Product Code Database
Matthew Edward Harvey (born March 27, 1989), nicknamed " the Dark Knight", is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played nine seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Los Angeles Angels, Kansas City Royals, and Baltimore Orioles.
Harvey played baseball and basketball at Fitch Senior High School in Groton, Connecticut, and continued his baseball career the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The Mets selected Harvey in the 2010 MLB draft as the seventh overall pick. In his major league debut on July 26, 2012, against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Harvey set a new club record with 11 while earning his first career victory.
Harvey had a breakout season in 2013, being selected to play in the MLB All-Star Game. Harvey then missed the entire 2014 season due to Tommy John surgery but returned in 2015 as his team won the National League pennant to advance to the World Series. His career, once promising during his first two seasons, was derailed by ineffectiveness after additional injuries, including thoracic outlet syndrome and a stress fracture in the scapula. After a disappointing start to the 2018 season, Harvey was traded to the Reds. He signed with the Angels in 2019, but was released midway through the season after posting a 3–5 record with a 7.09 earned run average. He signed with the Orioles for the 2021 season. He has played for the Italy national baseball team.
Harvey grew up as a New York Yankees fan, especially admiring Paul O'Neill and Derek Jeter, whom he has described as a childhood idol of his. At the beginning of every elementary school year, when asked to write about his life goals, Harvey would write that he wanted to play professional baseball.
At Fitch Senior High School, Harvey played both baseball (where he was coached by his dad) and basketball. He was teammates with future Major League pitcher Jesse Hahn on both teams. As a high school freshman, he was able on a few occasions to throw as fast as . Harvey would often pitch complete games in every outing, as he recalled later, “a typical game for me... I would walk 5 or 6 but strike out 16 each game, and only allow a few hits.” Harvey also played summer baseball for numerous travel teams across the country, including the South Florida Bandits, the Midland Redskins, and the East Coast Grays. As a high school senior, he was selected as a Rawlings First Team All-American and named to their Northeast All-Region First Team. He was grouped with Madison Bumgarner and Rick Porcello as one of the best pitchers in the 2007 MLB draft and a likely first round pick. Baseball America ranked him the best high school prospect in 2007. However, he fell to the Los Angeles Angels in the third round with the 118th overall pick, likely due to his lack of command. As the Angels offered only a $1 million signing bonus, Harvey took the advice of his advisors, Bill Caudill and Scott Boras, and opted to sign with the UNC Tar Heels instead.
Harvey spent the summers of 2008 and 2009 pitching for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League. Harvey was a key component of the Anglers’ 2008 bullpen, completing the season with a 0.83 ERA, the lowest on the team, pitching innings and striking out 29 of 92 batters faced. Harvey returned to Chatham in 2009 after a difficult sophomore year on the mound. As Harvey explains, he had lost some of the mechanics and flexibility that had made him such a great pitcher throughout high school and the beginning of his college career. Although his 2009 summer was not as impressive as the previous one, his time on Cape Cod helped him return to the basics and set him on the road to becoming the seventh overall draft pick in the 2010 first year player draft. According to his pitching coach at UNC, Scott Forbes, Harvey returned from the 2009 Cape Cod League season with "a more professional approach."
In the Eastern League with Binghamton, he went 5–3 with a 4.53 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 59.2 innings. Harvey also pitched in the 2011 All-Star Futures Game, recording a save for the winning U.S. team over the World team.
Harvey was ranked as the Mets organization's second best prospect in 2012 and the 34th overall best prospect by MLB.com. He was invited to spring training by the Mets that year but did not make the team. Instead, he was promoted to the club's Triple-A affiliate, the Buffalo Bisons of the International League (IL).
In the first half of his 2012 season at Triple-A, Harvey went 7–4 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 starts. That performance earned him International League Mid-Season All-Star honors. His strong pitching, plus injuries to major leaguers Mike Pelfrey and Dillon Gee, put him in contention for the fifth spot in the Mets rotation. Despite spending more time pitching at Triple-A than other top draft picks, 105 innings, recording a 3.34 ERA and striking out over a batter per inning through mid-July, the Mets front office (headed by general manager Sandy Alderson) did not want to promote Harvey until his consistency and control improved.
In Harvey's debut, a July 26 start against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field in Phoenix, Arizona, he pitched innings, giving up three hits and three walks while recording 11 strikeouts. Harvey recorded his first major-league strikeout against the first batter he faced, Gerardo Parra of the Diamondbacks. He then had his first major league hit, a two-out double off of Wade Miley in the top of the following inning. Harvey set a Mets franchise record for strikeouts in a pitching debut (11) and became the first player in modern baseball history (since 1900) to strike out 10 or more batters and get two hits in his major-league debut. After the game, Mets manager Terry Collins said:
In his second major-league start, Harvey pitched six innings against the San Francisco Giants, gave up two earned runs, three walks and struck out seven in his first loss. His 18 total strikeouts were a Mets record for a rookie over his first two games of his career. After three straight losses, Harvey was able to earn his second win against the Cincinnati Reds on August 16. In his next two starts, Harvey got a no-decision and a win against the Colorado Rockies and Phillies, respectively. Both were quality starts and he struck out 15 combined in the games. Over his first 15 plate appearances in seven starts, he posted impressive batting numbers, with a .462 average, two doubles and three runs batted in (RBIs).
