Roger S. Penske/Lehigh Athletics Hall of Fame
Hartzell, Paul F.
Paul F. Hartzell
- Induction:
- 1998
- Class:
- 1975
Longevity is a combination of many things including determination, aspiration, perspiration, hard work and, according to Paul Hartzell, the most important element of success, mental toughness. Hartzell anchored Lehigh’s baseball squad for three seasons and set new standards on the mound.
“While I was at Lehigh, Skip Schultz and Craig Anderson taught me about mental toughness,” Hartzel said. “I was taught to think in a way that allowed me to perform whether I was on the baseball field or giving a presentation to the board of directors for a Fortune 100 company.
“Those two taught me how to be tough, how to conduct myself whether it was on the field or in the classroom,” Hartzell commented. “Within a year, I went from pitching at Taylor Stadium against Scranton in front of 30 people to starting against the Tigers in front of 51,000 people. It was because I was prepared mentally.”
His best season in a Lehigh uniform came in 1975 when he pitched a school record 92 innings with 10 complete games. He posted his first winning record at 6-4 and struck out 83 batters, only two shy of the school record. His 1.66 ERA and 92 innings pitched from that season still ranked second on the school’s all-time list entering the 2018 season, while his 10 complete games remains the benchmark.
“When I was at Lehigh, I don't think my parents ever missed a game,” Hartzell said. “That's one thing I'll never forget is that they were always there.”
After his stellar career at Lehigh, Hartzell was drafted by the California Angels in 1975 and was in the third spot of a rotation that included Nolan Ryan in the 1976 season. Hartzell finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting that season and from 1976-1978 was only one of three pitchers to finish in the top 15 in ERA all three years. The other two were teammates Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana.
“I pitched one of the fastest Major League games ever, a nine-inning, 2-1 win over Detroit in my rookie year,” Hartzell said. “I threw 76 pitches, 62 of which were strikes. I could still picture Skip in my head growling at me to throw strikes and get ground balls.”
In 1979, Hartzell was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Rod Carew, where he spent the ‘79 season. Hartzell went on to play for the Baltimore Orioles in 1980 and didn’t appear in the Majors again until 1984 with the Milwaukee Brewers. The gap stood as the major league record for time between pitching appearances until 2012.
“You don't learn how to play Major League Baseball at Lehigh, you learn how to be a major league person,” Hartzell said.
Hartzell graduated in 1975 with a degree in engineering and went on to serve as Vice President for Merrill Corporation in Palo Alto, Calif. He and his wife, Andrei had two daughters, Brook and Blair.
“While I was at Lehigh, Skip Schultz and Craig Anderson taught me about mental toughness,” Hartzel said. “I was taught to think in a way that allowed me to perform whether I was on the baseball field or giving a presentation to the board of directors for a Fortune 100 company.
“Those two taught me how to be tough, how to conduct myself whether it was on the field or in the classroom,” Hartzell commented. “Within a year, I went from pitching at Taylor Stadium against Scranton in front of 30 people to starting against the Tigers in front of 51,000 people. It was because I was prepared mentally.”
His best season in a Lehigh uniform came in 1975 when he pitched a school record 92 innings with 10 complete games. He posted his first winning record at 6-4 and struck out 83 batters, only two shy of the school record. His 1.66 ERA and 92 innings pitched from that season still ranked second on the school’s all-time list entering the 2018 season, while his 10 complete games remains the benchmark.
“When I was at Lehigh, I don't think my parents ever missed a game,” Hartzell said. “That's one thing I'll never forget is that they were always there.”
After his stellar career at Lehigh, Hartzell was drafted by the California Angels in 1975 and was in the third spot of a rotation that included Nolan Ryan in the 1976 season. Hartzell finished second in the Rookie of the Year voting that season and from 1976-1978 was only one of three pitchers to finish in the top 15 in ERA all three years. The other two were teammates Nolan Ryan and Frank Tanana.
“I pitched one of the fastest Major League games ever, a nine-inning, 2-1 win over Detroit in my rookie year,” Hartzell said. “I threw 76 pitches, 62 of which were strikes. I could still picture Skip in my head growling at me to throw strikes and get ground balls.”
In 1979, Hartzell was traded to the Minnesota Twins for Rod Carew, where he spent the ‘79 season. Hartzell went on to play for the Baltimore Orioles in 1980 and didn’t appear in the Majors again until 1984 with the Milwaukee Brewers. The gap stood as the major league record for time between pitching appearances until 2012.
“You don't learn how to play Major League Baseball at Lehigh, you learn how to be a major league person,” Hartzell said.
Hartzell graduated in 1975 with a degree in engineering and went on to serve as Vice President for Merrill Corporation in Palo Alto, Calif. He and his wife, Andrei had two daughters, Brook and Blair.
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