorite minor league stadium to play in or coach in?
VH: “Other than Dayton, I always liked playing and coaching in Jacksonville.”
Q: You played football at the University of Kentucky. How did that help you as a baseball player or future manager?
VH: “Playing football at UK helped me as a future manager because I learned to read the room with a big group. I learned to build relationships with a lot of people. It prepared me for supreme competition and rowdy crowds.”
Q: What kind of adversity have you dealt with as a player or coach and how did you overcome those challenges?
VH: “Adversities that I dealt with include multiple wrist surgeries that affected my swing and caused me to miss time. I never regained the range of motion. I tore my quad after missing a year with my wrist injury and missed the next season. Two years of rehab when I would’ve been in Triple A, knocking on the door to the show. Those times built my faith even more and continued to make me persevere. Everybody has something going on and this was a reminder to never feel sorry for myself and keep working.”
Q: If you could offer some advice on how baseball could grow the game, what would you suggest?
VH: “To grow the game, I would encourage those people in the game to work with and teach young players the things that they have learned. Baseball is a sport that produces a lot of failure and we can’t let younger players get discouraged at an early age.”
Q: As an African American manager in professional baseball, you have followed in the footsteps of hall of famer Frank Robinson, who became baseball’s first black manager in 1975. As we celebrate Black History Month, what does it mean to you to be able to help the next generation of African American baseball players get to the Major Leagues?
VH: “It means so much to help the next generation of African American players get to the big leagues. There is a small percentage of players and coaches in the Major Leagues and I don’t want to allow that to become a discouraging factor for the next generation. I will continue to strive to be a positive role model and someone that others can look up to, as someone they know cares for them and their career and wants to help them achieve greatness.”
These 15 moments led to season No. 15 of Minor League road trips
Benjamin Hill travels the nation collecting stories about what makes Minor League Baseball unique. This excerpt from his newsletter is a mere taste of the smorgasbord of delights he offers every week. Read the full newsletter here, and subscribe to his newsletter here.
MiLB podcast crew makes Opening Day predictions
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Everything you need to know for Triple-A Opening Day
First, there was big league Opening Day. Now it's Triple-A's turn to take the spotlight. The Minor League season opens Friday when the Triple-A International League and Pacific Coast League seasons get underway for the first of MiLB’s two Opening Days. And right out of the gates, several of baseball's
Top prospects to watch at Triple-A -- one for each organization
It’s Triple-A’s turn up to bat on Friday. The regular season begins for the Minor Leagues’ highest level one day after the action starts on the Major League side. Fun fact: it’ll be the earliest start to a Minor League season since 1951 (March 27). Double-A, High-A and Single-A will
Here's where every Top 100 prospect is expected to start the season
The 2025 Opening Day prospect roster announcements began last week when the Cubs informed Matt Shaw (MLB No. 19) he was making the trip overseas to compete in the Tokyo Series. Roki Sasaki (No. 1) also received the good news, but his assignment was much less of a surprise. Now
Nationals prospect King joins MiLB podcast
Check out the latest episodes of The Show Before the Show, MiLB.com's official podcast. A segment rundown is listed below, in case you want to skip to a particular section. Like the podcast? Subscribe, rate and review on Apple Podcasts. The podcast is also available via Spotify, Megaphone and other
Here are the 2025 All-Spring Breakout Teams
Fifteen games, several jersey swaps and countless highlights later, the second edition of Spring Breakout has officially concluded – and it lived up to its billing. Of the 16 contests sprinkled across four days, only one game (Dodgers vs. Cubs) was rained out. Coincidentally, the Cubs were one of two
Rox young sluggers aim to bring pop back to Coors Field
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Coors Field may provide the best run-scoring environment in Major League Baseball, but the Rockies haven’t taken advantage of it in recent years. Even without adjusting for Coors, they have fielded offenses worse than the league average the past three seasons, and they scored the fewest runs
Astros brass sees potential in consistently 'underranked' farm system
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The last time the Astros landed in the top 10 of MLB Pipeline’s farm system rankings was before the 2019 season. Since those rankings expanded to all 30 teams ahead of the 2020 season -- 11 lists in total -- they’ve never ranked higher than
Complete results and highlights from Spring Breakout
The second edition of MLB Spring Breakout is complete, and there was no shortage of highlights from the future stars of Major League Baseball over the four-day showcase. Here's a complete breakdown of the 16-game exhibition:
Southpaw Spring Breakout: White Sox future on display with Schultz, Smith
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- If all goes as planned for the White Sox, left-handers Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz won’t spend much time following each other to the mound in a single game. Schultz, the No. 1 White Sox prospect and No. 16 overall, per MLB Pipeline, and Smith, who is
In first pro game, Rainer offers pop, promise to Tigers fans
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- Bryce Rainer’s pro career consisted of workouts and batting practice until Sunday.
'Me and Brady on the dirt again': House, King reunite at Spring Breakout
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- The 2025 Spring Breakout was a flashback for Brady House and Seaver King. Over 10 years ago, the infielders were travel ball teammates in Georgia who shared the dream of making it to the Major Leagues. Now, they are top prospects in the same organization,
Lambert -- 'an adrenaline guy' -- hoping to be next Mets bullpen gem
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. -- Ryan Lambert loves throwing hard. He relishes the idea of getting to two strikes and blowing hitters away. “Get me in a game,” Lambert said, “cool things will happen.”
Stewart embraces Spring Breakout: 'What's not to love?'
PHOENIX -- Sal Stewart was one fired-up Reds prospect. On Sunday in the first inning during the organization's 9-7 Spring Breakout win over Brewers prospects, Stewart lifted a 2-2 pitch that sailed over the center fielder's head to the wall. Already not known as a speedster, he stumbled running between
Prospect Peña quietly drawing raves in Brewers' farm system
PHOENIX – Jesús Made was at the top of the Brewers’ lineup for Sunday’s 9-7 loss to the Reds in the finale of MLB’s four-day Spring Breakout, a fitting perch when you consider that the 17-year-old infielder is under a bright spotlight as MLB Pipeline’s No. 55 prospect. Made could
Brecht -- in 1st outing since '24 Draft -- wows at Spring Breakout
GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Sunday's Spring Breakout showcase was the perfect unveiling for Rockies No. 5 prospect Brody Brecht. A right-handed pitcher from the University of Iowa whom the Rockies selected 38th overall last summer, Brecht had a nice collegiate resume, an interesting backstory as a former wide receiver for the
Braves prospects show promise in Spring Breakout
NORTH PORT, Fla. -- As Terry Pendleton prepared to serve as the manager of the Braves prospect team that played the Tigers prospect team in a Spring Breakout game on Sunday afternoon, he said fans should be patient with John Gil and Luis Guanipa, a pair of teenagers who have
Yanks' Lagrange flashes triple-digit heat in Spring Breakout
SARASOTA, Fla. -- There was an audible “Ooh” from the crowd at Ed Smith Stadium, and Carlos Lagrange quickly glanced beyond the right-field wall, checking the velocity of the pitch he’d just thrown in Saturday’s 5-4 Spring Breakout loss to the Orioles. It had registered in the triple digits, and
Bradfield dedicates Spring Breakout performance to late friend
SARASOTA, Fla. -- It was about more than playing in the national spotlight. More than the dinner bet placed with an old college teammate earlier in the month. More than a game. As Enrique Bradfield Jr. slid home to score a run during the first inning of Saturday night’s Spring