Yesterday marked the 60th anniversary of one of
baseball’s most cherished feats. On October 8th, 1956, New York
Yankees starting pitcher Don Larsen
threw the first and only perfect
game in the history of the World Series (and playoffs). Not only is it one
of the major gold standards in the sport, it also still captivates fans as much
today as it did six decades ago.
The right-hander’s perfect came in Game 5 at Yankee Stadium against
the Brooklyn Dodgers, giving the Bronx Bombers a 3-2 Series lead. They ultimately
took the championship two days later in the 7th and deciding game. Here are
some interesting facts about Larsen and his perfect game.
-Larsen beat tough veteran hurler Sal Maglie,
2-0. The Dodgers pitcher was no slouch himself, as he permitted just five hits
and pitched a complete game in taking the hard-luck loss.
-Yankees center fielder Mickey
Mantle accounted for the first run by hitting a solo home run in the bottom
of the fourth inning. Right fielder Hank Bauer
drove in third baseman Andy Carey
with an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth to cap the scoring.
-Although Larsen had a great regular season in 1956 (11-5
with a 3.26 ERA in 38 games), the 26-year-old had previously endured much rockier
times. In his first two seasons (1953-54), which were spent with the St. Louis
Browns/Baltimore Orioles, he was a combined 10-33 with a 4.27 ERA and a 176/153
strikeout/walk ratio.
-In 1954, Larsen had one of the most futile seasons to ever
go on record for a pitcher. In 29 games with the Orioles, he was a ghastly 3-21
with a 4.37 ERA. Naturally, two of his three victories were against the
Yankees.
-The perfect game ended what had been a horrendous start to
Larsen’s World Series career. In his first two games, spanning 5.2 innings and
two Series, he had permitted six walks and nine runs. He had started Game 2 of
the 1956 Series but was knocked out after allowing four runs and four walks
after just 1.2 innings.
-The perfect game came against a lineup that wasn’t exactly
a tomato can. The Dodgers boasted four hitters who went on to be enshrined in
the Baseball Hall of Fame- Jackie
Robinson, Roy
Campanella, Duke Snider
and Pee
Wee Reese. A fifth, Gil Hodges,
has just missed out in previous appearances on ballots.
-Larsen struck out the first two batters (Jim Gilliam
and Reese) looking.
-Maglie struck out his final three batters of the game
swinging.
-Only one
Dodgers batter (Reese in the first inning) was able to get as many as three
balls in any one count during the game.
-The final out of the game came when Larsen caught
pinch-hitter Dale
Mitchell looking for his seventh punch out of the day. He was an unusual
hitter for such an ending, as the left-handed swinger had one of the most
discerning eyes in baseball history, resulting in just 119 strikeouts in 4,358 regular
season major league plate appearances. It was also the only time he struck out
in 32 career postseason trips to the dish.
-The game was the final
time home plate umpire’s Babe
Pinelli’s called a game. Although he umpired in the field during the
remainder of the Series, he retired after Game 7, following 22 years as an
arbiter and another 16 spent as a professional player.
-Making Larsen’s laser focus even more impressive is the
fact that his then-wife Vivian filed
for divorce prior to the game.
-Future legendary Yankees manager Joe Torre
attended
the game, watching as a 16-year-old from the left field bleachers.
-The final two games of the Series were both shutouts, as
the Dodgers took Game 6 1-0 and the Yankees won the clincher in a 9-0 laugher.
-Larsen pitched for another 10 years in the majors after his
perfect game. However, it was with the Yankees and six other teams, and he only
once won as many as 10 games in a season again.
-Larsen’s next appearance on a mound came on April 20,
1957, against the Boston Red Sox. His start lasted just 1.1 innings, as
five hits, a walk and four runs knocked him out (which was won by the Yankees,
10-7).
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