Thursday Throwback: Larsen’s Perfect Game
Yesterday marked the 52nd anniversary of Don Larsen’s perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series.
Yankees’ legend Yogi Berra bounded into the arms of Don Larsen after Larsen struck out Dodgers’ pinch-hitter Dale Mitchell. (AP Photo).
27 batters up…27 batters down. Throw in a fourth-inning Mickey Mantle home run and an insurance run in the sixth inning against Dodgers starter Sal Maglie, who actually threw a no-hitter of his own less than two weeks prior during the regular season, and the New York Yankees won Game 5 with a 2-0 margin.
With the 97-pitch gem against the Brooklyn Dodgers, who featured a lineup that included Hall of Famers Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, Duke Snider, and Roy Campanella, Larsen forever etched his name in Yankees, World Series, and baseball history.
Did you know, however, that Larsen ended his career with a sub .500 record?
Yep, Larsen finished with an 81-91 career record. He also only won 10 games twice (11 in 1956 & 10 in 1957).
His bad seasons are actually more statistically noteworthy than his good seasons. In his second year (’54), Larsen went 3-21 in 28 starts with Baltimore. In 1960 after being traded in the seven-player deal that brought Roger Maris to New York, Larsen went 1-10 in 22 appearances with the Kansas City Athletics.
Nonetheless, all it took was one magical day in October for Larsen’s name to forever be synonomous with the only perfect game ever thrown in the World Series only no-hitter ever thrown in the MLB postseason.
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