Hairston appeared in 64 games during the 1977 season, split between the Chicago White Sox and Pittsburgh Pirates.
As a matter of fact the 51 games he suited up for Pittsburgh in ‘77 would be the only games outside of a White Sox uniform he would play during his 14-year career that spanned 17 years between 1973 and 1989.
During that 1977 season Hairston batted a combined .231 with 18 hits in 78 at-bats while playing all three outfield positions and a single game at second base.
He would end up playing in the Mexican League between 1978 and 1980, making his return to the Majors in 1981, back with the White Sox, and for whom he would play out the rest of his career as a guy off the bench, especially for pinch-hitting duties.
He would finish his career with a .258 average based on 438 hits in 1699 at-bats over 859 games.
It’s also worth mentioning that Hairston’s father Sam was a big league ballplayer in 1951 with the White Sox, playing in four games, while also putting together a career in the Negro Leagues.
On top of that, Hairston Sr’s two sons, Jerry Jr and Scott, as well as his own brother John would also be Major League players to various degrees, giving us an expanded three generation baseball family.
