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Donald James Larsen (born August 7, 1929 in Michigan City, Indiana) was a Major League Baseball pitcher for 14 seasons. Above all else, he is known for pitching a perfect game in the 1956 World Series. August 7 is the 219th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (220th in leap years), with 146 days remaining. ...
1929 (MCMXXIX) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will take you to calendar). ...
Michigan City is a city located in LaPorte County, Indiana, approximately 50 miles east of Chicago, Illinois and 40 miles west of South Bend, Indiana. ...
Major League Baseball (MLB) is the highest level of play in professional baseball in the world. ...
Since 1991, a perfect game has been defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a complete game victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposition player reaches first base. ...
1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...
Career statistics Don Larsen's career won-loss record was 81-91, as a journeyman pitcher for seven different franchises from 1953-1967. He had only two 10-win seasons, in 1956 and 1957. In 1954, Larsen went 3-21 with the Baltimore Orioles, which by itself accounts for much of his career losing record. A baseball pitcher delivers the ball to home plate In baseball, pitching is the act of throwing the baseball from the pitchers mound toward the catcher with the goal of retiring a batter who attempts to make contact with it, or draw a walk. ...
Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) East Division (1969-present) Current uniform Ballpark Oriole Park at Camden Yards (1992-present) Major league titles World Series titles (3) 1983, 1970, 1966 AL Pennants (7) 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970 1969, 1966, 1944 East Division titles (8) 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974 1973...
Larsen was part of an enormous two-part, 17-player trade following the 1954 season. As a member of the New York Yankees from 1955-1959, 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. Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) East Division (1969-present) Current uniform Ballpark Yankee Stadium (1923-present) Major league titles World Series titles (26) 2000 • 1999 • 1998 • 1996 1978 • 1977 • 1962 • 1961 1958 • 1956 • 1953 • 1952 1951 • 1950 • 1949 • 1947 1943 • 1941 • 1939 • 1938 1937 • 1936 • 1932 • 1928 1927...
Casey Stengel, playing for the Brooklyn Dodgers Charles Dillon Casey Stengel (born July 30, 1890 and died September 29, 1975) was a famous baseball player and manager. ...
Larsen also had a reputation as a partier. When he crashed his car into a lightpole in the middle of the night during spring training, after curfew, Stengel quipped, "He must have went out to mail a letter." Larsen's teammates gave the gangly righthander the nickname "Gooney Bird."
The perfect game Larsen's singular accomplishment was pitching the only perfect game, with the New York Yankees, in the history of the World Series, and one of only 17 perfect games overall. It occurred in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, on October 8, 1956. His perfect game remains the only no-hitter of any type ever pitched in postseason play. Since 1991, a perfect game has been defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a complete game victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposition player reaches first base. ...
Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) East Division (1969-present) Current uniform Ballpark Yankee Stadium (1923-present) Major league titles World Series titles (26) 2000 • 1999 • 1998 • 1996 1978 • 1977 • 1962 • 1961 1958 • 1956 • 1953 • 1952 1951 • 1950 • 1949 • 1947 1943 • 1941 • 1939 • 1938 1937 • 1936 • 1932 • 1928 1927...
For other events named World Series, see World Series (disambiguation). ...
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees (representing the American League) and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers (representing the National League) during the month of October 1956. ...
For the 1930s NFL team, see Brooklyn Dodgers (football). ...
October 8 is the 281st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (282nd in leap years). ...
1956 (MCMLVI) was a leap year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ...
In baseball and softball, a no-hit game (more commonly known as a no-hitter) refers to a contest in which one of the teams has prevented the other from getting an official hit during the entire length of the game, which must be at least 9 innings by the...
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 (and 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 in Yankee Stadium that morning, although newspapers across the country had him listed as the starter that day. Salvatore Anthony Maglie (April 26, 1917 - December 28, 1992) was a Major League Baseball player for the New York Giants, Cleveland Indians, Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Yankees, and St. ...
The exterior of the Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is the home stadium of the New York Yankees, a major league baseball team. ...
Unlike his previous start, Larsen's control did not desert him. He needed just 97 pitches to complete the game, and only one Dodger batter (Pee Wee Reese) was able to get a three-ball count. In 1998, Larsen recalled, "I had great control. I never had that kind of control in my life." Harold Henry Pee Wee Reese (July 23, 1918 - August 15, 1999) was an American professional baseball player who played for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers from 1940 to 1958. ...
There were two 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. The Dodgers did not protest the call. In the fifth inning, centerfielder Mickey Mantle made a one-handed catch in left center, running down a deep drive by Gil Hodges. Jackie Robinson in his now-retired number 42 jersey. ...
Andy Carey (born October 18, 1931 in Oakland, California) is a former major league third basemen for the New York Yankees (1952-1960), and 4 other major league teams from 1960 to 1962. ...
Gilbert James McDougald (born May 19, 1928) was a Major League Baseball player. ...
Mickey Mantle on a 1953 cover of Time Magazine Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995) was an American baseball player who was inducted into to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974. ...
Gil Hodges (April 4, 1924 - April 2, 1972) was an American baseball player in Major League Baseball. ...
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 what would prove to be 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. Announcer Red Barber was criticized for mentioning the no-hitter during his broadcast of the game. This particular tradition meant little to Larsen, who playfully asked his teammates if they thought he could complete the no-hitter, earning a gruff dismissal from Mantle. The unconcerned Larsen even took a cigarette break in the clubhouse during the seventh inning stretch. Walter Lanier Red Barber (February 17, 1908 - October 22, 1992) was an American sportscaster. ...
