Doug Harvey
Doug Harvey
Douglas Norman Harveywas a Canadian professional hockey player who played in the National Hockey Leaguefrom 1947 until 1964, and from 1966 until 1969. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest defencemen ever to play the game, winning the James Norris Memorial Trophy as the league's top defenceman on seven occasions...
NationalityCanadian
ProfessionHockey Player
Date of Birth19 December 1924
CountryCanada
job looked nature necessary people umpires
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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You can't know what it's like to be a major league umpire unless you were a major league umpire.
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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.
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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.
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The part of the game that fans will soon miss: the argument between manager and umpire! There was something special about watching a manger 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.
asked dear extent general glory life nor object valuable
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.
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The one thing that all umpires have is pride, and if you don't have pride, you lose that edge.
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The integrity of the game is the umpires. Nobody else. The entire integrity of the game is the umpires.
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Officiating is trying to do your absolute best with what you've got.