Harvey Haddix
Harvey Haddix | |
---|---|
Pitcher | |
Born: Medway, Ohio, U.S. | September 18, 1925|
Died: January 8, 1994 Springfield, Ohio, U.S. | (aged 68)|
Batted: Left Threw: Left | |
MLB debut | |
August 20, 1952, for the St. Louis Cardinals | |
Last MLB appearance | |
August 28, 1965, for the Baltimore Orioles | |
MLB statistics | |
Win–loss record | 136–113 |
Earned run average | 3.63 |
Strikeouts | 1,575 |
Teams | |
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Career highlights and awards | |
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Harvey Haddix Jr. (September 18, 1925 – January 8, 1994) was an American professional baseball left-handed pitcher and pitching coach, who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals (1952–1956), Philadelphia Phillies (1956–57), Cincinnati Redlegs (1958), Pittsburgh Pirates (1959–1963), and Baltimore Orioles (1964–65).[1]
Haddix is most notable for
Haddix enjoyed his best season in
Early life
Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio, located just outside Springfield. He was nicknamed "the Kitten" in St. Louis for his resemblance to Harry "The Cat" Brecheen, a left-hander on the Cardinals during Haddix's rookie campaign.[4]
Near-perfect game
Haddix took a
A fielding
I could have put a cup on either corner of the plate and hit it.
— Harvey Haddix[4]
Haddix's 12+2⁄3-inning, one-hit complete game, against the team that had just represented the NL in the previous two World Series, is considered by many to be the best pitching performance in MLB history.[4][10] Mazeroski later said of Haddix's dominance in the game, "Usually you have one or two great or spectacular defensive plays in these no-hitters. Not that night. It was the easiest game I ever played in."[4]
After the game, Haddix received many letters of congratulations and support, as well as one from a Texas A&M fraternity which read, in its entirety on university stationery, "Dear Harvey, Tough shit." "It made me mad", recounted Haddix, "until I realized they were right. That's exactly what it was."[4][11][12][13]
In 1991, Major League Baseball changed the definition of a no-hitter to "a game in which a pitcher or pitchers complete a game of nine innings or more without allowing a hit." This retroactively disqualified Haddix, which some had considered to have thrown a perfect game because he retired the first 27 batters in order. Despite his having thrown more perfect innings than anyone in a single game, Haddix's game was taken off the lists of perfect games and no-hitters. Haddix's response was "It's O.K. I know what I did."[4]
In May 1989, Milwaukee's
Career overview
Over his 14-year career, Haddix had a 136–113 record with 1,575 strikeouts, a 3.63 ERA, 99 complete games, 21 shutouts, 21 saves, and 2,235 innings pitched in 453 games (285 as a starter).[1] He was in the spotlight in the 1960 World Series against the Yankees. After winning Game 5 as a starter, Haddix relieved late in Game 7 and was credited with the win when Bill Mazeroski hit his Series-ending famous walk-off home run.[4] Haddix went 2–0 in the 1960 Series, with a 2.45 ERA.[1]
As a hitter, Haddix was better than average, posting a .212
Jim Palmer said he learned a lot about pitching from Haddix during the veteran's time with the Orioles.[17]
Haddix later followed his namesake Brecheen into the ranks of major league pitching coaches, working with the
Death
A heavy smoker in his playing days, Haddix died from emphysema in 1994 in Springfield, Ohio, at the age of 68.[4][19]
Highlights
- 3-time All-Star (1953–1955)[1]
- 3-time Gold Glove Award (1958–1960)[20]
- Co-Player of the Month for May 1959
- Major League record, Most consecutive batters retired in one game (36) achieved on May 26, 1959[21]
Tributes
Haddix's near-perfect game is memorialized by The Baseball Project, whose song, "Harvey Haddix", appears on their debut album, Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails (2008).
Haddix Field, the Little League baseball park in New Carlisle, Ohio, is named for Haddix.
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "Harvey Haddix Stats". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. 2020. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ a b "Milwaukee Braves 1, Pittsburgh Pirates 0 Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. May 26, 1959. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Biederman, Lester J. (May 27, 1959). "Haddix Loses 'Greatest Game'; Pirate Lefty Hurls 12 Perfect Innings Before Bowing, 1-0; Bucs' 12 Hits to No Avail". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 32. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ SI.com. Sports Illustrated. pp. 62–67. Retrieved October 22, 2015.
- ^ "Pittsburgh Pirates 10, New York Yankees 9 Box Score". Baseball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. October 13, 1960. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
- ^ "Harvey Haddix Perfect Game Box Score". baseball-almanac.com. Baseball Almanac. May 26, 1959. Retrieved January 10, 2020.
- ^ Biederman, Lester J. (May 27, 1959). "The Scoreboard: Pirates Tried Hard to Win for Haddix; Loss Hard to Take; Haddix Had Terrific Control". The Pittsburgh Press. p. 33. Retrieved August 3, 2017.
- ^ Eskenazi, Gerald (May 23, 2009). "Linked to Haddix's Perfection by Western Union Ticker Tape". The New York Times. Retrieved July 29, 2009.
- ISBN 9780786441242.
- ^ Dvorchak, Bob (May 27, 2009). "In 1959 Harvey Haddix pitched perhaps the best game ever — and lost". post-gazette.com. Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-8092-3107-2
- ^ Barbieri, Richard (January 8, 2005). "The Annotated This Day in Baseball History - January 8th, 1994: Harvey Haddix Dies". thisdaybaseball.blogspot.com. Blogger. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-58261-630-8
- ^ Bouchette, Ed (May 24, 1989). "Flashback: Some perfect — and imperfect — memories of Haddix's game". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. p. 21. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ Bouchette, op. cit., p. 23.
- ^ "Harvey Haddix". baseballbiography.com. 2015. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- ISBN 0-8362-0781-5.
- ^ "Harvey Haddix". retrosheet.org. Retrosheet. 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
- ^ "Harvey Haddix, 68; Known for Pitching 12 Perfect Innings". The New York Times. Associated Press. January 10, 1994. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
- ^ "MLB National League Gold Glove Award Winners". Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com. 2020. Retrieved January 11, 2020.
- ISBN 978-1-55365-507-7. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
External links
- Career statistics and player information from MLB, or ESPN, or Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs, or Baseball Reference (Minors), or Retrosheet
- Harvey Haddix at the SABR Baseball Biography Project
- Greatest Baseball Moments, at ESPN
- Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Haddix's Perfect Loss
- Harvey Haddix at Find a Grave