Doug Harvey knew from age six that he was going to follow in his father's footsteps and become a baseball umpire. In They Called Me God, Harvey tells the story of how determination and hard work made that dream a reality. Harvey is unabashed in articulating his strengths--and his weaknesses. Challenges marked his ascent as he faced a failed first marriage and messy divorce, trouble paying the bills, naysayers and the often lonely, barren existence of umpiring on the road. By studying and memorizing the rule book to understand the game inside and out, Harvey--and serendipity--ultimately launched his career to the National League in just four years... without ever going to umpire school.
A later-in-life throat cancer diagnosis (from chewing tobacco) provided the impetus to share this no-holds-barred, straightforwardly told story, co-written with veteran sports author Peter Golenbock (Bums; Presumed Guilty). Harvey gets and gives a lot of advice and bares all about life behind the plate--tricks of the trade, his experiences with cheaters, pranks, controversial calls and rude fans. He also shares short, memorable anecdotes about working alongside some of the "greatest players ever," among them Sandy Koufax, Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams, Nolan Ryan, Willie Mays, Hank Aaron, Gaylord Perry and Pete Rose.
For the 31 years and 4,673 games of Harvey's umpiring career, he never compromised his integrity, earning him a place in the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the respect of peers and fans. --Kathleen Gerard, blogger at Reading Between the Lines