Don Larsen
Encyclopedia
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball
pitcher
. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game
in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series
. It is the only perfect game in MLB postseason
and World Series
history and is one of only two no hitters in MLB postseason
history.
.
Larsen was traded by the Baltimore Orioles in part of a 17-player trade following the 1954 season, with Billy Hunter
, Bob Turley
and players to be named later
to the New York Yankees
for Harry Byrd
, Jim McDonald, Willy Miranda
, Hal Smith, Gus Triandos
, Gene Woodling
and players to be named later. Two weeks later, the Yankees sent Bill Miller
, Kal Segrist
, Don Leppert
and Ted Del Guercio to the Orioles and the Orioles sent Mike Blyzka
, Darrell Johnson
, Jim Fridley
and Dick Kryhoski
to the Yankees to complete the trade.
As a member of the New York Yankees
from through , Larsen was used by manager Casey Stengel
as a backup starter and occasional reliever. He went 45–24 during his five seasons in New York, making 90 starts in 128 appearances. His 1956 season was the best of Larsen's career; adopting a no-windup delivery late in the season, he posted an 11–5 record, with a career best 107 strikeouts and a 3.26 ERA.
Larsen also had a reputation as a partier. Stengel once said of Larsen, "The only thing he fears is sleep." When Larsen crashed his car into a light pole in the middle of the night during spring training
, after curfew, Stengel quipped, "He must have gone out to mail a letter." Larsen's teammates gave the gangly right-hander the nickname "Gooney Bird."
in the history of the World Series
; it is one of only 20 perfect games in MLB history. He was pitching for the New York Yankees
in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series
against the Brooklyn Dodgers
on October 8, 1956. His perfect game remained the only no-hitter
of any type ever pitched in postseason play until Philadelphia Phillies
pitcher Roy Halladay
threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds
on October 6, 2010, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series
.
Larsen's opponent in the game was Brooklyn's Sal Maglie
. The Larsen start was a slight surprise considering his performance in Game 2 of the Series. Despite being given a 6–0 lead by the Yankee batters, Larsen had lasted less than two innings, allowing four runs on four walks (combined with a crucial error by first-baseman Joe Collins). Larsen maintains that he did not even know he was going to start the fifth game of the World Series until he arrived at Yankee Stadium that morning and discovered a baseball tucked inside his baseball spikes, although newspapers across the country had him listed as the starter that day. Fifty years later, teammate Moose Skowron
recalled, "I couldn't believe he was pitching that day. I still can't believe the look he had on his face when he saw the ball...shock or something." Backup catcher Charlie Silvera
, who warmed up Larsen in the bullpen "very casually," remembered, "It wasn't like I went to anybody and said, 'He really has it, we're in'."
Larsen's control in this game did not desert him. He needed just 97 pitches to complete the game, and only one Dodger batter, (Pee Wee Reese
in the first inning), was able to get a 3-ball count. In 1998, Larsen recalled, "I had great control. I never had that kind of control in my life." Larsen's catcher Yogi Berra
said, "His stuff was good, good, good. Anything I put down, he put over."
There were a few close calls. The first was a "bang-bang" play in the second inning, when Dodger second baseman Jackie Robinson
hit a line drive
that caromed off Yankee third baseman Andy Carey
's glove. Fortunately for Larsen, it bounced straight to shortstop Gil McDougald
, who threw out Robinson in a close play. In the fifth inning, center fielder Mickey Mantle
made a back-handed catch in left-center field, running down a deep drive by Gil Hodges
. The next batter, Sandy Amoros
, hit a long drive to right field that went just foul; when asked about how close it was, umpire Ed Runge held his thumb and index finger an inch apart and said, "That much."
Brooklyn's Maglie also pitched an outstanding game, giving up only two runs on five hits. Mickey Mantle's fourth-inning home run broke the scoreless tie. The Yankees added an insurance run in the sixth.
The later innings were tense for players and fans alike. Larsen's teammates remained silent. Baseball custom dictates that players never discuss the possibility of a no-hitter as it unfolds. Both TV announcers — Hall of Fame broadcasters Mel Allen
, who did the first half of the game, and Vin Scully
, who did the second half of the game—adhered to the baseball custom of never using the words "no-hitter" or "perfect game" on the air; instead, Scully, in the later innings, made repeated reference to the number of Dodgers retired consecutively, and, at the beginning of the ninth inning, stated that "Yankee Stadium is shivering to its concrete foundations."
This traditional taboo against talking about a no-hitter meant little to Larsen, who playfully asked his teammates if they thought he could complete it, earning a gruff dismissal from Mantle. Larsen says that Mantle stalked away in silence; some teammates remember Mantle saying, "Shut the fuck up." The unconcerned Larsen even took a cigarette break in the clubhouse during the seventh inning stretch. "I had no tension on the mound," remembered Larsen, "but the dugout was a morgue. No one would talk to me. I was more comfortable on the mound than there."
