Doug Harvey (umpire)

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Harold Douglas Harvey (born March 13, 1930 in South Gate, California) is a former umpire in Major League Baseball who worked in the National League from 1962 to 1992. Noted for his meticulous attention to the details of the rules, he was among the last major league umpires who never attended an umpiring school.

He umpired in five World Series (1968, 1974, 1981, 1984 and 1988) and six All-Star Games (1963, 1964, 1971, 1977, 1982 and 1992). He also officiated in the National League Championship Series nine times: 1970, 1972, 1976, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1986, 1989 and 1991. He was the home plate umpire for the single game playoff to decide the Western division champion in 1980, between the Houston Astros and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He wore number 8 starting in the late 1960s when the NL adopted uniform numbers

Harvey began officiating local basketball games in high school, later adding softball and baseball to his areas of expertise. He attended San Diego State University, where he played baseball and football, afterward returning to umpiring in the minor leagues while also officiating collegiate basketball and football games. Upon reaching the majors in April 1962, his greatest influences were Al Barlick, Jocko Conlan and Shag Crawford, each of whom gave him invaluable advice in developing his skills. In the latter part of his career he became known for appearing in the "You Make the Call" segments on the televised Game of the Week. His goal of umpiring until age 65 was ended in 1992 at age 62, when knee problems necessitated his retirement. He nonetheless became the first NL umpire since Bill Klem to work for more than 30 years, finishing with 31 years as a pro, with 4,888 games worked.

Among the notable games in which he worked was the 1972 game in which Roberto Clemente collected his 3,000th base hit. He was the home plate umpire on September 10, 1963, when brothers Jesus, Matty and Felipe Alou batted consecutively for the San Francisco Giants, and also on June 3, 1987, when the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs hit a combined three grand slams at Wrigley Field.

In August 1997, Harvey was diagnosed with oral cancer, which was attributed to his longtime use of chewing tobacco. He has since become active in speaking to ballplayers and students about the dangers of tobacco use, having spoken to over 2,500,000 of them via personal appearances and radio and television interviews.

In both 2003 and 2007, he was the leading candidate for the Baseball Hall of Fame in voting by Hall of Fame members on the composite ballot for managers, umpires and executives; however, his totals of 48 and 52 votes in the two elections fell short of the 60 and 62 necessary for election. He will be eligible again for the Hall of Fame in 2011.