University of Texas Athletics

Larry Hardy

Induction:
2015

Sport: Baseball
Position: Pitcher (1968-70)
Inducted: 2015
Hometown: Goose Creek, Texas

Larry Hardy was a mainstay of the Texas pitching staff from 1968-70, one of the strongest staffs in school history which also included Burt Hooton, James Street and Mike Beard. During his career, Hardy was used as a starter, reliever and closer. He was a part of the staff that had the lowest team ERA over a three-year period (1968 - 2.28, eighth all-time in school history; 1969 - 2.18, sixth all-time; 1970 - 1.88, first all-time). Hardy led the 1970 team with a 1.36 ERA, striking out 82 in 66 innings pitched while accumulating a 7-3 record. He was a huge part of this three-year run of excellence for Longhorn Baseball. Some of his career highlights included: pitching a complete game one-hit shutout against BYU in the opening game of the 1968 College World Series, striking out 17 batters against Rice, and having a three-year ERA in the College World Series of 1.03 with a record of two wins and two losses. He graduated from UT with a degree in business administration. His professional career spanned 46 years as a player, manager, coach and umpire official for Major League Baseball. He set a Major League Baseball record for games pitched by a rookie when he appeared in 76 games for the San Diego Padres in 1974. Hardy served as a Major League Coach for the Texas Rangers from 1995-2001. He has remained active in supporting Texas Athletics with his donations and presence.

The University of Texas at Austin Athletics

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