Carroll Hardy facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Carroll Hardy |
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| Outfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born: May 18, 1933 Sturgis, South Dakota |
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| Died: August 9, 2020 (aged 87) Highlands Ranch, Colorado |
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| debut | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| April 15, 1958, for the Cleveland Indians | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| September 27, 1967, for the Minnesota Twins | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Batting average | .225 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Home runs | 17 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Runs batted in | 113 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Carroll William Hardy (born May 18, 1933 – died August 9, 2020) was an amazing American athlete. He played both professional American football and Major League Baseball. He was a halfback for the San Francisco 49ers in 1955. Later, he played outfielder in baseball for teams like the Cleveland Indians, Boston Red Sox, Houston Colt .45s, and Minnesota Twins. Carroll was born in Sturgis, South Dakota. He was known for batting and throwing with his right hand.
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Playing Sports in College
Carroll Hardy went to the University of Colorado from 1951 to 1955. He was a star in three different sports there! He played football, baseball, and track. In football, he was chosen as an All-Big Seven Conference player. He was also an All-Conference player in baseball.
Playing Professional Football
Carroll Hardy was picked by the San Francisco 49ers in the 1955 NFL Draft. Even though he was a third-round pick, he decided to focus on baseball after just one year in the National Football League (NFL). During his time with the 49ers, he caught 12 passes, and four of those were for touchdowns! He was even named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the Hula Bowl in 1955.
He played alongside some really famous football players. These included Pro Football Hall of Famers like Y. A. Tittle, Joe Perry, and Hugh McElhenny.
Playing Major League Baseball
Carroll Hardy is famous in baseball history for a special reason. He was the only player ever to pinch-hit for the legendary Ted Williams. But that's not all! He also pinch-hit for other baseball greats like Carl Yastrzemski and Roger Maris.
With the Cleveland Indians
Hardy started his professional baseball career in the minor leagues. He played for the San Diego Padres farm team for two seasons. He made his big league debut with the Cleveland Indians in 1958. On his 25th birthday, May 18, he had a memorable moment. He pinch-hit for Roger Maris and hit his first major league home run! It was a three-run homer that helped Cleveland win the game 7–4 against the Chicago White Sox.
With the Boston Red Sox
On September 20, 1960, Carroll Hardy was on the bench for the Boston Red Sox. Ted Williams, who was one of the greatest baseball players ever, fouled a ball off his foot. He had to leave the game. Hardy stepped in to finish Williams's at bat. This made him the only player in history to pinch-hit for Ted Williams.
A few days later, on September 28, Williams hit his last career home run. In the ninth inning, Hardy replaced Williams in left field. Hardy later joked, "They booed me all the way out and cheered him all the way in." Then, in 1961, Hardy pinch-hit for rookie Carl Yastrzemski. This meant he was the only player to pinch-hit for two future Hall of Famers!
Hardy played his most games in 1962. He had career highs in games (115), hits (78), and runs batted in (36). On April 11, 1962, he hit a walk-off grand slam in the 12th inning. This amazing hit gave the Red Sox a 4–0 victory over the Indians.
Later Career
In December 1962, Hardy was traded to the Houston Colt .45s. He played for them for a couple of seasons. He spent most of his later career playing in the minor leagues. He had brief returns to the major leagues with Houston and the Minnesota Twins.
In his eight seasons in the major leagues, Carroll Hardy had a .225 batting average. He hit 17 home runs and had 113 runs batted in in 433 games.
After Baseball
After his baseball career, Carroll Hardy worked for the Denver Broncos football team for 20 years. He helped build their famous "Orange Crush Defense" in the 1970s. He was with the Broncos when they played in Super Bowl XII in 1977. He also worked for the city of Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Carroll Hardy passed away in 2020 at the age of 87.
See also
- List of NCAA major college yearly punt and kickoff return leaders