Harvey then went on to lose his next two starts and record a no-decision in his last outing of the season on September 19. Despite more opportunities to pitch, Mets management ended his season due to an innings-pitched limit. He finished his inaugural season with a 3–5 record, a 2.73 ERA over 10 starts in which he pitched innings and recorded 70 strikeouts. He surrendered 42 hits and 26 walks.
On April 13, Harvey had a no-hitter bid through innings against the Minnesota Twins until Justin Morneau hit a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh inning. On May 7, while pitching with a severe nosebleed Harvey retired the first 20 Chicago White Sox batters he faced until Alex Ríos broke up the perfect game with an infield single. Harvey left the game after nine innings, having surrendered only the one hit, as the Mets won in 10 innings. He was subsequently featured on the cover of the May 20, 2013, issue of Sports Illustrated magazine, dubbed "The Dark Knight of Gotham." On June 18, Harvey took another no-hitter into the seventh inning, but was stymied by an infield single off the bat of the Atlanta Braves' Jason Heyward. Harvey notched a career-high 13 strikeouts in the game, giving up three hits over seven innings.
As the mid-season All-Star break approached, team management talked about limiting Harvey's innings to ensure his pitching health. Harvey had thrown 117 innings in 17 starts at the time, which put him on a season-long pace for 240–250 innings. Mets manager Terry Collins said Harvey would not be allowed to pitch more than 215–220 innings.
Harvey was the starting pitcher for the 2013 MLB All-Star Game, which took place at the Mets' home ballpark, Citi Field in which he pitched the first two innings. On August 7, Harvey pitched his first career complete game shutout, giving up four hits and striking out six in a 5–0 win over the Colorado Rockies. On August 26, Harvey was diagnosed with a partial tear of the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and was placed on the disabled list. He had logged innings at that point.
On September 17, Harvey said he would try physical therapy before opting for surgery. But the Mets announced on October 4 that Harvey would have Tommy John surgery to repair his right elbow. Because of the procedure, Harvey was expected to miss the entire 2014 season. Harvey finished the season 9–5 with a 2.27 ERA in 26 starts with 191 strikeouts in innings. It was later announced that Harvey had finished tied for 4th in the Cy Young Award, losing to Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Clayton Kershaw.
In March, Harvey dismissed the idea that he would not pitch until the start of the 2015 season by posting on Twitter that "2014 Harvey Day will happen". He also told reporters around the same time that he was looking to return around September 2014. But in June of that same year the Mets officially declared that Harvey would not be pitching until the beginning of the 2015 season. Harvey had been rehabbing at such an accelerated pace that they thought it would be better to take a more cautious approach. After talking with Mets doctors, general manager Sandy Alderson decided that slowing Harvey's path would be best. Another factor was that the Mets at the time were out of playoff contention, and him pitching in meaningless games was not worth the risk of being injured again.
In 2014, Harvey was elected the team's MLB Players Association representative.
Without Harvey for the 2014 season, the Mets finished with a record of 79–83 (second in the NL East), with the pitching staff boasting a combined ERA of 3.49, good for 6th in the National League.
On May 18, Harvey pitched 8 innings, giving up no runs against the St. Louis Cardinals while striking out 9. On May 23, Harvey had the worst start of his career, surrendering 7 runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates in four innings. Due to this poor outing, Harvey's ERA jumped from 1.98 to 2.91. On July 11, Harvey hit his first career home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks' Patrick Corbin. Harvey also pitched 7 innings, striking out 9, and got his 8th win on the season.
In September, Harvey's agent, Scott Boras, publicly expressed concern with the Mets' stated plans to allow Harvey to pitch around 190 innings in the regular season, and also pitch "a reasonable amount" in the postseason. Boras suggested that better medical advice, allegedly given by Dr. James Andrews, was to cap the innings at 180, and no postseason activity. Harvey initially appeared to agree with Boras, in contrast with his cultivated image of toughness and desire to compete and win at all costs, including having previously objected to efforts by the Mets to both proceed cautiously in his recovery with respect to the timetable for his return (in 2014 Harvey expressed a desire to come back from the injury early, while the Mets followed a conventional recovery timetable), and curtail his innings in 2015 by employing a six-man rotation. After backlash against Harvey's initial comments from Mets fans and the media, Harvey wrote in The Players' Tribune that the innings limit only applied to the regular season and that he would pitch in the playoffs.
On October 12, 2015, Harvey pitched against the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 3 of the NLDS. Though he struggled a bit, he was still able to earn the win, becoming the first pitcher to win a postseason game at Citi Field. He gave up 3 runs (2 earned), 7 hits and 2 walks; he also struck out 7 in the Mets' 13–7 victory.
