Harvey Haddix
Encyclopedia
Harvey Haddix, Jr. 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
. 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.
Haddix enjoyed his best season in 1953
pitching for St. Louis. He compiled a 20-9 record with 163 strikeout
s, a 3.06 ERA
, 19 complete games and six shutout
s. 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. He was on the Pirate team that won the 1960 World Series
, and was the winning pitcher of Game Seven as a reliever, the Pirates winning the game on Bill Mazeroski
's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Haddix is perhaps best known for pitching 12 perfect innings in a game against the Milwaukee Braves; the Pirates lost the game in the 13th.
into the 13th inning against the Milwaukee Braves
on May 26, 1959
. Haddix retired 36 consecutive batters in 12 innings essentially relying on two pitches: fastball and slider. However, his Pittsburgh
teammates didn't score, as Braves pitcher Lew Burdette
was also pitching a shutout
.
A fielding error
by Don Hoak
ended the perfect game in the bottom of the 13th, with the leadoff batter for Milwaukee, Felix Mantilla, being safe at first base. Mantilla later advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt
, which was followed by an intentional walk
to Hank Aaron. Joe Adcock
then hit an apparent 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 and the Braves won 2-0. Eventually the hit was changed from a home run to a double by a ruling from National League
president Warren Giles
; only Mantilla's run counted, for a score of 1-0, but the Pirates and Haddix still lost.
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. 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."
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."
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;" the rule's formalization had the effect of proclaiming Adcock's drive singularly fatal to Haddix's no-hit bid, i.e., irrespective of any aspect regarding the score and/or the game's ultimate outcome. Despite having thrown more perfect innings than anyone in a single game, Haddix's game was taken off the list of perfect games. Haddix's response was "It's O.K. I know what I did."
Some years later, 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 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. All but one Milwaukee hitter, Aaron, took the signals.
in 453 games (285 as a starter
). He was in the spotlight in the 1960 World Series
against the Yankees
. After winning Game 5 as a starter, Haddix relieved in Game 7 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 from emphysema
in 1994 in Springfield, Ohio
, at the age of 68.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
left-handed pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
who played with the St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
(1952–1956), Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
(1956
1956 Philadelphia Phillies season
- Offseason :* October 3, 1955: Peanuts Lowrey was released by the Phillies.* November 7, 1955: Wally Westlake was signed as a free agent by the Phillies.* December 9, 1955: Frank Baumholtz was purchased by the Phillies from the Chicago Cubs....
–1957
1957 Philadelphia Phillies season
-Offseason:* November 19, 1956: Del Ennis was traded by the Phillies to the St. Louis Cardinals for Rip Repulski and Bobby Morgan.- Regular season :The Phillies integrated during the 1957 season...
), Cincinnati Redlegs
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
(1958), Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are a Major League Baseball club based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. They play in the Central Division of the National League, and are five-time World Series Champions...
(1959–1963) and Baltimore Orioles
Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
(1964
1964 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1964 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 97 wins and 65 losses, two games behind the AL champion New York Yankees.- Offseason :...
–1965
1965 Baltimore Orioles season
The 1965 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 3rd in the American League with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses.- Offseason :* November 28, 1964: Merv Rettenmund was signed as an amateur free agent by the Orioles.- Notable transactions :...
). Haddix was born in Medway, Ohio
Medway, Ohio
Medway is an unincorporated community in Bethel Township, Clark County, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Springfield, Ohio Metropolitan Statistical Area. Near are the adjoining communities of Crystal Lakes and Park Layne. The population of its ZCTA for ZIP Code 45341, which includes Medway,...
, located just outside of Springfield
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
. He was nicknamed "The Kitten" in St. Louis for his resemblance to Harry "The Cat" Brecheen
Harry Brecheen
Harry David Brecheen , nicknamed "The Cat," was an American left-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the St. Louis Cardinals...
, a left-hander on the Cardinals during Haddix's rookie campaign.
