Valley native and MLB HOF umpire passes away
“ His name is easily the most recognizable baseball name from th e Imperial Valley. Ruben Niebla
Hall of Fame Major League Baseball umpire Doug Harvey, who was called “God” by players, passed away on Saturday at the age of 87.
“His name is easily the most recognizable baseball name from the Imperial Valley,” said Ruben Niebla, Cleveland Indians organizational pitching coordinator and former minor league baseball player. “Once anybody from the Valley finds out that Harvey was from here, given his status in the baseball world, it makes you proud to be from here.”
Harvey was born March 13, 1930, in South Gate, but was raised in El Centro where he began officiating local basketball games at the high school level at age 16, later umpiring softball and baseball.
Harvey graduated from Central Union High School in 1948 and played on a CIF-Southern Section football team, was All-Valley in basketball and baseball and involved in student government.
“It definitely is a sad day for Central and it’s tough for those who have been around the school for a long time,” said CUHS Principal Craig Lyon. “He was a great man and left his mark both in the Major Leagues and on our school.”
While at Central, Harvey began umpiring youth baseball and softball games, a prequel to what would become a 30-year Major League career.
Harvey played at Imperial Valley College and attended the then-San Diego State College in 1955-56, where he played baseball and football.
Harvey began his professional career umpiring in the California League before making his Major League debut in 1962 at the age of 32.
For many years, before and after reaching the majors, Harvey also officiated college, high school basketball and football games.
Harvey’s off-season officiating landed him in the Valley on at least one occasion at a Central-Brawley football game in 1964.
Central quarterback Chuck Wattles was a senior and recalled that at that time, varsity referees were from San Diego where Harvey lived. “We were excited and for some reason as I recall, we hadn’t beaten them in a while and it was a very clean wellplayed game and I’m pretty sure that it was him,” Wattles said. “I remember it was a very well-refereed game and Harvey was in complete control without really doing anything special … I think it was just his presence.”
years In August after his 1997, retirement, five Harvey was diagnosed with esophageal cancer which was attributed to his longtime use of chewing tobacco.
Harvey responded to the diagnoses by becoming an advocate for the dangers of smokeless tobacco and carried his message to his alma mater.
“He came to Central numerous times and spoke about using smokeless tobacco to teams and student groups,” said Emma Jones who was Central’s principal at the time. “When we had our centennial celebration he was one of the honorees
... he played in some of the charity golf tournaments and spoke at the local rotary clubs, he was a good guy who never forgot his roots ... he was absolutely a great source of pride for our community.” Harvey was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the Hall of Fame Veterans’ Committee and was inducted July 25, 2010, the same year that he was also inducted into the Imperial Valley Baseball Network’s Hall of Fame. “When we started the Hall of Fame, it became easy to select people like Harvey because we wanted to look holistically at candidates and his was based on the fact that he had done so much on such a high level,” said Niebla, who is also the IVBN president. the That highest Harvey level worked of professional at sports was not lost upon Lyon, who like Harvey, played baseball at Central and is now a high school umpire. “I just went to a clinic for high school umpires and everyone was in awe of the two MLB umpires who were there,” Lyon said. “If you are an umpire, the name of Doug Harvey resonates with you ... to be at the pinnacle of your profession ... it’s something everyone would want to do.”