Carroll Hardy was raised in Sturgis, S.D., near the Black Hills. He won a state basketball title in high school and was the state broad jump champion. He’s in the South Dakota Hall of Fame.
At the University of Colorado, he earned 10 letters and made the Colorado Hall of Fame. The St. Louis Cardinals wanted him. So did the 49ers, who scouted him when he was MVP of the Hula Bowl.
“I always wanted to play baseball more than I wanted to play professional football,’’ he says.
He was taking his finals in 1955 when his professor got an urgent message.
“They said, ‘You’re wanted on the telephone right now. The 49ers are waiting to find out if you’re going to play football or baseball.’ ’’
Despite holding up the entire draft - and giving them a wishy-washy answer - the 49ers selected Hardy in the third round. Former NFL commissioner Pete Rozelle later told him he’s the reason the NFL instituted the current time limit on draft picks.
Hardy would play both sports that year. He signed with the Cleveland Indians and played for their farm team in Reading, Pa. A young Roger Maris was one of his teammates. The two Dakota boys hung out together.
He reported to 49ers camp on Aug. 15, and began the season as the team’s starting halfback because of an injury to Hall of Famer Hugh McElhenny.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Hardy was later moved to wide receiver where he caught 12 passes from Tittle, including one for 78 yards, the team’s longest catch from scrimmage for seven years.
“I loved football but I figured I’d eventually get hurt, especially as a receiver,’’ he says.
So he devoted himself to baseball.
Monster mash
Hardy says the greatest moment of his career was the 12th-inning, walkoff grand slam against the Indians April 11, 1962. Even then, he never got his due. On a raw day, there were just 2,466 fans at the beginning of the game, only a handful at the end. Bill Monbouquette was locked in a scoreless pitching duel with Ron Taylor.
Yaz had tripled to start the 12th and Cleveland intentionally walked the next two hitters to get to Hardy, who smacked the ball over the Green Monster.
“They were all waiting at home plate,’’ Hardy remembers. “It was mostly handshakes back then. They didn’t pound on your helmet like they do now.’’
He returned to Fenway Park for an old-timers’ day game in 1986, and teased Williams about pinch-hitting for him.
“He took it in good spirits. He said, ‘That’s not going to happen. They’ve got you playing center field.’ ’’
Hardy says he’d love to return to Fenway Park for the 50th anniversary of the pinch hit Sept. 20. The Sox are home against the same opponent that day: Baltimore.
“That would be fun,’’ he said. “Oh, I’d love that. That’s my favorite ballpark. I never thought I’d be a hero for being the only guy to hit for Ted Williams.’’
Stan Grossfeld can be reached at grossfeld@globe.com.