Ervin King "Zaza" Harvey (January 5, 1879 – June 3, 1954) was an
outfielder
An outfielder is a person playing in one of the three defensive positions in baseball or softball, farthest from the batter. These defenders are the left fielder, the center fielder, and the right fielder. As an outfielder, their duty is to c ...
in
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
who played from 1900 to 1902 for the
Chicago Orphans,
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Chicago. The White Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Central division. The team is owned by Jerry Reinsdorf, and ...
, and
Cleveland Bronchos The Cleveland Guardians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since 1994, they have played in Progressive Field. The Cleveland team originated in 190 ...
.
Pro career
Zaza Harvey made his professional debut at the age of 18 for the
Minneapolis Millers
The Minneapolis Millers were an American professional minor league baseball team that played in Minneapolis, Minnesota, through 1960. In the 19th century a different Minneapolis Millers were part of the Western League. The team played first in ...
of the Western League. He lost all three starts as a pitcher that season, and appeared in two others as a outfielder, getting just two hits in nine at bats for a paltry .222 batting average. During the 1897 season, he also played briefly for the
Peoria Blackbirds as well. He made it to the majors with the
Chicago Orphans in 1900, appearing in a handful of games as a pitcher and in the outfield. After the brief cup of coffee, Harvey returned to the minors before he split his time in the American League between the Chicago White Sox and Cleveland Indians. Harvey hit five homers for Cleveland in 1901. He appeared in twelve games for Cleveland in 1902, making his final MLB appearance on May 4, 1902.
Had Harvey had enough plate appearances in 1901, he would have qualified for the batting title, as he finished the season with a 353 batting average.
Cleveland liked Harvey's talents enough that they signed him for the 1902 season, but with one condition: his days on the mound were over and he was going to be strictly an outfielder. Through 12 games in 1902, Harvey was batting .348 and had one stolen base to his credit. However, Harvey had been suffering from various stomach ailments, and after what would be his final appearance in the majors in May 1902, Harvey left the Indians and sought medical treatment for his stomach by going to the hot springs of West Baden Illinois, a popular destination for those who sought refuge from various ailments. Harvey thought he had improved but the issues flared up when he was home in California. He attempted a comeback after sitting out the 1903 season, but was just too ill. He retired from baseball in 1904 at the age of 23.
See also
*
List of Major League Baseball single-game hits leaders
In baseball, a hit is credited to a batter when he reaches first base – or any subsequent base – safely after hitting a fair ball, without the benefit of an error or a fielder's choice. One hundred seventeen different players have record ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harvey, Zaza
1879 births
1954 deaths
Major League Baseball outfielders
Chicago Orphans players
Chicago White Sox players
Cleveland Blues (1901) players
Cleveland Bronchos players
Minneapolis Millers (baseball) players
Peoria Blackbirds players
Sacramento Gilt Edges players
Baseball players from California
19th-century baseball players
People from Saratoga, California