Haddix enjoyed his best season in 1953
1953 St. Louis Cardinals season
The St. Louis Cardinals season was the team's 72nd season in St. Louis, Missouri and the 62nd season in the National League. The Cardinals went 83-71 during the season and finished 3rd in the National League....
pitching for St. Louis. He compiled a 20-9 record with 163 strikeout
Strikeout
In baseball or softball, a strikeout or strike-out occurs when a batter receives three strikes during his time at bat. A strikeout is a statistic recorded for both pitchers and batters....
s, a 3.06 ERA
Earned run average
In baseball statistics, earned run average is the mean of earned runs given up by a pitcher per nine innings pitched. It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number of innings pitched and multiplying by nine...
, 19 complete games and six shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
s. 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
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
with the Orioles. He was on the Pirate team that won the 1960 World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
, and was the winning pitcher of Game Seven as a reliever, the Pirates winning the game on Bill Mazeroski
Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
's walk-off home run in the bottom of the ninth.
Haddix is perhaps best known for pitching 12 perfect innings in a game against the Milwaukee Braves; the Pirates lost the game in the 13th.
Near perfect game
Haddix will always be remembered for taking a perfect gamePerfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
into the 13th inning against the Milwaukee Braves
1959 Milwaukee Braves season
The 1959 Milwaukee Braves season was the seventh season for the franchise in Milwaukee and its 84th season overall. The Braves ended the National League regular season in a first-place tie with the Los Angeles Dodgers. With both clubs finishing with records of 86-68, a special best-of-three...
on May 26, 1959
1959 in baseball
-Major League Baseball:*World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox ; Larry Sherry, MVP*All-Star Game , July 7 at Forbes Field: National League, 5-4*All-Star Game , August 3 at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum: American League, 5-3...
. Haddix retired 36 consecutive batters in 12 innings essentially relying on two pitches: fastball and slider. However, his Pittsburgh
1959 Pittsburgh Pirates season
The 1959 Pittsburgh Pirates season saw the team finish in fourth place in the National League at 78-76, nine games behind the NL and World Series Champion Los Angeles Dodgers.- Offseason :...
teammates didn't score, as Braves pitcher Lew Burdette
Lew Burdette
Selva Lewis Burdette, Jr. was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played primarily for the Boston and Milwaukee Braves...
was also pitching a shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
.
A fielding error
Error
The word error entails different meanings and usages relative to how it is conceptually applied. The concrete meaning of the Latin word "error" is "wandering" or "straying". Unlike an illusion, an error or a mistake can sometimes be dispelled through knowledge...
by Don Hoak
Don Hoak
Donald Albert Hoak was a Major League Baseball player. Nicknamed "Tiger," Hoak was a third baseman who played ten seasons in the Majors with the Brooklyn Dodgers , Chicago Cubs , Cincinnati Reds , Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphia Phillies...
ended the perfect game in the bottom of the 13th, with the leadoff batter for Milwaukee, Felix Mantilla, being safe at first base. Mantilla later advanced to second on a sacrifice bunt
Sacrifice hit
In baseball, a sacrifice bunt is a batter's act of deliberately bunting the ball in a manner that allows a runner on base to advance to another base. The batter is almost always sacrificed but sometimes reaches base due to an error or fielder's choice...
, which was followed by an intentional walk
Base on balls
A base on balls is credited to a batter and against a pitcher in baseball statistics when a batter receives four pitches that the umpire calls balls. It is better known as a walk. The base on balls is defined in Section 2.00 of baseball's Official Rules, and further detail is given in 6.08...
to Hank Aaron. Joe Adcock
Joe Adcock
Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock was an American first baseman and right-handed batter in Major League Baseball, best known for his years with the powerful Milwaukee Braves teams of the 1950s, whose career included numerous home run feats...
then hit an apparent home run, ending the no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
and the game. However, in the confusion, Aaron left the basepaths and was passed by Adcock for the second out and the Braves won 2-0. Eventually the hit was changed from a home run to a double by a ruling from National League
National League
The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the National League , is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball, and the world's oldest extant professional team sports league. Founded on February 2, 1876, to replace the National Association of Professional...
president Warren Giles
Warren Giles
Warren Crandall Giles was a National League executive in Major League Baseball.-Baseball:Giles was elected president of the Moline, Illinois baseball club in the Three-I League in 1919 and began a 50-year career in baseball that saw him rise all the way to the presidency of the National League...
