Mike Harkey facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mike Harkey |
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Harkey throwing batting practice in 2012
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| New York Yankees – No. 60 | |||
| Pitcher / Bullpen coach | |||
| Born: October 25, 1966 San Diego, California, U.S. |
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| debut | |||
| September 5, 1988, for the Chicago Cubs | |||
| Last appearance | |||
| September 28, 1997, for the Los Angeles Dodgers | |||
| MLB statistics | |||
| Win–loss record | 36–36 | ||
| Earned run average | 4.49 | ||
| Strikeouts | 316 | ||
| Teams | |||
As player
As coach
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| Career highlights and awards | |||
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Mike Harkey, born on October 25, 1966, is an American baseball coach and a former professional baseball player. He used to play in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a right-handed pitcher. He played for teams like the Chicago Cubs, Colorado Rockies, Oakland Athletics, California Angels, and the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1988 to 1997.
After his playing days, Harkey became a coach. He coached for the Florida Marlins in 2006. Then he joined the New York Yankees from 2008 to 2013. After that, he coached for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2014 and 2015. He returned to the Yankees in 2016 and is still their bullpen coach today.
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Playing career
Chicago Cubs
Mike Harkey was born in San Diego, California. He went to Ganesha High School in Pomona. He also played college baseball at Cal State Fullerton for the CSU Fullerton Titans. The Chicago Cubs picked him as their first-round draft pick in 1987. He was the 4th player chosen overall.
In 1987, Harkey played for the Peoria Chiefs. He had a 2–3 record with a 3.55 ERA in 12 games. He then moved up to Double-A with the Pittsfield Cubs. In 1988, he started in Pittsfield and had a great record of 9–2 with a 1.37 ERA. He was then promoted to Triple-A Iowa, where he was 7–2 with a 3.55 ERA. The Cubs called him up to the main team in September. He pitched well, with a 2.60 ERA in five games.
The 1989 season was tough for Harkey. He was supposed to be a starting pitcher for the Cubs. But he tried to pitch with a sore shoulder, which made it worse. The Cubs put him on the disabled list and sent him back to Triple-A. After 12 games, he hurt his knee and missed the rest of the season.
Harkey got his fastball speed back for the 1990 season. He joined the Cubs' starting pitchers. He finished the year with a 12–6 record and a 3.26 earned run average. He pitched for 173.2 innings. He even finished fifth in the National League Rookie of the Year vote. In 1991, Harkey only pitched in four games. He then had shoulder surgery and missed the rest of the season.
Harkey didn't play in the major leagues again until July 20, 1992. On September 6, he tried to do a cartwheel during warmups. He seriously injured his knee, which ended his season. On June 20, 1993, the Cubs put Harkey on the disabled list again with shoulder pain. He finished that season with a 5.26 ERA in 28 games.
Colorado Rockies
Harkey signed with the Colorado Rockies for the 1994 season. This season was shorter because of a player strike. He lost his spot as a starting pitcher. He ended up with a 5.79 ERA in 91.2 innings over 13 games.
Oakland Athletics
He joined the Oakland Athletics for the 1995 season. He pitched with a 6.27 ERA in 66 innings. In July, the team moved him off their main roster.
California Angels
On July 19, 1995, the California Angels picked up Harkey from another team. They added him to their starting pitchers. On September 30, he pitched a great game against Oakland. He didn't let the other team score for almost seven innings. This helped the Angels force a special playoff game against the Seattle Mariners.
Los Angeles Dodgers
Harkey signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the 1996 season. But he spent the whole year playing for their Triple-A team, the Albuquerque Isotopes. He signed with the Dodgers again for the 1997 season. He was called up on June 23 to pitch from the bullpen. He played in 10 games with the main team that year.
Coaching career
Harkey worked as a pitching coach for minor league teams. These included the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2000, Fort Wayne Wizards in 2001 and 2003, Lake Elsinore Storm in 2002 and 2004, and Mobile BayBears in 2005. He also coached the Iowa Cubs in 2007. In 2006, he was the bullpen coach for the Florida Marlins.
Harkey joined the Yankees for the 2008 season. The Yankees' bullpen, coached by Harkey, was very important to their success in 2009. They ended up winning the 2009 World Series. He was their bullpen coach for six seasons.
After the 2013 season, he became the pitching coach for the Diamondbacks. The Diamondbacks let Harkey go after the 2015 season. He then returned to the Yankees as their bullpen coach for the 2016 season.
Personal life
Mike Harkey has two sons. His son, Tony, used to play baseball for the Cal State-Fullerton Titans and Concordia University Irvine. Tony won a NAIA World Series title in 2011. His other son, Cory Harkey, played as a tight end in American football for the Los Angeles Rams. Cory is now a Special Teams Assistant Coach for the Buffalo Bills.
