Monday, June 15, 2015

#439 Bryan Harvey

About the Front: Why is Bryan Harvey just hanging out on the porch of his log cabin in full uniform? Who knows? Just go with it.

About the Back: Well, this is odd. Bryan's birthplace is listed here as Catawba, NC, but Baseball Reference says he was born in Soddy-Daisy, TN.

Triple Play:

1. His father Stan was named to the Amateur Softball Association of America's National Softball Hall of Fame in 1996. Two of Bryan's sons were top draft picks. Kris Harvey was a second-round pick of the Marlins in 2005 out of Clemson University; he played eight minor league seasons as an outfielder and later a pitcher and stalled out at AA. Hunter Harvey was the Orioles' first-round selection (22nd overall) out of high school in 2013, and entered the 2015 season as Baseball America's 20th-ranked prospect.

2. After an elbow injury shortened Harvey's 1992 season, the Angels had second thoughts about the multi-year contract they'd just given their closer. He was exposed to the expansion draft and chosen by the Marlins; he proceeded to set a record for an expansion team by saving 45 games in 1993and posted a 1.70 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 69 innings. His elbow troubles returned in 1994, though, and he totaled just 10.1 innings after that.

3. Bryan coached in the Rockies organization, working with the Class A Asheville Tourists (2007) and AA Tulsa Drillers (2009-2010).

11-Year-Old Kevin Says: I'd like to think that my younger self would've been impressed by my decision to emulate Harvey's mustache in my mid-twenties.

Bill James Said: "He had a wonderful season, from which we should learn this: that the bullpen is not the key to success in baseball." The '93 Marlins went 64-98 with a good batch of relievers anchored by Bryan, finishing 33 games behind the NL East champion Phillies.

On This Date in 1993: June 15. John Connally, former governor of Texas, U. S. Secretary of the Treasury, and Secretary of the Navy, dies at age 76. He was seriously wounded in the shooting that took the life of President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963.

2 comments:

  1. I'm really, really hoping Hunter pans out for our Orioles...

    ReplyDelete
  2. That makes two of us. They're bound to successfully develop a young pitcher eventually, right?

    ReplyDelete