They Called Me God: The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived

I just finished reading “They Called Me God: The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived” by Doug Harvey (with Peter Golenbock).

Now, I knew about Doug Harvey’s nickname (God). And, I suspect that most who were baseball fans during the 1970’s and 80’s would know about it. Yet…still…when I saw the title of the book, my first thought was “Oh boy…this is going to be an ego trip.”

And, while Harvey is far from a shrinking violet, I found this to be a very easy to read, enjoyable and entertaining book.

In addition to sharing information about his hard upbringing and the unconventional way he became a major league (and Hall of Fame) umpire, which was interesting, “They Called Me God: The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived” is full of fun dirt…on league officials, other umpires, managers and players.

I’ve always thought that umpires had the best stories to tell – and this book is a great example on how that can be true.

It’s an engaging and breezy read. It’s much like just listening to an old-timer rattle on with great stories. If you’re a baseball fan, I highly recommend checking out “They Called Me God: The Best Umpire Who Ever Lived.”