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 More Quotes by Doug Harvey More Quotes From 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 you mad matter long I was a great base umpire, but I was the most mediocre plate umpire to ever come into the major leagues. Doug Harvey plate ever come great The integrity of the game is the umpires. Nobody else. The entire integrity of the game is the umpires. Doug Harvey nobody-else nobody game integrity You can't know what it's like to be a major league umpire unless you were a major league umpire. Doug Harvey unless like know you 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 game good myself believe 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 job beast nature people 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 how everything perspective battle 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 job moments special fun 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 me reason fame long 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 face moment you time 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 game evil integrity people 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 true know you home 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 professional saturday sunday three 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-am me you life 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 me you work love 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 best me god home Willie Mays was the best baseball player I ever saw. He could do anything. Doug Harvey anything he best baseball 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 camera nobody you matter 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 looking you man wife If you don't need umpires out there, and you can put robots out there, then why do we need ballplayers? Doug Harvey why need you robots