With the score still at 2–0, manager Casey Stengel had Whitey Ford
warming up in the bullpen during the eighth and ninth innings, in case Larsen got into trouble. After Larsen got Carl Furillo
to fly out for the first out of the ninth, Ford and Silvera stopped warming up and watched the conclusion of the game.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Larsen faced pinch hitter Dale Mitchell
, a .311 career hitter. Throwing fastballs, Larsen got ahead in the count at 1–2. On his 97th pitch, a called strike, Larsen caught Mitchell looking for the 27th and last out. Mitchell complained that the pitch was high and outside to home plate umpire Babe Pinelli
(who was working his final game behind the plate, retiring after the season). Mickey Mantle later admitted that the pitch looked high from his center-field angle. Dodger outfielder Duke Snider
said, "I think he (Pinelli) wanted to go out with a no-hitter," adding, "But there were 26 outs before that and he got them all. You can't take anything away from him."
But all eyes were on Larsen. As he walked off the mound, Yankee catcher Yogi Berra leapt into his arms, creating an iconic image in American sports. After it was over, Berra reportedly quipped to Larsen that he had performed the baseball equivalent of walking on water
. Years later, Larsen said, "He jumped on me, my mind went blank. Probably still is."
After the game, a reporter asked Stengel perhaps one of the most obvious questions a sports reporter has ever posed: Was this the best game Larsen had ever pitched? Stengel diplomatically answered, "So far!"
Don Larsen's unparalleled game earned him the award for World Series MVP. Alluding to Larsen's carousing habits and lackluster record, the following day's New York Daily News
included the well-remembered lead suggested by columnist Dick Young
, "The imperfect man pitched the perfect game."
Fifty years later, color home movie footage of Don Larsen's Perfect Game shot by Saul Terry, of Jupiter, Fla., while on his honeymoon was found, according to both The Palm Beach Post and USA Today. The Zapruder
-like 8 mm film footage contains shots from the right field stands of the historic last out, Mickey Mantle's famous catch, Duke Snider's catch, Billy Martin's backpedaling catch, two Yankee pitchers warming up in the bullpen at the top of the 9th, fans running on to the field after the last out was made, and scenes before and after the game outside of Yankee Stadium.
On September 14, 2009 the first pitch ball (thrown by comedian Joe E. Brown) was posted for sale at eBay
. With signatures by both teams, their managers and Joe E. Brown. This ball has been validated and authenticated by PSA/DNA (No. i95114)
In 2007, Don, Yogi Berra, and about 100 others watched an unearthed copy of the original broadcast courtesy of Illinois collector Doak Ewing. On July 10, 2008, B.B. King Blues Club in New York City hosted a screening of the perfect game for the first time in 52 years. It was shown in full including commercials and a discussion with Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Wolff
, who called the radio play-by-play for the game on the Mutual Broadcasting System
.
On January 1, 2009, the MLB (Major League Baseball) Network
made its debut, and on the first evening on the air it showed the kinescope of NBC-TV's original broadcast of Larsen's perfect game—the first such network showing of the game in 52 years. The broadcast, which included the original Gillette commercials, was punctuated by segments of Bob Costas
's interview with Berra and Larsen before a studio audience.
This perfect game is also included in the DVD set, "New York Yankees: Perfect Games and No-Hitters," released on May 26, 2009.
Both the Yankees' and Don Larsen's fortunes would dip in . New York slipped to third place and Don Larsen dropped below .500 for the first time in his Yankee career, going 6–7. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics
with Hank Bauer
, Norm Siebern
and Marv Throneberry
for Roger Maris
, Joe DeMaestri
, and Kent Hadley
.
He made a comeback of sorts in , going 8–2 while playing for both the Athletics and the Chicago White Sox
, to whom he was traded in June 1961 with Andy Carey
, Ray Herbert
and Al Pilarcik
for Wes Covington
, Stan Johnson
, Bob Shaw
and Gerry Staley
.
After the 1961 season, Larsen was traded to the San Francisco Giants
with Billy Pierce
for Bob Farley
, Eddie Fisher
and Dom Zanni
and a player to be named later (Verle Tiefenthaler
). Larsen became a full-time relief pitcher, anchoring a strong bullpen that included Bobby Bolin
and Stu Miller
. He had five wins with 11 saves for the pennant-winning Giants. Larsen won the deciding game of the three-game playoff series against the L.A. Dodgers, relieving Juan Marichal
in the eighth inning. In the 1962 World Series, Larsen won Game 4 in relief, giving him a career World Series record of 4–2 with an ERA of 2.75.
