Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey
Douglas Norman Harveywas a Canadian professional hockey player who played in the National Hockey Leaguefrom 1947 until 1964, and from 1966 until 1969. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defencemen ever to play the game, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman on seven occasions...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionHockey Player
Date of Birth19 December 1924
CountryCanada
base great major mediocre plate umpire
I was a great base umpire, but I was the most mediocre plate umpire to ever come into the major leagues.
best great takes time umpire
I set out to be the best umpire of my time. But I don't know what it takes to be great.
ask bases idiots life love seen son tried volunteer work
I say to you, you want a thrill, volunteer to be an umpire. I'd like you to go just work the bases some day. Just go do that. You're going to love it. Try the slow-pitch stuff. You'll love it. Ask my son - he tried it! He said, 'I've never seen so many idiots in all my life.'
face focused hand happened leaving special strike task time white
When you're in between the white lines, the game face is on. I was only focused on the task at hand - out, safe, ball, strike - leaving little time to think about how special a player, moment or game happened to be.
balls basic battle offense perspective pitcher strike strikes waged zone
Balls and strikes are the basic tenet to everything in baseball. From the perspective of hitting, pitching, offense and defense, it's all about the strike zone and how the battle is waged there between the pitcher and hitter.
ask best fortunate found god home meant people plate white
I just umpire. That's what I've done. That's all I can do. I'm one of the fortunate ones on God's earth. I found what God meant for me to do. People ask if I like working home plate best. I just want to be between the white lines. That's where I belong, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
unless
You can't know what it's like to be a major league umpire unless you were a major league umpire.
class deep inside stand
I wrestled as a 90-pounder, and I wrestled in the 107-pound class in my first year. I had something inside of me. I could not stand not to compete. And I don't know why... I don't know what that's all about. But that's deep inside of Doug Harvey.
achieve help love perfection spot stay striving teach wants work
I'd love to stay in baseball, but I won't beg. I'd love to work with young umpires. I think I could teach them, help them develop. I can spot flaws, help them get over the hump. You're striving for perfection every game, yet you never achieve it. If baseball wants me, I'm available.
beef came clubhouse ran replay watch
I remember when replay first came to TV. I can't remember who it was now, but a manager came out to beef about a call, and I ran him. He said he was going back into the clubhouse and watch replay. I told him, 'Go ahead. I am the replay.'
agree call matter nobody object seems strike unseen
If you're a photographer, they give you a camera. If you're a writer, they give you a typewriter. If you're an umpire, they give you an unseen object and they call it a strike zone, and nobody seems to agree with you no matter what you call.
dedicated heard interest necessary people played primary sure umpires whose
I've heard it said that umpires are necessary evil. Well, we are necessary, but we are not evil. We are hard-working and dedicated people whose primary interest is to make sure the game is played fairly. We are the integrity of the game.
age beat breaking clothes finally great laughing mom quit spanking until
My mom beat us until she started breaking clothes hangers. Wooden clothes hangers! Once we started laughing back at her, then your spankings were through. That's the way I was raised. So, I got to be about 13 years of age when finally she quit spanking on me. But I think that it was great way to be raised.
robots umpires
If you don't need umpires out there, and you can put robots out there, then why do we need ballplayers?