Francis Joseph "Red" Hardy (January 6, 1923 in Marmarth, North Dakota â August 15, 2003 in Phoenix, Arizona) was an American right-handed Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the New York Giants in .
Prior to playing professionally, he attended the University of St. Thomas.
Although Baseball-Reference.com says Hardy began his professional career in 1946 (i.e., that is when the Giants signed him), the SABR minor league database says he played some minor league baseball in 1942. The interruption in his professional career can be attributed to him serving as a pilot in the Navy during World War II.
In 1942, he played for the Eau Claire Bears, going 3âÂÂ4 in 14 appearances. He played for the Minneapolis Millers and St. Cloud Rox in 1946, going 0âÂÂ0 in five appearances with the Millers and 7âÂÂ0 with a 1.70 ERA in eight games with the Rox.
From 1947 to 1949, he played for Minneapolis, going 9âÂÂ9 in 1947, 10âÂÂ10 in 1948 and 4âÂÂ4 in 1949. He also played for the Jersey City Giants in 1949, going 8âÂÂ8 with them. In 1950, he played for Jersey City again, going 13âÂÂ13. From 1947 to 1950, he finished exactly .500 each year.
Although he spent most of 1951 in the minors, going 6âÂÂ5 with the Ottawa Giants and 3âÂÂ5 with the Oakland Oaks, he also spent a couple games in the majors. On June 20, he made his debut, and on June 23, he played in his second and last game. Overall, he made two relief appearances, allowing four hits and one run in 1 innings of work.
Following his death, he was buried in St. Francis Catholic Cemetery in Phoenix.