In , Larsen was sold to the Houston Colt .45s, who pressed Larsen back into a starting role. He responded with a 4–8 record and a 2.27 ERA. In 1965, he was traded to the Orioles for Bob Saverine
and cash. The Orioles released him prior to the 1966 season, and he pitched the year for the Triple-A Phoenix Giants of the San Francisco organization. Larsen pitched four innings with the Chicago Cubs
in 1967, spending the rest of the season and the 1968 season in the Cubs' minor league system before retiring.
Larsen was also a good-hitting pitcher, finishing his career with a .242 average and 14 home runs. He was regarded well enough by his managers that he was used as a pinch hitter 66 times.
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.
Larsen was in Yankee Stadium for two of baseball's 20 modern perfect games: his own in 1956, and David Cone
's in . Cone's game occurred on Yogi Berra Day; Larsen threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Berra before the game. Larsen would later claim that Cone's perfect game was the first game he had seen in person from start to finish since his retirement.
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
pitcher
Pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throwsthe baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw a walk. In the numbering system used to record defensive plays, the...
. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game
Perfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
. It is the only perfect game in MLB postseason
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
and World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
history and is one of only two no hitters in MLB postseason
Major League Baseball postseason
The Major League Baseball postseason is an elimination tournament held after the conclusion of Major League Baseball's regular season. It consists of one best-of-five series and two best-of-seven series...
history.
Early career
Larsen's career win-loss record was 81–91, as a journeyman pitcher for seven different franchises from –. He had only two 10-win seasons, in and . In , Larsen went 3–21 with the Baltimore OriolesBaltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are a professional baseball team based in Baltimore, Maryland in the United States. They are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's American League. One of the American League's eight charter franchises in 1901, it spent its first year as a major league...
.
Larsen was traded by the Baltimore Orioles in part of a 17-player trade following the 1954 season, with Billy Hunter
Billy Hunter (baseball)
Gordon William Hunter is a retired American shortstop, coach and manager in Major League Baseball.A slick-fielding, light-hitting shortstop from Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the right-handed-batting Hunter was originally signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers. With his path to the majors blocked by Pee Wee...
, Bob Turley
Bob Turley
Robert Lee Turley was a Major League Baseball pitcher.Turley was signed as an amateur free agent by the St. Louis Browns in . He played his first game on September 29, 1951 for the Browns and moved with them to Baltimore in...
and players to be named later
Player to be named later
The concept of the "player to be named later" is most often associated with Major League Baseball and Minor League Baseball trades.-Description:...
to the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
for Harry Byrd
Harry Byrd (baseball)
Harry Gladwin Byrd was an American Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers...
, Jim McDonald, Willy Miranda
Willy Miranda
Guillermo "Willy" Miranda Perez was a Cuban-born professional baseball player who played shortstop in the Major Leagues from 1951–1959...
, Hal Smith, Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos
Gus Triandos is a Greek-American former professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball mostly as a catcher but also played as a first baseman for the New York Yankees, Baltimore Orioles and the Detroit Tigers of the American League and the Philadelphia Phillies and Houston Astros...
, Gene Woodling
Gene Woodling
Eugene Richard Woodling was a Major League Baseball outfielder for the Cleveland Indians , Pittsburgh Pirates , New York Yankees , Baltimore Orioles , Washington Senators , and the New York Mets in their expansion year of 1962...
and players to be named later. Two weeks later, the Yankees sent Bill Miller
Bill Miller (left-handed pitcher)
William Paul Miller was an American pitcher in Major League Baseball who played from through for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles . Listed at 6' 0", 175 lb., Miller batted and threw left-handed...
, Kal Segrist
Kal Segrist
Kal Hill Segrist is a former utility infielder in Major League Baseball who played for the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles . Listed at 6' 0", 180 lb., Segrist batted and threw right-handed...
, Don Leppert
Don Leppert
Donald George Leppert , is a former professional baseball player who played catcher in the Major Leagues from 1961-1964. He would play for the Washington Senators and Pittsburgh Pirates. After his playing career ended, Leppert was a coach for the Pirates , Toronto Blue Jays and Houston Astros...
and Ted Del Guercio to the Orioles and the Orioles sent Mike Blyzka
Mike Blyzka
Michael John Blyzka was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Browns/Baltimore Orioles . Listed at 5' 11", 190 lb., Blyzka batted and threw right-handed. A native of Hamtramck, Michigan, he served in the U.S...
, Darrell Johnson
Darrell Johnson
Darrell Dean Johnson was an American Major League Baseball catcher, coach, manager and scout.-Playing career:...