Harvey pitched well in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, pitching innings while allowing two runs and four hits on nine strikeouts. He started Game 1 of the 2015 World Series against the Kansas City Royals, giving up 3 earned runs through 6 innings in a no-decision. Kansas City won the game, 5–4 in 14 innings, to take the series lead.
In Game 5 of the World Series against the Royals, Harvey entered the mound with a 2–0 lead in the top of the ninth inning to try and finish the game despite having thrown 102 pitches. Manager Terry Collins had planned to take Harvey out for Jeurys Familia if he could get through seven innings with the lead. When he pitched a perfect eighth, Collins talked to Harvey about taking him out now, but Harvey convinced him otherwise, stating "I want this game in the worst way." He then allowed a leadoff walk to Lorenzo Cain before Eric Hosmer hit a double that scored a run and led to Collins putting in Familia. The game-tying run eventually scored later in the inning, resulting in a no-decision for Harvey in a game the Mets would eventually go on to lose in twelve innings that saw the Royals clinch the championship.
Throughout the 2016 season, it was believed Harvey was struggling mechanically. However, on July 8, in was announced that he opted to have season-ending surgery to resolve a condition called thoracic outlet syndrome. Harvey commented on his season-ending surgery, "I'm disappointed in the way I pitched, and hope this cures me, and we get back on track." Harvey ended the 2016 season with a 4–10 record and a 4.86 ERA in 17 starts.
On May 4, 2018, the Mets announced that Harvey would be designated for assignment the next day after he refused a demotion to the minor leagues. In eight appearances on the season, Harvey was 0–2 and amassed a 7.00 ERA through four starts and four relief appearances, with 20 strikeouts in 27 innings.
On May 12, Harvey started against the New York Mets for the first time at Citi Field. It was Harvey's first start at Citi Field since May 3, 2018. Harvey pitched innings giving up 7 runs, 8 hits, 1 walk while striking out 4 in a 7-1 loss giving Harvey his third loss of the year. As Harvey was returning to the dugout after being pulled in the fifth inning, he was given a standing ovation by Mets fans. Harvey remarked about the ovation, "I was holding back tears, I’m not going to lie about that. It was pretty hard holding them back. It reminded me of really a lot of the good memories, and coming off the field with an ovation like that, it brought a lot back, and it was very special to me. It’s something I’ll never forget."
On June 9 at Camden Yards, Harvey started against the Mets for the second time. Harvey pitched three innings giving up 7 runs, 8 hits, 1 walk while striking out 2 in a 14-1 loss giving Harvey his seventh loss of the year. Harvey remarked after the game, "I play for the Orioles. I’m not here for Mets fans or anything like that. I appreciate the Orioles fans that were here. I have to be better in front of my home crowd, and I guess I just have to work harder."
On September 12, Harvey was placed on the 60-day injured list due to a right knee ailment, ending his 2021 season with a 6–14 record and 6.27 ERA with 95 strikeouts in 28 starts. The Orioles chose not to retain him after the season, making him a free agent.
On April 8, 2022, Harvey re-signed with the Orioles organization on a minor league contract. On May 17, he was issued a 60-game suspension for participating in distribution of a prohibited drug of abuse. The suspension was linked to his testimony related to the death of former teammate Tyler Skaggs. He made 13 starts split between the High-A Aberdeen IronBirds, Double-A Bowie Baysox, and Triple-A Norfolk Tides, registering an 8-1 record and 3.71 ERA with 63 strikeouts in innings pitched. He elected free agency following the season on November 10.
On May 5, 2023, Harvey announced his retirement from professional baseball via Instagram.
Harvey played for the Italy at the 2023 World Baseball Classic. He was 1–0 in two starts with a 1.29 ERA, leading the team with 7 innings pitched. He announced his retirement as an active player two months later on May 5.
During his time with the New York Mets, Harvey was known to live a flashy lifestyle, drive an expensive Maserati sports car, had been described as a "lothario" due to his record of dating fashion models, and was frequently mentioned in celebrity gossip columns in New York media. In May 2013, Matt Harvey began dating model Anne Vyalitsyna after meeting her at a New York Rangers game. They broke up in February 2014. In March 2017, Harvey was spotted kissing Brazilian supermodel Adriana Lima at the River Yacht Club in Miami, Florida. Harvey failed to show up at Citi Field for a Mets game and received a three-day suspension from the team. He also appeared nude in The Body Issue of ESPN The Magazine in 2013.
Harvey appeared on the cover of the May 20, 2013, issue of Sports Illustrated magazine, dubbed "The Dark Knight of Gotham", a play on Batman's Gotham City, its association with New York City, and the recent Dark Knight film trilogy. Harvey, a Batman fan since childhood, along with teammates, fans, the Mets and other media sources, immediately embraced the comparison. Harvey had "Dark Knight" carved into the knobs of his baseball bat to begin the 2015 season before replacing it with a personalized hybrid Harvey-Batman logo, versions of which had previously appeared on his locker and on T-shirts. Early in the 2013 season, fans, media and teammates also began referring to any day on which Harvey was scheduled to start as "Harvey Day". Harvey said that his best friend on the Mets was fellow starting pitcher Jacob deGrom.
|
|
