Latest / Retro Sports Radio: Classic Games from History / 1955 • Baseball Clip • Joe Garagiola interviews Harvey Haddix - Radio Broadcast

Transcript

1955 • Baseball Clip • Joe Garagiola interviews Harvey Haddix - Radio Broadcast · Retro Sports Radio: Classic Games from History

• 0:00
  This is Retro Sports Radio. Visit RetroSeasons.com for more sports history.
• 0:30
  Well, it's a little bit of everything, Joe. The chores and hunting and fishing take pretty good care of it.
• 0:35
  Well, being in good physical condition, then, what in the world does a guy like you have to do in spring training?
• 0:41
  Well, the main thing, Harry, is just to get your muscles toned up. I know I was out here throwing a little bit this morning.
• 0:45
  I could feel it in the leg when you bend down there a little bit. That's why they got to be toned up.
• 0:49
  Harvey, talking about your leg, now last year Joe Adcock bounced one off your shins. It really set you back, I think now.
• 0:56
  Just what does that do to a pitcher's routine?
• 0:58
  Well, the only thing that interfered with me, of course, outside of that I couldn't pitch right away, was that I couldn't get my running in, Joe.
• 1:04
  And running, to me, is a very important thing. It keeps my coordination there.
• 1:09
  How important is this control factor of spring training? Do you do anything designed to sharpen your control early?
• 1:17
  Well, nothing in particular, Harry, except that you just try to throw that ball on the corners where you would naturally want to throw it.
• 1:23
  That's about all I ever do for my control, and of course you try to pitch high or low accordingly where you want to pitch.
• 1:28
  I guess with each training camp, though, things get a little bit easier, don't they, Harvey?
• 1:32
  Well, yes, you know a little bit more of what you're going to do every year, which makes it easier.
• 1:36
  You don't have to worry, too, Joe, about making the ball club as much.
• 1:39
  No, that's right, Harry. But I saw Harvey this morning just as an example to the young fellows, that here's a fellow that won 20 games, won 18 last year,
• 1:48
  and yet he was out there working on a different pitch.
• 1:50
  Now, last year it was a knuckleball. This year you got a secret weapon. Why, Harvey, do you work on a different pitch?
• 1:56
  Well, Joe, every pitch that I can pick up I think will help.
• 2:00
  Now, if I can get a pitch and will win me one ball game, I think it's well paid for.
• 2:05
  From that standpoint of coming up with a new pitch, is it because you yourself consider that you lack something in your pitching assortment?
• 2:13
  Well, maybe not that much, Harry, but every pitch is a potential threat out there,
• 2:17
  and when the fellows know that you have it, they can be looking for an extra pitch.
• 2:21
  Isn't it true that perhaps a certain type of hitter may be that you might want to develop a certain pitch,
• 2:26
  even if it's just one man in the league that'll help you get out?
• 2:28
  Yes, that's right, Harry, but I'm designing this pitch now for several hitters.
• 2:33
  I see. One of them is Hamlet.
• 2:34
  That's right. Harvey, you say you're not a strikeout pitcher. I've heard you say that.
• 2:41
  Yet, last year you struck out 184. I know if I was in the league, I'd have been 185, but what do you do?
• 2:49
  I mean, are you the type of pitcher that's out there to make him hit the ball, or how do you account for all these strikeouts?
• 2:54
  Well, Joe, the only thing I try to do is keep the fellows from getting a good piece of the bat on the ball,
• 2:58
  and of course then their situation comes up where I'll try to strike out somebody if I can,
• 3:02
  but you can't always do that, so I guess the strikeouts just take care of themselves.
• 3:06
  Now, one more thing that I want to ask now, you pinch hit, you pinch run, and you're a pitcher.
• 3:11
  You're a pretty busy guy in spring training. What do you do besides batting practice?
• 3:15
  Do you go down to the sliding pit too?
• 3:16
  Oh, yes, we go down here to the sliding pit and we go out here to the bunting machine also.
• 3:20
  Harvey, let me ask you, do you have a three-way contract?
• 3:22
  What do you mean by that, Harry?
• 3:24
  One for hitting, one for feeling, and one for pitching?
• 3:26
  No, I sure don't.
• 3:28
  You do a wonderful job of it.
• 3:30
  You just gave me an idea.
• 3:32
  Harvey, I noticed that here you are now an established star,
• 3:37
  yet you aren't too big to listen to other fellows who are trying to help your pitching.
• 3:42
  I notice you're down there with a couple of the coaches.
• 3:44
  I imagine they can contribute quite a bit.
• 3:46
  Well, sure, Harry, anything I can pick up in this game,
• 3:49
  and I figure that you can't get too old or too young to learn anything in this game,
• 3:53
  and the more you can pick up in it, the better.
• 3:55
  Joe, anything to add here?
• 3:57
  No, the only thing I just wish that he worked a little more on his hitting,
• 4:00
  and I know he's a good hitter, but I remember last year he beat the Cubs on two shots down the left field line.
• 4:04
  Look where you're hitting, will you?
• 4:06
  I just winged the bat, Joe.
• 4:08
  Harvey, do you keep an eye on some of the other pitchers, some of the rookies coming in here, too?
• 4:13
  Oh, I sure do. I want them to see if I can pick up something from them,
• 4:17
  and if they want something from me, I'll try to help them.
• 4:19
  Wonderful. Harvey, of course everybody wishes you another great year,
• 4:22
  and I know that you're going to have it.
• 4:24
  You're one of our favorites and one of the fans' favorites, too.
• 4:26
  Here's hoping to win about 30 this year.
• 4:28
  All right, thank you, Harry and Joe.
• 4:30
  Thank you, Harvey.
• 4:31
  That was Harvey Haddock, star pitcher of the Cardinals.
• 4:33
  Now this is Harry Carrey with Joe Garagiola saying so long from St. Petersburg.
• 4:36
  We'll be right back.