, Jim Fridley
Jim Fridley
James Riley Fridley was an American professional baseball player. During his Major League Baseball career, he was backup outfielder, playing mostly at left field for three different teams between 1952 and 1958. Nicknamed "Big Jim," Fridley was listed at and and batted and threw right-handed...
and Dick Kryhoski
Dick Kryhoski
Richard David Kryhoski was a first baseman in Major League Baseball who played for five different teams between 1949 and 1955. Listed at 6' 2", 200 lb., Kryhoski batted and threw left-handed. He was born and raised in Leonia, New Jersey.Kryhoski attended at Upsala College in East Orange, New...
to the Yankees to complete the trade.
As a member of the New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
from through , Larsen was used by manager Casey Stengel
Casey Stengel
Charles Dillon "Casey" Stengel , nicknamed "The Old Perfessor", was an American Major League Baseball outfielder and manager. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in ....
as a backup starter and occasional reliever. He went 45–24 during his five seasons in New York, making 90 starts in 128 appearances. His 1956 season was the best of Larsen's career; adopting a no-windup delivery late in the season, he posted an 11–5 record, with a career best 107 strikeouts and a 3.26 ERA.
Larsen also had a reputation as a partier. Stengel once said of Larsen, "The only thing he fears is sleep." When Larsen crashed his car into a light pole in the middle of the night during spring training
Spring training
In Major League Baseball, spring training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Spring training allows new players to try out for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play...
, after curfew, Stengel quipped, "He must have gone out to mail a letter." Larsen's teammates gave the gangly right-hander the nickname "Gooney Bird."
The perfect game
Larsen's most notable accomplishment was pitching the only perfect gamePerfect game
A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposing player reaches base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any...
in the history of the World Series
World Series
The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
; it is one of only 20 perfect games in MLB history. He was pitching for the New York Yankees
1956 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees season was the 54th season for the team in New York, and its 56th season overall. The team finished with a record of 97-57, winning their 22nd pennant, finishing 9 games ahead of the Cleveland Indians. New York was managed by Casey Stengel. The Yankees played their home games...
in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
against the Brooklyn Dodgers
1956 Brooklyn Dodgers season
The 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers edged out the Milwaukee Braves to win the National League title. The Dodgers again faced the New York Yankees in the World Series...
on October 8, 1956. His perfect game remained the only no-hitter
No-hitter
A no-hitter is a baseball game in which one team has no hits. In Major League Baseball, the team must be without hits during the entire game, and the game must be at least nine innings. A pitcher who prevents the opposing team from achieving a hit is said to have "thrown a no-hitter"...
of any type ever pitched in postseason play until Philadelphia Phillies
2010 Philadelphia Phillies season
The Philadelphia Phillies' 2010 season was the 128th season in the history of the franchise. The team was the two-time defending National League champion, having appeared in the 2008 and 2009 World Series...
pitcher Roy Halladay
Roy Halladay
Harry Leroy "Roy" Halladay III , nicknamed "Doc", is a Major League Baseball starting pitcher for the Philadelphia Phillies...
threw a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds
2010 Cincinnati Reds season
The Cincinnati Reds' 2010 season was the 121st season for the franchise in Major League Baseball. The Reds began their season at home against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 5, losing 6 to 11. Cincinnati was coming off a 78-84 season and fourth place in the NL Central. The Reds were managed by...
on October 6, 2010, in Game 1 of the National League Division Series
2010 National League Division Series
The 2010 National League Division Series were two best-of-five game series to determine the participating teams in the 2010 National League Championship Series. The three divisional winners and a fourth team—a "Wild Card"—played in two series from October 6 to 11...
.
Larsen's opponent in the game was Brooklyn's Sal Maglie
Sal Maglie
Salvatore Anthony Maglie was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He played from 1945-1958 for the New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals. Maglie was known as "Sal the Barber", because he gave close shaves—that is, pitched inside to...
. The Larsen start was a slight surprise considering his performance in Game 2 of the Series. Despite being given a 6–0 lead by the Yankee batters, Larsen had lasted less than two innings, allowing four runs on four walks (combined with a crucial error by first-baseman Joe Collins). Larsen maintains that he did not even know he was going to start the fifth game of the World Series until he arrived at Yankee Stadium that morning and discovered a baseball tucked inside his baseball spikes, although newspapers across the country had him listed as the starter that day. Fifty years later, teammate Moose Skowron
Moose Skowron
William Joseph "Moose" Skowron Jr. is a former Major League Baseball player, primarily a first baseman. He is currently a Community Relations Representative for the White Sox....
recalled, "I couldn't believe he was pitching that day. I still can't believe the look he had on his face when he saw the ball...shock or something." Backup catcher Charlie Silvera
Charlie Silvera
Charles Anthony Ryan Silvera is a retired American professional baseball player, a catcher who played in Major League Baseball from 1948 through 1957 for the New York Yankees and Chicago Cubs...
