Happy birthday, Harv!

Harvey Haddix doing his thing

Thanks to a suggestion by KellyO, I downloaded The Baseball Project’s “Volume 1: Frozen Ropes and Dying Quails” off of iTunes a while back.  Ever since I did, I’ve spent more time listening to their song “Harvey Haddix” than any other song (even “Ted ‘Fucking’ Williams”!).  All the songs are fabulous and I highly recommend the cd…but “Harvey” really is a great song.  It’s catchy and informative and the subject irritates the hell out of me.

So to honor Harvey and his perfect game (screw you MLB!) on his 83rd birthday (I should probably mention that Harvey died in 1994 and was a pitching coach for the Red Sox in 1971), here are the lyrics to “Harvey Haddix”.

Seriously, folks, if you haven’t heard these songs yet, you need to get yourself a copy of this cd!

I’ll, most likely, be listening to it all day to celebrate Harvey’s birthday and get the last two crappy games the Red Sox played off of my mind!

May 26, 1959 in Milwaukee on the mound
Harvey Haddix of the Pirates was mowing ’em down
27 up, 27 gone
9 innings in the book and not a man had gotten on

Now, in history only 17 have thrown a perfect game
A most exclusive club, a most exalted fame
But after 9, the Pirates hadn’t scored
A perfect game and still old Harvey had to pitch some more

David Wells, David Cone
Sandy Koufax, Cy Young
Jim Bunning, Tom Browning
Charlie Robertson
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list

10th inning down, 11th inning down, he moved on to the 12th
3 straight outs and the fans were pinching themselves
The best game ever pitched and still a scoreless tie
Poor Harvey had to carry on and give it one more try

13’s never lucky so you can guess the rest
Harv gave up a hit and then he lost the whole contest
I wonder how he slept that night knowing how close he came
To a most exclusive club that should include his name

David Well, David Cone
Randy Johnson, Addie Joss
Kenny Rogers, Mike Witt
Dennis Martinez
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list

The search for perfection is a funny thing, at least as I’ve been told
It drives you nuts, it makes you curse and eats away at your soul
Sometimes better ain’t better, sometimes justice just ain’t served
Sometimes legend isn’t laid where it’s most deserved

But humanity is flawed as the losers will attest
We’re drawn to tragic stories, the ones that suit us best
But for 12 innings on that fateful day, old Harvey was a God
A perfect game if nothing else because perfection’s always flawed

David Wells, David Cone
Lee Richmond, Monte Ward
Len Barker against the Jays
And Catfish for the A’s
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list