; only Mantilla's run counted, for a score of 1-0, but the Pirates and Haddix still lost.
Haddix's 12 and 2/3-inning, one-hit complete game
Complete game
In baseball, a complete game is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher.As demonstrated by the charts below, in the early 20th century, it was common for most good Major League Baseball pitchers to pitch a complete game almost every start. Pitchers were...
, 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. 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."
After the game, Haddix received many letters of congratulations and support, as well as one from a Texas A&M
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
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."
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;" the rule's formalization had the effect of proclaiming Adcock's drive singularly fatal to Haddix's no-hit bid, i.e., irrespective of any aspect regarding the score and/or the game's ultimate outcome. Despite having thrown more perfect innings than anyone in a single game, Haddix's game was taken off the list of perfect games. Haddix's response was "It's O.K. I know what I did."
Some years later, Milwaukee's Bob Buhl
Bob Buhl
Robert Ray Buhl was an American right-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played with the Milwaukee Braves , Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies...
revealed that the Braves pitchers had been stealing the signs from Pittsburgh catcher Smoky Burgess
Smoky Burgess
Forrest Harrill "Smoky" Burgess was an American professional baseball player, coach and scout. He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher from 1949 to 1967. Later in his career, he became known for his ability as a pinch hitter, setting the major league career record for career pinch-hits...
, who was exposing his hand signals due to a high crouch. From their bullpen, Braves pitchers repeatedly repositioned a towel to signal for a fastball
Fastball
The fastball is the most common type of pitch in baseball. Some "power pitchers," such as Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens, have thrown it at speeds of 95–106 mph and up to 108.1 mph , relying purely on speed to prevent the ball from being hit...
or a breaking ball
Breaking ball
In baseball, a breaking ball is a pitch that does not travel straight like a fastball as it approaches the batter. A pitcher who uses primarily breaking ball pitches is often referred to as a junkballer. A breaking ball will have some sideways or downward motion on it...
, the only two pitches Haddix used in the game. Despite this assistance, the usually solid Milwaukee offense managed just the one hit. All but one Milwaukee hitter, Aaron, took the signals.
Career
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 pitchedInnings pitched
In baseball, innings pitched are the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of batters and baserunners that are put out while the pitcher on the pitching mound in a game. Three outs made is equal to one inning pitched. One out counts as one-third of an inning, and two...
in 453 games (285 as a starter
Starting pitcher
In baseball or softball, a starting pitcher is the pitcher who delivers the first pitch to the first batter of a game. A pitcher who enters the game after the first pitch of the game is a relief pitcher....
). He was in the spotlight in the 1960 World Series
1960 World Series
The 1960 World Series was played between the Pittsburgh Pirates of the National League and the New York Yankees of the American League from October 5 to October 13, 1960...
against the Yankees
1960 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 58th season for the team in New York, and its 60th season overall. The team finished with a record of 97-57, winning its 25th pennant, finishing 8 games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games at...
. After winning Game 5 as a starter, Haddix relieved in Game 7 and won when Bill Mazeroski
Bill Mazeroski
William Stanley Mazeroski , nicknamed "Maz", is a former Major League Baseball player who spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates...
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
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
, Cincinnati Reds
Cincinnati Reds
The Cincinnati Reds are a Major League Baseball team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the National League Central Division. The club was established in 1882 as a charter member of the American Association and joined the National League in 1890....
, Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
, and Pirates. He died from emphysema
Emphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
in 1994 in Springfield, Ohio
Springfield, Ohio
Springfield is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Clark County. The municipality is located in southwestern Ohio and is situated on the Mad River, Buck Creek and Beaver Creek, approximately west of Columbus and northeast of Dayton. Springfield is home to Wittenberg...
, at the age of 68.
Highlights
- 3-time All-StarMajor League Baseball All-Star GameThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
(1953–55) - 3-time Gold Glove Award (1958–60)
- Co-Player of the MonthPlayer of the MonthThe Player of the Month Award is a Major League Baseball award named by each league every month of the regular season. The National League started recognizing the award on June 4, 1958. National League president Warren Giles conducted a poll of baseball writers in each Major League city and...
for May 1959 - Major League record, Most consecutive batters retired in one game (36) achieved on May 26, 1959