, who warmed up Larsen in the bullpen "very casually," remembered, "It wasn't like I went to anybody and said, 'He really has it, we're in'."
Larsen's control in this game did not desert him. He needed just 97 pitches to complete the game, and only one Dodger batter, (Pee Wee Reese
Pee Wee Reese
Harold Peter Henry "Pee Wee" Reese was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a shortstop for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from to . A ten-time All Star, Reese contributed to seven National League championships for the Dodgers and, was inducted...
in the first inning), was able to get a 3-ball count. In 1998, Larsen recalled, "I had great control. I never had that kind of control in my life." Larsen's catcher Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
said, "His stuff was good, good, good. Anything I put down, he put over."
There were a few close calls. The first was a "bang-bang" play in the second inning, when Dodger second baseman Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson
Jack Roosevelt "Jackie" Robinson was the first black Major League Baseball player of the modern era. Robinson broke the baseball color line when he debuted with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947...
hit a line drive
Line drive
In baseball, a line drive is a type of batted ball, sharply hit, and on a level trajectory. The threshold between a line drive and a fly ball can be subjective....
that caromed off Yankee third baseman Andy Carey
Andy Carey
Andrew Arthur Carey is a former major league third baseman for the New York Yankees , and three other major league teams from 1960 to 1962...
's glove. Fortunately for Larsen, it bounced straight to shortstop Gil McDougald
Gil McDougald
Gilbert James McDougald was an American infielder who spent all ten seasons of his Major League Baseball career with the New York Yankees from 1951 to 1960. He was a member of eight American League pennant winners and five World Series Champions. He was also the AL Rookie of the Year in 1951 and...
, who threw out Robinson in a close play. In the fifth inning, center fielder Mickey Mantle
Mickey Mantle
Mickey Charles Mantle was an American professional baseball player. Mantle is regarded by many to be the greatest switch hitter of all time, and one of the greatest players in baseball history. Mantle was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.Mantle was noted for his hitting...
made a back-handed catch in left-center field, running down a deep drive by Gil Hodges
Gil Hodges
Gilbert Ray Hodges was an American Major League Baseball first baseman and manager. During an 18-year baseball career, he played in 1943 and from 1947–63, spending most of his career with the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
. The next batter, Sandy Amoros
Sandy Amorós
Edmundo "Sandy" Amorós Isasi was a Cuban left fielder in Major League Baseball for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. Amorós was born in Havana. He both batted and threw left-handed...
, hit a long drive to right field that went just foul; when asked about how close it was, umpire Ed Runge held his thumb and index finger an inch apart and said, "That much."
Brooklyn's Maglie also pitched an outstanding game, giving up only two runs on five hits. Mickey Mantle's fourth-inning home run broke the scoreless tie. The Yankees added an insurance run in the sixth.
The later innings were tense for players and fans alike. Larsen's teammates remained silent. Baseball custom dictates that players never discuss the possibility of a no-hitter as it unfolds. Both TV announcers — Hall of Fame broadcasters Mel Allen
Mel Allen
Mel Allen was an American sportscaster, best known for his long tenure as the primary play-by-play announcer for the New York Yankees. During the peak of his career in the 1940s, 1950s and 1960s, Allen was arguably the most prominent member of his profession, his voice familiar to millions...
, who did the first half of the game, and Vin Scully
Vin Scully
Vincent Edward Scully is an American sportscaster, known primarily as the play-by-play voice of the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers baseball team on Prime Ticket, KCAL-TV and KABC radio...
, who did the second half of the game—adhered to the baseball custom of never using the words "no-hitter" or "perfect game" on the air; instead, Scully, in the later innings, made repeated reference to the number of Dodgers retired consecutively, and, at the beginning of the ninth inning, stated that "Yankee Stadium is shivering to its concrete foundations."
This traditional taboo against talking about a no-hitter meant little to Larsen, who playfully asked his teammates if they thought he could complete it, earning a gruff dismissal from Mantle. Larsen says that Mantle stalked away in silence; some teammates remember Mantle saying, "Shut the fuck up." The unconcerned Larsen even took a cigarette break in the clubhouse during the seventh inning stretch. "I had no tension on the mound," remembered Larsen, "but the dugout was a morgue. No one would talk to me. I was more comfortable on the mound than there."
