Mike Harkey

From BR Bullpen

Michael Anthony Harkey

Bats Right, Throws Right
Height 6' 5", Weight 220 lb.
School California State University, Fullerton
Debut September 5, 1988
Final Game September 28, 1997
Born October 25, 1966 in San Diego, CA USA

[edit] Biographical information

Mike Harkey was a well-regarded pitcher with a weak shoulder. In 1990, with the Chicago Cubs 13 games under .500 at the all-star break, manager Don Zimmer decided to install a four-man rotation. Though it helped in the short run, as the team ended up making a (futile) charge at .500, and though Harkey pitched well for a while, he broke down and was never very good again. This is not to say Zimmer deserves the blame for what happened to Harkey, as he was a weak-armed pitcher, but this didn't help matters much.

Weak-armed as he was, he had missed nearly all of 1989 with shoulder and knee injuries. He missed nearly all of 1991 because of shoulder surgery.

Mike was the pitching coach in the San Diego Padres system for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes in 2000, the Fort Wayne Wizards in 2001 and 2003, the Lake Elsinore Storm in 2002 and 2004, and the Mobile BayBears in 2005.

He spent 2006 with the Florida Marlins as Bullpen Coach under manager Joe Girardi and was the Iowa Cubs's pitching coach in 2007. In 2008, Girardi picked him to be his bullpen coach with the New York Yankees.