Umpire Doug Harvey Says He Will Retire

National League umpire Doug Harvey, who is in his 31st season, announced his retirement, effective at season’s end.

Harvey, who lives in San Diego and will be the home plate umpire in tonight’s All-Star game, underwent knee surgery this spring and returned to the field earlier this month.

“I want you to know that I am one of the more fortunate people in life,” Harvey said. “There aren’t too many of us that somebody selects and says, ‘You know, that guy ought to be an umpire.’ That’s what happened to me.”

Harvey, 62, became a regular on the NL staff on April 10, 1962.

“In my early days, everybody made calls real quick,” Harvey said. “In a game against St. Louis, with Don Drysdale pitching to Stan Musial, there was an 0-and-2 count and Drysdale threw a sidearm slider that missed the plate by a foot. I called it a strike.

“Musial never even looked around at me. He just pulled off his batting glove and said, ‘Son, I don’t know what league you come from, but in the major leagues, the plate is the same size. Take your time and get it right.’

“I took that to heart.”

This will be Harvey’s sixth All-Star game.

“I’ve had two great love affairs in my life,” he said. “One is my wife, Joy, of 32 years. The other is the great game of baseball.”