With the score still at 2–0, manager Casey Stengel had Whitey Ford
Whitey Ford
Edward Charles "Whitey" Ford is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who spent his entire 18-year career with the New York Yankees. He was voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974.-Early life and career:...
warming up in the bullpen during the eighth and ninth innings, in case Larsen got into trouble. After Larsen got Carl Furillo
Carl Furillo
Carl Anthony Furillo , nicknamed "The Reading Rifle" and "Skoonj," was a right fielder in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers...
to fly out for the first out of the ninth, Ford and Silvera stopped warming up and watched the conclusion of the game.
With two outs in the ninth inning, Larsen faced pinch hitter Dale Mitchell
Dale Mitchell (baseball)
Loren Dale Mitchell was an American left fielder in Major League Baseball. From 1946 through 1956, Mitchell played for the Cleveland Indians and Brooklyn Dodgers...
, a .311 career hitter. Throwing fastballs, Larsen got ahead in the count at 1–2. On his 97th pitch, a called strike, Larsen caught Mitchell looking for the 27th and last out. Mitchell complained that the pitch was high and outside to home plate umpire Babe Pinelli
Babe Pinelli
Ralph Arthur "Babe" Pinelli, born Rinaldo Angelo Paolinelli , was an American third baseman and umpire in Major League Baseball. Born in San Francisco, his playing career was mostly with the Cincinnati Reds from 1922 to 1927. He also played with the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers...
(who was working his final game behind the plate, retiring after the season). Mickey Mantle later admitted that the pitch looked high from his center-field angle. Dodger outfielder Duke Snider
Duke Snider
Edwin Donald "Duke" Snider , nicknamed "The Silver Fox" and "The Duke of Flatbush", was a Major League Baseball center fielder and left-handed batter who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers , New York Mets , and San Francisco Giants .Snider was elected to the National Baseball Hall of...
said, "I think he (Pinelli) wanted to go out with a no-hitter," adding, "But there were 26 outs before that and he got them all. You can't take anything away from him."
But all eyes were on Larsen. As he walked off the mound, Yankee catcher Yogi Berra leapt into his arms, creating an iconic image in American sports. After it was over, Berra reportedly quipped to Larsen that he had performed the baseball equivalent of walking on water
Walking on water
Jesus' walks on water, or Jesus walking on water, is one of the miracles of Jesus in the Gospels. Accounts of the miracle appear in three Gospels: Matthew 14:22-33, Mark 6:45-52 and...
. Years later, Larsen said, "He jumped on me, my mind went blank. Probably still is."
After the game, a reporter asked Stengel perhaps one of the most obvious questions a sports reporter has ever posed: Was this the best game Larsen had ever pitched? Stengel diplomatically answered, "So far!"
Don Larsen's unparalleled game earned him the award for World Series MVP. Alluding to Larsen's carousing habits and lackluster record, the following day's New York Daily News
New York Daily News
The Daily News of New York City is the fourth most widely circulated daily newspaper in the United States with a daily circulation of 605,677, as of November 1, 2011....
included the well-remembered lead suggested by columnist Dick Young
Dick Young (sportswriter)
Dick Young was a sportswriter best known for his direct and abrasive style, and his 45-year association with the New York Daily News...
, "The imperfect man pitched the perfect game."
Fifty years later, color home movie footage of Don Larsen's Perfect Game shot by Saul Terry, of Jupiter, Fla., while on his honeymoon was found, according to both The Palm Beach Post and USA Today. The Zapruder
Zapruder film
The Zapruder film is a silent, color motion picture sequence shot by private citizen Abraham Zapruder with a home-movie camera, asU.S. President John F...
-like 8 mm film footage contains shots from the right field stands of the historic last out, Mickey Mantle's famous catch, Duke Snider's catch, Billy Martin's backpedaling catch, two Yankee pitchers warming up in the bullpen at the top of the 9th, fans running on to the field after the last out was made, and scenes before and after the game outside of Yankee Stadium.
On September 14, 2009 the first pitch ball (thrown by comedian Joe E. Brown) was posted for sale at eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
. With signatures by both teams, their managers and Joe E. Brown. This ball has been validated and authenticated by PSA/DNA (No. i95114)
In 2007, Don, Yogi Berra, and about 100 others watched an unearthed copy of the original broadcast courtesy of Illinois collector Doak Ewing. On July 10, 2008, B.B. King Blues Club in New York City hosted a screening of the perfect game for the first time in 52 years. It was shown in full including commercials and a discussion with Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Wolff
Bob Wolff
Robert "Bob" Wolff , in New York City, New York is an American sportscaster. He was the radio and TV voice of the Washington Senators from 1947 to 1960, continuing with the team when they relocated and became the Minnesota Twins in 1961. In 1962, he joined NBC-TV...
