Harvey is best known for his legendary pitch of 12 perfect innings (26th May 1959) against the Milwaukee Braves. George Sisler Jr. compared Harvey to Cardinal’s pitcher Harry “The Cat” Brecheen. Thus, Haddix earned the nickname “Kitten.”
Let’s have a look at some quick facts about Harvey Haddix.
Quick Facts
| Full Name | Harvey Haddix Jr. |
| Known as | Harvey Haddix |
| Nickname | The Kitten |
| Birth Date | September 18 1925 |
| Birth Place | Springfield, Ohio, United States |
| Residence | Springfield, Ohio |
| Religion | Christian |
| Nationality | American |
| Ethnicity | Black |
| Education | Catawba High School, South Vienna, Ohio |
| Horoscope | Virgo |
| Father’s Name | Harvey Haddix |
| Mother’s Name | Nellie Mae Greider Haddix |
| Siblings | 3 (Ed, Ben, and Fed) |
| Age | 98 years old |
| Died | January 8, 1994 |
| Height | 5 feet 9 inches (175 cm) |
| Weight | 77 kg (170 lb) |
| Eye Color | Brown |
| Hair Color | Dark brown |
| Body type | Athletic |
| Profession | Baseball Player |
| Marital Status | Married |
| Spouse | Marcia Haddix |
| Children | 3 |
| Name of Children | Teri, Ann, and Harvey |
| Beginning of Professional Career | 1952 |
| Retirement | 1965 |
| Playing style | Left-handed |
| Sports team | Pittsburgh Pirates team |
| Coach | N/A |
| Honors | 3x All-Star, 3x Gold Glove |
| Victory | N/A |
| Net Worth | $1.5 million-$5 million |
| Prize Money | N/A |
| Position | Pitcher |
| Merch | Signed NL Ball, Autographed Slabbes Card, Bobblehead |
| Last Update | March, 2024 |
Harvey Haddix | Personal Life & Family
This extraordinary pitcher Harvey Haddix was born on 18th September 1925 in Medway, Ohio. Sadly, he passed away on 8th January 1994 in Springfield of Ohio.
Harvey was the third son of Harvey Haddix, Sr., and Nellie Mae Greider Haddix. The Haddix family were farmers near Westville, in west-central Ohio.
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Harvey Haddix | Early days in baseball
Harvey was called to give three to four curveballs and fastballs and instantly there he got offer to sign in.
After impressing the Cardinals, Harvey got approached to sign right away. But he declined as he still had hopes to hear back from the Philadelphia Athletics scout. After hearing nothing back though, he went back to Columbus and signed with the Cardinals.
Harvey Haddix | Career
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On the 11th of August, he pitched a seven-inning no-hitter. Later he also threw a nine-inning one-hitter and had a 19-strikeout game. He went on to be The League All-Star, The left-handed Pitcher of the year, The Rookie of the year, and The Most Valuable Player. His 1.90 ERA (Earned Run Average) even beat out the second-best (3.18).
Harvey Haddix Career Stats
The game on 26th May was extraordinary to say the least. On this day, Haddix- who was playing for the Pirates’, scored 12 innings against the Braves.
There, the lineup included the Hall of Famers: Eddie Mathews and Hank Aaron.
This specific 12 innings by Harvey Haddix was so perfect that it was thirty-six up and thirty-six downs. But the error that occurred in the 12 turned into an IBB to Aaron turning into an HR.
The legendary pitching led people to remember this day as ‘Harvey Haddix Day.’
Harvey’s play was the second most famous perfect game. But later, Braves pitcher admitted the steal sign from the Pirates that barely mattered.
Harvey Haddix | Achievements
1947:
- National League All-star,
- The left-handed pitcher of the year
- The year’s rookie
- The most valuable of the year
1948:
- National League All-star (Second year in a row)
1949:
- National League All-star (Third year in a row)
- Won 13 games for Red Birds all-star
1950:
- 18 wins,
- and another National League All-Star selection (the Fourth year in a row).
This was also the year Haddix change up his repertoire as not just a pitcher, but also a fastball and slider.
1952:
- won a complete-game five-hitter, 9-2 against the Boston Braves.
This was the year he made a major-league debut with the Cardinals after his Army Service. By the end of 1952, he had three complete games, a 2-2 record, and a 2.79 ERA.
1953:
- won three pitcher’s batting awards: collecting the most hits, scoring the most runs, and stealing the most bases. (And comically, he also won a box of cigars.)
- the second spot on the National League All-Star.
1954:
- ranked among the elite National League pitchers.
1958:
- won his first Golden Glove Award.
- broke the record for consecutive perfect innings to start a game.
Harvey received ‘Gold Glove Awards’ thrice for his fielding and winning ten games in a row. Quite the heart-warming story of a star player who was once a young boy playing in his farm with his leather horse-shoe collar.
Harvey Haddix | Injury
Just after the game of 1954, Haddix was selected for a National League All-Star.
But unfortunately during the peak of his career, he had to be replaced on the team because of a small injury. Haddix was struck below the right kneecap by a line drive off someone’s bat. And that someone was Joe Adcock- Milwaukee’s first baseman.
Haddix even recalled that he, “didn’t have the same spring off the mound” after the injury. He also added that he couldn’t run well and it affected his gameplay.
Despite being injured, Haddix persevered and won six more games. However, his career after the injury was inconsistent and led the Cardinals to a slow start.
Harvey Haddix | The Fame
Throughout his baseball career, Haddix was nothing but hardworking and humble. One could even joke that he was too busy chasing the ball to chase the fame.
He once even turned down an opportunity to appear on the television shows To Tell the Truth and The Ed Sullivan Show, choosing to stay and celebrate with his team instead.
According to Harvey’s wife- Marcia Haddix, Harvey was into baseball because he loved to play. That’s it.
Harvey was so famous that the Cardinals threw him a banquet in September of 1949. He was equally loved by baseball fans who were buying his signed baseballs and jerseys. They were even reselling them at a high price, but Harvey never made a big deal out of it.
Staying true to his roots, Harvey even bought a farm for himself.
He believed that perfect pitching was just a part of his career. Well, Harvey has always been the best in the game and always gave his best to win the game.
Harvey Haddix | Net Worth & Salary
On top of his achievements as a successful baseball player, his net worth is estimated to be $1.5 million $5.5 million.
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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Which clubs have Harvey Haddix played for?
Harvey has played professionally in Major League Baseball for the St. Louis Cardinals, Philadelphia Phillies, Cincinnati Reds, Pittsburgh Pirates, and Baltimore Orioles.
Has Harvey Haddix ever served as Coach?
From 1966, Harvey coached New York Mets, Columbus Jets, and GCL Pirates. Similarly, Harddix was also a member of the Cincinnati Reds Staff.
What is Harvey Haddix’s height?
While playing for the Cardinals, Harvey was just 5 feet 6 inches.
Later, Harvey reached 5 feet and 9 inches (,175 cm).
