Baseball Project Harvey Haddix
May 26, 1959 in Milwaukee on the mound
Harvey Haddix of the Pirates was mowing 'em down
27 up, 27 gone
9 innings in the book and not a man had gotten on
Now, in history only 17 have thrown a perfect game
A most exclusive club, a most exalted fame
But after 9, the Pirates hadn't scored
A perfect game and still old Harvey had to pitch some more
David Wells, David Cone
Sandy Koufax, Cy Young
Jim Bunning, Tom Browning
Charlie Robertson
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don't we add old Harvey to that list
10th inning down, 11th inning down, he moved on to the 12th
3 straight outs and the fans were pinching themselves
The best game ever pitched and still a scoreless tie
Poor Harvey had to carry on and give it one more try
13's never lucky so you can guess the rest
Harv gave up a hit and then he lost the whole contest
I wonder how he slept that night knowing how close he came
To a most exclusive club that should include his name
David Well, David Cone
Randy Johnson, Addie Joss
Kenny Rogers, Mike Witt
Dennis Martinez
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don't we add old Harvey to that list
The search for perfection is a funny thing, at least as I've been told
It drives you nuts, it makes you curse and eats away at your soul
Sometimes better ain't better, sometimes justice just ain't served
Sometimes legend isn't laid where it's most deserved
But humanity is flawed as the losers will attest
We're drawn to tragic stories, the ones that suit us best
But for 12 innings on that fateful day, old Harvey was a God
A perfect game if nothing else because perfection's always flawed
David Wells, David Cone
Lee Richmond, Monte Ward
Len Barker against the Jays
And Catfish for the A's
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don't we add old Harvey to that list
A pitcher has thrown a perfect game when he faces the minimum 27 batters in nine innings and doesn't allow a single man to reach first base. It's only happened 17 times in history. This song tells the sad tale of Pittsburgh's Harvey Haddix who threw nine perfect innings in 1956 but had to keep pitching that day because his team had also failed to score. After throwing three more perfect innings he finally lost the game and his chance at immortality in the 13th. Perfection? Flawed? You make the call.