, who called the radio play-by-play for the game on the Mutual Broadcasting System
Major League Baseball on Mutual
Major League Baseball on Mutual was the de facto title of the Mutual Broadcasting System's national radio coverage of Major League Baseball games. Mutual's coverage came about during the Golden Age of Radio in the 1930s, '40s, and '50s. During this period, television sports broadcasting was in its...
.
On January 1, 2009, the MLB (Major League Baseball) Network
MLB Network
MLB Network is an American television specialty channel dedicated to professional baseball. It is primarily owned by Major League Baseball. Comcast, DirecTV, Time Warner Cable and Cox Communications have minority ownership of the new network, with MLB retaining a controlling two-thirds share...
made its debut, and on the first evening on the air it showed the kinescope of NBC-TV's original broadcast of Larsen's perfect game—the first such network showing of the game in 52 years. The broadcast, which included the original Gillette commercials, was punctuated by segments of Bob Costas
Bob Costas
Robert Quinlan "Bob" Costas is an American sportscaster, on the air for the NBC network since the early 1980s.-Early life:...
's interview with Berra and Larsen before a studio audience.
This perfect game is also included in the DVD set, "New York Yankees: Perfect Games and No-Hitters," released on May 26, 2009.
Further career
Larsen would win additional World Series games, one each in the two classic tilts with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and . Both of those Series went to a seventh game, and Larsen was New York's starting pitcher in both of them. However, he lasted just 2.1 innings in each of the starts, losing the 1957 finale and taking a no-decision in 1958.Both the Yankees' and Don Larsen's fortunes would dip in . New York slipped to third place and Don Larsen dropped below .500 for the first time in his Yankee career, going 6–7. He was traded to the Kansas City Athletics
Oakland Athletics
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. The Athletics are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From to the present, the Athletics have played in the O.co Coliseum....
with Hank Bauer
Hank Bauer
Henry Albert "Hank" Bauer was an American right fielder and manager in Major League Baseball. He played with the New York Yankees and Kansas City Athletics ; he batted and threw right-handed...
, Norm Siebern
Norm Siebern
Norman Leroy Siebern was a Major League Baseball player for the New York Yankees, Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles, California Angels, San Francisco Giants, and Boston Red Sox from to . His best season came in with the A's, when he hit 25 home runs, had 117 runs batted in and a .308...
and Marv Throneberry
Marv Throneberry
Marvin Eugene Throneberry was an American Major League Baseball player, best remembered as the starting first baseman for the 1962 New York Mets, a team which set the modern record for most losses in a season with 120....
for Roger Maris
Roger Maris
Roger Eugene Maris was an American Major League Baseball right fielder. During the 1961 season, he hit a record 61 home runs for the New York Yankees, breaking Babe Ruth's single-season record of 60 home runs...
, Joe DeMaestri
Joe DeMaestri
Joseph Paul DeMaestri , nicknamed "Froggy," is a former shortstop in Major League Baseball who played for the Chicago White Sox , St. Louis Browns , Philadelphia & Kansas City Athletics and New York Yankees...
, and Kent Hadley
Kent Hadley
Kent William Hadley was a professional baseball player. A free-swinging first baseman, he played three years in Major League Baseball and six seasons in Nippon Professional Baseball .- United States :...
.
He made a comeback of sorts in , going 8–2 while playing for both the Athletics and the Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
The Chicago White Sox are a Major League Baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois.The White Sox play in the American League's Central Division. Since , the White Sox have played in U.S. Cellular Field, which was originally called New Comiskey Park and nicknamed The Cell by local fans...
, to whom he was traded in June 1961 with Andy Carey
Andy Carey
Andrew Arthur Carey is a former major league third baseman for the New York Yankees , and three other major league teams from 1960 to 1962...
, Ray Herbert
Ray Herbert
Raymond Ernest Herbert was a pitcher in Major League Baseball who played fourteen seasons with the Detroit Tigers, Kansas City Athletics, Chicago White Sox, and Philadelphia Phillies. He won 20 games with the White Sox in and was selected to play in the All-Star game. The following season, he led...
and Al Pilarcik
Al Pilarcik
Alfred James Pilarcik was an American professional baseball player. An outfielder, he appeared in 668 Major League games between and for the Kansas City Athletics, Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox...
for Wes Covington
Wes Covington
John Wesley Covington , was a left fielder in Major League Baseball who played from through for the Milwaukee Braves, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Athletics, Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Dodgers...
, Stan Johnson
Stan Johnson
Stanley Lucius Johnson is a former professional baseball outfielder. He played parts of two seasons in Major League Baseball, for the Chicago White Sox and for the Kansas City Athletics...