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 one ball and two strikes. 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. But all eyes were on Larsen. As he walked off the mound, Yankee catcher Yogi Berra leaped into his arms, creating an indelible, 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. Dale Mitchell (born April 21, 1958 in Vancouver) is a former top-level professional soccer who played for several North American teams in the 1980s and 90s and is tied for having scored the most career goals for the Canadian national team, having scored 19 times in 55 appearances. ...
Ralph Arthur Babe Pinelli was a major league baseball player and umpire. ...
For the similarly named animated character see Yogi Bear. ...
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." Daily News Building, Raymond Hood, architect, rendering by Hugh Ferriss. ...
Richard Alfred Young (born September 16, 1885, Dharwad, India, died July 1, 1968, Hastings, Sussex) was an English cricketer who played in 2 Tests from 1907 to 1908. ...
Further career Larsen would win additional World Series games, one each in the two classic tilts with the Milwaukee Braves in 1957 and 1958. However, both the Yankees' and Don Larsen's fortunes would dip in 1959. 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 part of the trade to the Kansas City Athletics that brought Roger Maris to the Yankees. The Atlanta Braves are a Major League Baseball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. ...
The Oakland Athletics are a Major League Baseball team based in Oakland, California. ...
Roger Maris signs a baseball for President John F. Kennedy Roger Eugene Maris (September 10, 1934 – December 14, 1985), was a Major League Baseball player primarily remembered for breaking Babe Ruths 34-year-old single-season home run record in 1961 on the last day of the season. ...
He made a comeback of sorts in 1961, going 8-2 while playing for both Kansas City and the Chicago White Sox. Going to San Francisco in 1962, Larsen became a full-time relief pitcher, anchoring a strong bullpen that included Bob Bolin and Stu Miller. He had five wins with 11 saves for the pennant-winning Giants. In fact, 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. Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) Central Division (1994-present) Current uniform Ballpark U.S. Cellular Field (1991-present) Major league titles World Series titles (3) 2005 • 1917 • 1906 AL Pennants (6) 2005 • 1959 • 1919 • 1917 1906 • 1901 Central Division titles (2) [1] 2005 • 2000 West Division titles (2...
Stuart Leonard (Stu) Miller (born December 26, 1927 in Northhampton, Massachusetts), is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played for the St. ...
Juan Antonio Marichal Sánchez (born October 20, 1937 in Laguna Verde, Dominican Republic) was a Major League Baseball starting pitcher known for his high leg kick, dominating stuff and intimidation tactics, which included aiming pitches directly at the opposing batters helmets. ...
In 1964, the pitching-poor Houston Colt .45s pressed Larsen back into a starting role. He responded well at age 35, going 4-8 with a fine 2.27 ERA. 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. The Houston Astros are a Major League Baseball team based in Houston, Texas. ...
Post career Larsen was in Yankee Stadium for two of baseball's 15 modern perfect games: his own in 1956, and David Cone's in 1999. Cone's game occurred on Yogi Berra Day; Larsen threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Berra before the game. The exterior of the Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is the home stadium of the New York Yankees, a major league baseball team. ...
David Brian Cone (born January 2, 1963 in Kansas City, Missouri) is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. ...
For the similarly named animated character see Yogi Bear. ...
When David Wells threw a perfect game in 1998, it was noted that, coincidentally, Larsen and Wells had both attended San Diego's Point Loma High School. Larsen phoned Wells to congratulate him, and later told a reporter, "He won't forget it. He'll think about it every day, like I do." David Lee Wells (born May 20, 1963 in Torrance, California) is a Major League Baseball player who was one of the games better left-handed pitchers at various times during the past several years. ...
Flag Seal Nickname: Americas Finest City Location Location of San Diego within San Diego County Coordinates , Government County San Diego Mayor City Attorney City Council District One District Two District Three District Four District Five District Six District Seven District Eight Jerry Sanders (R) Michael Aguirre Scott Peters Kevin...
Larsen's career was mostly forgettable, and is typically boiled down to those 2 hours and 6 minutes on October 8, 1956. Over the years, Larsen has often been asked whether he ever gets tired of talking about the same one game. "No," he says, "why should I?"
Trivia Robert Lee Trice (August 28, 1926 - September 16, 1988) was a Major League Baseball pitcher who played for the Philadelphia Athletics (1953-1954) and Kansas City Athletics (1955). ...
A major league debut is the first official game a baseball player gets into at the major league level. ...
Major league affiliations American League (1901–present) West Division (1969–present) Current uniform Retired Numbers 9,27,34,43 Name Oakland Athletics (1968–present) Kansas City Athletics (1955-1967) Philadelphia Athletics (1901-1954) (Referred to as As) Ballpark McAfee Coliseum (1968–present) a. ...
Major league affiliations American League (1901-present) East Division (1969-present) Current uniform Ballpark Oriole Park at Camden Yards (1992-present) Major league titles World Series titles (3) 1983, 1970, 1966 AL Pennants (7) 1983, 1979, 1971, 1970 1969, 1966, 1944 East Division titles (8) 1997, 1983, 1979, 1974 1973...
Connie Mack Stadium (Shibe Park) as it looked in 1909. ...
References - "Don Larsen: The Game I'll Never Forget." Baseball Digest Oct. 2003
- The Perfect Yankee, Don Larsen, with Mark Shaw, Sagamore Publishing, 2001
- Perfect, Once Removed: When Baseball Was All the World to Me, Phillip Hoose, Walker, 2006
- Perfect Game, Imperfect Lives: A Memoir Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of Don Larsen's Perfect Game, Albert A. Bell, Jr., Ingalls Publishing, 2006
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