Synopses & Reviews
andlt;B andgt;In the pageantry of baseball, one select group is virtually unknown in the outside world, derided by fans, faced with split-second choices that spell victory or defeat. These men are up-close observers of the action, privy to inside jokes, blood feuds, benches-clearing brawls, and managersand#8217; expletive-filled tirades. In this wonderful memoir, Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey takes us within baseball as youand#8217;ve never seen it, with unforgettable inside stories of baseball greats such as Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Whitey Herzog.andlt;/Bandgt;andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Doug Harvey was a California farm boy, a high school athlete who nevertheless knew that what he really wanted was to become an unsung heroand#8212;a major league umpire. Working his way through the minor leagues, earning three hundred dollars a month, he survived just about everything, even riots in stadiums in Puerto Rico. And while players and other umps hit the bars at night, Harvey memorized the rule book. In 1962, he broke into the bigs and was soon listening to rookie Pete Rose worrying that he would be cut by the Reds and laying down the law with managers such as Tommy Lasorda and Joe Torre.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;This colorful memoir takes the reader behind the plate for some of baseballand#8217;s most memorable moments, including: andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#183; Roberto Clementeand#8217;s three thousandth and final hitandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#183; The and#8220;I donand#8217;t believe what I just sawand#8221; heroic three-and-two pinch-hit home run by Kirk Gibson in the and#8217;88 World Seriesandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;and#183; The nail-biting excitement of the close-fought and#8217;68 World Series, when Doug called St. Louis Cardinal Lou Brock out at home plate and turned the trajectory of the seriesandlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;But beyond the drama, Harvey turned umpiring into an art. He was a man so respected, whose calls were so feared and infallible, that the players called him God. And through it all, he lived by three rules: never take anything from a player, never back down from a call, and never carry a grudge.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;A book for anyone who loves baseball, andlt;I andgt;They Called Me God andlt;/Iandgt;is a funny and fascinating tale of on- and off-the-field action, peopled by unforgettable characters from Bob Gibson to Nolan Ryan, and a treatise on good umpiring techniques. In a memoir that transcends sport, Doug Harvey tells a gripping story of responsibility, fairness, and honesty.
Synopsis
The incredible memoir from the man voted one of the "Best Umpires of All Time" by the Society of American Baseball Research--filled with more than three decades of fascinating baseball stories.
In the pageantry of baseball, one select group is virtually unknown in the outside world, derided by fans, faced with split-second choices that spell victory or defeat. These men are up-close observers of the action, privy to inside jokes, blood feuds, benches-clearing brawls, and managers' expletive-filled tirades. In this wonderful memoir, Hall of Fame umpire Doug Harvey takes us within baseball as you've never seen it, with unforgettable inside stories of baseball greats such as Willie Mays, Sandy Koufax, and Whitey Herzog.
Doug Harvey was a California farm boy, a high school athlete who nevertheless knew that what he really wanted was to become an unsung hero--a major league umpire. Working his way through the minor leagues, earning three hundred dollars a month, he survived just about everything, even riots in stadiums in Puerto Rico. And while players and other umps hit the bars at night, Harvey memorized the rule book. In 1962, he broke into the bigs and was soon listening to rookie Pete Rose worrying that he would be cut by the Reds and laying down the law with managers such as Tommy Lasorda and Joe Torre.
This colorful memoir takes the reader behind the plate for some of baseball's most memorable moments, including:
- Roberto Clemente's three thousandth and final hit
- The "I don't believe what I just saw" heroic three-and-two pinch-hit home run by Kirk Gibson in the '88 World Series
- The nail-biting excitement of the close-fought '68 World Series, when Doug called St. Louis Cardinal Lou Brock out at home plate and turned the trajectory of the series
But beyond the drama, Harvey turned umpiring into an art. He was a man so respected, whose calls were so feared and infallible, that the players called him God. And through it all, he lived by three rules: never take anything from a player, never back down from a call, and never carry a grudge.
A book for anyone who loves baseball, They Called Me God is a funny and fascinating tale of on- and off-the-field action, peopled by unforgettable characters from Bob Gibson to Nolan Ryan, and a treatise on good umpiring techniques. In a memoir that transcends sport, Doug Harvey tells a gripping story of responsibility, fairness, and honesty.
Synopsis
The incredible memoir from the man voted one of the and#8220;Best Umpires of All Timeand#8221; by the Society of American Baseball Researchand#8212;filled with more than three decades of fascinating baseball stories.andlt;brandgt;andlt;brandgt;Doug Harvey was working the overnight shift at a seedy bar when he saw Don Larsenand#8217;s perfect World Series game on television. By the sixth inning, he pointed to the home plate umpire and told the regulars that was what he wanted to do. They laughed him out of the bar. Six years later, he was umpiring the World Series. After reaching the major leagues in record time, Doug enjoyed an amazing career that spanned thirty years, and now heand#8217;s ready to share the greatness, violence, pranks, rivalries, and triumphs, providing a window into the game that only someone who is himself a legend can offer.andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;In andlt;Iandgt;They Called Me God,andlt;/Iandgt; Doug shares hundreds of tales, many of which have never been heard off the field. He has plenty to say about legendary and notorious ballplayers, the art of pitching and umpiring, and the game he loved so much. Featuring stories from Doug's singular perspective about legendary players such as Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Henry Aaron, Dwight Gooden, and more, and famous managers like Leo Durocher, Tommy Lasorda, Sparky Anderson, Lou Piniella, and others, this part-memoir, part-insider-baseball-story is the tale of a Hall of Fame umpire whose talent, demeanor, and knowledge of the game earned him the nickname and#8220;God.and#8221;
About the Author
Doug Harvey is a Hall of Fame umpire whose career total of 4,673 gamesand#8212;including five World Seriesand#8212;ranks third in major league history.Peter Golenbock has written eight andlt;iandgt;New York Timesandlt;/iandgt; bestsellers, among them some of baseballand#8217;s most important books, including andlt;iandgt;Dynasty: The New York Yankees 1949-64andlt;/iandgt;; andlt;iandgt;The Bronx Zooandlt;/iandgt; (with Sparky Lyle); andlt;iandgt;Number 1andlt;/iandgt; (with Billy Martin); andlt;iandgt;Ballsandlt;/iandgt; (with Greg Nettles); and andlt;iandgt;Idiotandlt;/iandgt; (with Johnny Damon), as well as andlt;iandgt;Personal Foulsandlt;/iandgt; andandnbsp;andlt;iandgt;American Princeandlt;/iandgt; (with Tony Curtis).