, Bob Shaw
Bob Shaw
Bob Shaw, born Robert Shaw, was a science fiction author and fan from Northern Ireland. He was noted for his originality and wit. He won the Hugo Award for Best Fan Writer in 1979 and 1980...
and Gerry Staley
Gerry Staley
Gerald Lee Staley was an American right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who excelled both as a starter and reliever. He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the Minor League draft. He pitched regularly from 1947 on, then was traded to Cincinnati for the 1955 season...
.
After the 1961 season, Larsen was traded to the San Francisco Giants
San Francisco Giants
The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in San Francisco, California, playing in the National League West Division....
with Billy Pierce
Billy Pierce
Walter William Pierce is a former left-handed starting pitcher in Major League Baseball who played most of his career for the Chicago White Sox. He was the team's star pitcher between 1952 and 1961, and was named the American League's top pitcher in 1956 and 1957 after being runner-up in both 1953...
for Bob Farley
Bob Farley
Robert Jacob Farley is a retired American professional baseball player. He was a first baseman and outfielder who played part of and all of in Major League Baseball for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers...
, Eddie Fisher
Eddie Fisher (baseball)
Eddie Gene Fisher was an American professional baseball player. He played in Major League Baseball as a relief pitcher for the San Francisco Giants , Chicago White Sox , Baltimore Orioles , Cleveland Indians , California Angels and St...
and Dom Zanni
Dom Zanni
Dominick Thomas Zanni is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the San Francisco Giants, Chicago White Sox and Cincinnati Reds from 1958 to 1966....
and a player to be named later (Verle Tiefenthaler
Verle Tiefenthaler
Verle Matthew Tiefenthaler , is a former Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Chicago White Sox in 1962. He batted left and threw right-handed. Tiefenthaler had a 0-0 record, with a 9.82 ERA, in three games, in his one year career.He was signed by the New York Giants in 1955 as an...
). Larsen became a full-time relief pitcher, anchoring a strong bullpen that included Bobby Bolin
Bobby Bolin
Bobby Donald Bolin is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. He was signed by the New York Giants on November 10, 1956 at the age of 17, and played for the San Francisco Giants , Milwaukee Brewers and Boston Red Sox .He began and ended his 13-year career as a relief pitcher,...
and Stu Miller
Stu Miller
Stuart Leonard Miller , is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. Louis Cardinals , Philadelphia Phillies , New York & San Francisco Giants , Baltimore Orioles and Atlanta Braves...
. He had five wins with 11 saves for the pennant-winning Giants. Larsen won the deciding game of the three-game playoff series against the L.A. Dodgers, relieving Juan Marichal
Juan Marichal
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez is a former right-handed pitcher in Major League Baseball. Playing for the San Francisco Giants most of his career, Marichal was known for his high leg kick, pinpoint control and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters'...
in the eighth inning. In the 1962 World Series, Larsen won Game 4 in relief, giving him a career World Series record of 4–2 with an ERA of 2.75.
In , Larsen was sold to the Houston Colt .45s, who pressed Larsen back into a starting role. He responded with a 4–8 record and a 2.27 ERA. In 1965, he was traded to the Orioles for Bob Saverine
Bob Saverine
Robert Paul Saverine is a former Major League Baseball infielder/outfielder. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles as an amateur free agent before the 1959 season and played for the Orioles and the Washington Senators...
and cash. The Orioles released him prior to the 1966 season, and he pitched the year for the Triple-A Phoenix Giants of the San Francisco organization. Larsen pitched four innings with the Chicago Cubs
Chicago Cubs
The Chicago Cubs are a professional baseball team located in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's National League. They are one of two Major League clubs based in Chicago . The Cubs are also one of the two remaining charter members of the National...
in 1967, spending the rest of the season and the 1968 season in the Cubs' minor league system before retiring.
Larsen was also a good-hitting pitcher, finishing his career with a .242 average and 14 home runs. He was regarded well enough by his managers that he was used as a pinch hitter 66 times.
Post career
In 1964, Larsen was also inducted by the San Diego Hall of ChampionsSan Diego Hall of Champions
The San Diego Hall of Champions is an American multi-sport museum in San Diego, California. Located in the Federal Building in Balboa Park, the facility recognizes outstanding athletic accomplishments and traditions involving more than forty-two sports...
into the Breitbard Hall of Fame honoring San Diego's finest athletes both on and off the playing surface.
Larsen was in Yankee Stadium for two of baseball's 20 modern perfect games: his own in 1956, and David Cone
David Cone
David Brian Cone is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 17-year baseball career, he pitched from 1986-2003 for six different teams. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history. He also set the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons. He was a member of five...
's in . Cone's game occurred on Yogi Berra Day; Larsen threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Berra before the game. Larsen would later claim that Cone's perfect game was the first game he had seen in person from start to finish since his retirement.