Doug Harvey Quotes & Sayings

There was something special about watching a manager and umpire both convinced they were totally right, but knowing that one had to be wrong. As an ump, those moments made my job fun, and getting 'nose-to-nose' was part of my job description. — Doug Harvey

If you don't need umpires out there, and you can put robots out there, then why do we need ballplayers? — Doug Harvey

I just loved officiating, and I hope what I did helped make it better. That's what I tell young umpires: you can have fun. I never spent a day where going out on a baseball field didn't make me feel better. — Doug Harvey

Officiating is trying to do your absolute best with what you've got. — Doug Harvey

The one thing that all umpires have is pride, and if you don't have pride, you lose that edge. — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey

Error is part of the game. I never, ever second-guessed myself on a call and don't believe good umpires ever should. — Doug Harvey

Instant replay ought to be thrown out. Period. It's a game of imperfections. Why is that so bad for the game? Really, I think they are trying to make the game perfect. I'll tell you what: It will never, ever be perfect. — Doug Harvey

I was correct in every call I made, regardless of what managers, players or replay may have said. To me, that's the reason I'm in the Hall of Fame. If I didn't umpire with conviction, I wouldn't have made it for long. — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey

The integrity of the game is the umpires. Nobody else. The entire integrity of the game is the umpires. — Doug Harvey

I always told my young umpires, 'Don't get mad. Whatever you do, don't show it. But no matter how long it takes, get even.' — Doug Harvey

When asked what he was fighting for, General Washington, in writing to General Thomas, said the object was 'neither glory nor extent of territory, but a defense of all that is dear and valuable in life.' He must have been an umpire. That's what umpiring is about. — Doug Harvey

I went into umpiring at age 16. I got into officiating because of the fact that I could not stand the referees that worked our basketball games. — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey

I set out to be the best umpire of my time. But I don't know what it takes to be great. — Doug Harvey

You can't know what it's like to be a major league umpire unless you were a major league umpire. — Doug Harvey

Before I joined professional baseball, I started umpiring in San Diego, California. I worked 155 games in a five-month season. For three years in a row, I was working tripleheaders on Saturday and doubleheaders on Sunday. — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey

Willie Mays was the best baseball player I ever saw. He could do anything. — Doug Harvey

Umpires are necessary evils. That's just the nature of the beast. For years, people have looked on umpiring as a job they could get any postman to do. — Doug Harvey

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.' — Doug Harvey

Give me 10 high school pitchers, let me spend a week with them, and I'll show you 10 pitchers who won't balk. It's not that difficult, and they better learn it. — Doug Harvey

I always tell my wife, 'If you're ever looking for something to put on my gravestone, put down, 'He was an honest man, and he never held a grudge.' — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey

I'll say it again: you've got to put the argument back in the game. They're trying to make baseball mechanized, a machine. They're ruining baseball. — Doug Harvey

As we all know, Cooperstown is the home of baseball. One of the many duties of the home plate umpire is to make sure that the runner touches home. Well, if you're a true baseball fan, you need to visit Cooperstown. This is home. — Doug Harvey

I want you to know that I am one of the more fortunate people in life. There aren't too many of us that somebody selects and says, 'You know, that guy ought to be an umpire.' That's what happened to me. — Doug Harvey

I was a great base umpire, but I was the most mediocre plate umpire to ever come into the major leagues. — Doug Harvey

I must admit, I was born to officiate; I was made to officiate. I miss it. I knew why I was doing it. God made me to umpire. — Doug Harvey

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.' — Doug Harvey

I know that there are no famous 'Doug Harvey plays.' And I'm proud of that. — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey

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. — Doug Harvey