Hall of Fame and Former NL Umpire Doug Harvey Dies

National Baseball Hall of Fame umpire Harold Doug "God" Harvey has passed away at the age of 87. Harvey, who officiated 4,673 regular season National League games from 1962-1992, joined the California League in 1958, at the age of 28, and worked in the Pacific Coast League prior to his NL hiring.

Born in South Gate, California on March 13, 1930 to Harold Wollen (a former minor league umpire himself) and Target Mae Harvey, Doug Harvey began his sports officiating career as a high school basketball referee at the age of 16.

A San Diego State College alum, Harvey played collegiate baseball, basketball, and football, opting to pursue umpiring after leaving SD State, landing placement in the California League soon thereafter.

Doug Harvey has died.

After a rapid ascent to Triple-A's PCL in 1961, he was hired to the NL staff in 1962 at the age of 32, becoming the first major league umpire of Native American ancestry to officiate at baseball's highest level, and the last not to have first attended professional umpire school.

The Silver Fox remained a San Diego resident throughout his professional umpiring career, was voted the NL's best umpire in a 1974 Major League Player's Association poll, best umpire once again in a 1990 Sport magazine ranking, and officiated five All-Star games, nine National League Championship Series, and five World Series by the time he retired from baseball in 1992, due in part to failing knees. His former sleeve #8 is presently worn by Major League crew chief Jeff Kellogg.

Doug Harvey's Hall of Fame plaque.

Having often used chewing tobacco, Harvey in 1997 was diagnosed with esophageal cancer, an ailment which impacted his 2010 Hall of Fame induction ceremony speech, and necessitated the use of pre-recorded video to accept the induction.

He concluded his career with 58 ejections, his first on May 9, 1962 (Milwaukee catcher Joe Torre), and his final on September 16, 1992 (Cardinals Manager, the same Joe Torre).

Residents of Southern California could easily tell who and where Harvey was thanks to his personalized license plate, which Harvey customized to read "NL UMP."

Following his career, Harvey published a memoir entitled, They Called Me God: The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived, recounting tales from his three decades on the field.

After the Veterans Committee elected him to the Hall of Fame in 2010, the California League celebrated his induction with the creation of its Doug Harvey Award, which honors the Cal League's Umpire of the Year; the California League is the only professional league to annually honor an umpire.

The Single-A California League later named Harvey to its 2017 Hall of Fame class.
Related Post: Doug Harvey Set for CAL League Hall of Fame Induction (6/16/17).

Harold Douglas Harvey was 87 years old; his wife has confirmed he passed from natural causes.

Mike Rains Wins 2017 Doug Harvey Award (Cal League)

California League umpire Mike Rains is the 2017 Doug Harvey Award winner for Cal Lg Umpire of the Year.

The award, given annually since 2010, honors the top umpire of the Single-A California League, which is the only league in Minor League Baseball to honor an umpire with a postseason award.

Cal League President Blaney with Ump Rains

Year	Umpire Name
2017	Mike Rains
2016	Patrick Sharshel
2015	Reid Gibbs
2014	Sean Allen
2013	Ronnie Teague
2012	Chris Gonzalez
2011	Ryan Goodman
2010	Blake Davis

In a ceremony held Thursday in Lancaster, CA before the first game of the California League Championship Series, Cal League President Charlie Blaney presented Rains with the Doug Harvey Award plaque, stating, "Mike is a tremendous worker and is a top prospect. We've been very honored to have him in our League this year. The Cal League sincerely thanks Doug Harvey for lending his name once again to this prestigious award."

The California League award for Umpire of the Year is voted on by the league's managers.

Earlier this season, the League inducted Harvey into its Hall of Fame following his induction into Cooperstown, furthermore opting to name its top umpire award after him. Harvey was born in South Gate, CA, in 1930, officiated in the California League from 1958 through 1960, Pacific Coast League in 1961, and the National League from 1962 through 1992.

Video as follows:

Alternate Link: California League President Charlie Blaney names Mike Rains the Umpire of the Year

Doug Harvey Set for CAL League Hall of Fame Induction

Class-A's California League (Single-A) named Doug "God" Harvey to its 2017 Hall of Fame class, alongside former Major Leaguers Dave Duncan, Mike Piazza, Kirby Puckett, and manager Tony La Russa. Harvey's induction into the California League's Hall of Fame follows a 2010 induction into the  National Baseball Hall of Fame for his service as a Major League umpire. Harold Douglas Harvey's HOF plaque in Cooperstown describes him as a "commanding arbiter whose unique combination of integrity, heart and common sense earned universal praise."

The California League is the only league in Minor League Baseball to honor its umpires, which it does with the "Doug Harvey Award" for top Cal League umpire, bestowed annually since 2010.

Cal President Charlie Blaney, Gibbs & Harvey.

Past Doug Harvey Award winners include:

Year	Umpire Name
2016	Patrick Sharshel
2015	Reid Gibbs
2014	Sean Allen
2013	Ronnie Teague
2012	Chris Gonzalez
2011	Ryan Goodman
2010	Blake Davis

Harold Douglas Harvey's Hall of Fame plaque.

Harvey served in the National League for 30 years and 4,673 games from his 1962 NL debut until his retirement following the 1992 season. He worked the California League from 1958 through 1960, and the Pacific Coast League in 1961.

Born in South Gate, California, on March 13, 1930, Harvey began as a local basketball referee, officiating college basketball and football while also working minor league baseball, joining the NL staff in 1962 and experiencing the first-ever regular season game at Dodger Stadium on April 10, 1962.

Harvey was the last umpire hired to the big leagues not to have attended umpire school.

Harvey appeared in seven All-Star Games (1963, 64, 71, 77, 82, 87, 92) and his postseason career featured nine National League Championship Series (1970, 72, 76, 80, 83, 84, 86, 89, 91), and five World Series (1968, 74, 81, 84, 88); he was the plate umpire when Kirk Gibson hit the famous walk-off home run during Game 1 of the 1988 World Series.

Harvey also appeared during the rules-centric "You Make the Call" segment that occasionally aired on Mel Allen's "This Week in Baseball" program before the original program's retirement in 1998.

His sleeve #8 is presently worn in the Major Leagues by crew chief Jeff Kellogg.