Harvey Haddix

Infobox MLB retired
name=Harvey Haddix
position=Pitcher


bats=Left
throws=Left
birthdate=birth date|1925|9|18
Medway, Ohio
deathdate=death date and age|1994|1|8|1925|9|18
Springfield, Ohio
debutdate=August 20
debutyear=by|1952
debutteam=St. Louis Cardinals
finaldate=August 28
finalyear=by|1965
finalteam=Baltimore Orioles
stat1label=Win-Loss record
stat1value=136-113
stat2label=Earned run average
stat2value=3.63
stat3label=Strikeouts
stat3value=1,575
teams=
* St. Louis Cardinals (by|1952-by|1956)
* Philadelphia Phillies (by|1956-by|1957)
* Cincinnati Redlegs (by|1958)
* Pittsburgh Pirates (by|1959-by|1963)
* Baltimore Orioles (by|1964-by|1965)
highlights=
* 3x All-Star selection (1953, 1954, 1955)
* World Series champion (1960)
* 3x Gold Glove Award winner (1958, 1959, 1960)

Harvey Haddix, Jr. (September 18, 1925 - January 8, 1994) was a Major League Baseball left-handed pitcher who played with the St. Louis Cardinals (1952-1956), Philadelphia Phillies (1956-1957), Cincinnati Redlegs (1958), Pittsburgh Pirates (1959-1963) and Baltimore Orioles (1964-1965). Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio, located just outside of Springfield, Ohio. He was nicknamed "Kitten" in St. Louis for his resemblance to Harry "The Cat" Brecheen, a left-hander on the Cardinals during Haddix' rookie campaign.

Haddix enjoyed his best season in 1953 pitching for St. Louis. He compiled a 20-9 record with 163 strikeouts, a 3.06 ERA, 19 complete games and six shutouts. After five-plus seasons with the Cardinals, he was traded to the Phillies. He also pitched for Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, and finished as an effective reliever with the Orioles.

Haddix will always be remembered for taking a perfect game into the 13th inning of a game against the Milwaukee Braves on May 26, 1959. Haddix retired 36 consecutive batters in 12 innings, but his Pittsburgh teammates didn't score, as Braves pitcher Lew Burdette was also pitching a shutout.

After a fielding error by Don Hoak ended the perfect game in the bottom of the 13th, the runner was advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt, which was followed by an intentional walk to Hank Aaron. Joe Adcock then hit a home run, ending the no hitter and the game. However, in the confusion, Aaron left the basepaths and was passed by Adcock for the second out. Eventually the hit was changed from a home run to a double by a ruling from National League president Warren Giles; instead of three runs on a home run, only the first Braves run counted. But the game ended there, with the Pirates and Haddix losing 1-0.

Haddix's 12 and 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 major league history.

After the game, Haddix received many letters of congratulations and support, as well as one from a fraternity which read, in its entirety, "Dear Harv, tough shit." "It made me mad," recounted Haddix, "until I realized they were right. That's exactly what it was." [http://books.google.com/books?id=r9y1KMp63gcC&pg=PA82&lpg=PA82&dq=%22harvey+haddix%22+fraternity&source=web&ots=C9uwOsF2Yl&sig=SWqXdsJ2jCka2nIVsfln1iMbtPo] [ [http://thisdaybaseball.blogspot.com/2005/01/january-8th-1994-harvey-haddix-dies.html The Annotated This Day in Baseball History ] ] [http://books.google.com/books?id=FctDBEzJnW4C&pg=PA74&lpg=PA74&dq=%22harvey+haddix%22+fraternity&source=web&ots=60mCbSOrFW&sig=Dus0uyUWgS2oOYstVmJHqe3Dn24#PPP3,M1]

In 1993, Milwaukee's Bob Buhl revealed that the Braves pitchers had been stealing the signs from Pittsburgh catcher Smoky Burgess, who was exposing his hand signals due to a high crouch. From their bullpen, Braves pitchers repeatedly repositioned a towel on the bullpen fence to signal for a fastball or a breaking ball, the only two pitches Haddix used in the game. Despite this assistance, the usually solid Milwaukee offense managed just the one hit. [ [http://www.baseballlibrary.com/baseballlibrary/ballplayers/H/Haddix_Harvey.stm Harvey Haddix | BaseballLibrary.com ] ]

Over his 14-year career, Haddix had a 136-113 record with 1575 strikeouts, a 3.63 ERA, 99 complete games, 21 shutouts, 21 saves, and 2235 innings pitched in 453 games (285 as a starter). He was in the spotlight in the 1960 World Series against the Yankees. After winning Game Five as a starter, Haddix relieved in Game Seven and won when Bill Mazeroski hit his famous home run.

Harvey Haddix later followed his namesake Brecheen into the ranks of major league pitching coaches, working with the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Boston Red Sox, Cleveland Indians and Pirates. He died in Springfield, Ohio, at the age of 68.

Highlights

* 3-time All-Star (1953-55)
* 3-time Gold Glove Award (1958-60)
* Co-Player of the Month for May 1959

References

External links

*baseball-reference|id=h/haddiha01
* [http://www.retrosheet.org/boxesetc/1959/B05260MLN1959.htm Near-Perfect Game box score and play by play]
* [http://espn.go.com/page2/s/list/readers/mlbmoremoments.html Greatest Baseball Moments, at "ESPN"]
* [http://archive.sportingnews.com/baseball/25moments/19.html Baseball's 25 Greatest Moments: Haddix's Perfect Loss]