“The Greatest Game Ever Pitched”: Don Larsen’s Perfect Game

We’ve spotlighted this game before, but it’s always worth a revisit. Here’s a few words about Larsen and his World Series masterpiece:

During a 15-year major league career, Don Larsen pitched from 1953–1967 for seven different teams: St. Louis Browns / Baltimore Orioles (1953–1954; 1965), New York Yankees (1955–1959), Kansas City Athletics (1960–1961), Chicago White Sox (1961), San Francisco Giants (1962–1964), Houston Colt .45’s (1964–1965), and Chicago Cubs (1967).

Autographed Don Larsen ball

Larsen’s most notable accomplishment was pitching the only perfect game in World Series history on October 8, 1956. It is one of only 23 perfect games in major league history. He was pitching for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Dodgers. 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 was hardly the best-conditioned player on the field that day. He had been “out-on-the-town” the night before as was his custom in those days. The six-foot, 235 pound, right-hander needed just 97 pitches to complete the game, throwing 72 strikes and 26 balls. Larsen was perfect against a great Dodger line-up that included Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, Jackie Robinson, Pee Wee Reese, and Gil Hodges. Only one Dodger batter – 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 opponent, Dodger Sal Maglie, who had thrown a no-hitter himself in the final week of the season, gave up just two runs on five hits, but was completely overshadowed by Larsen’s gem. Mickey Mantle’s fourth-inning home run broke the scoreless tie. The Yankees added an insurance run in the sixth. After Roy Campanella grounded out to Billy Martin for the second out of the 9th inning, Larsen faced pinch hitter Dale Mitchell, a .311 career hitter. 

Don Larsen in later years

Throwing fastballs, Larsen got ahead in the count at 1–2. On his 97th pitch, the crowd of 64,000 was on its feet and roared as Larsen completed his masterpiece, getting a questionable call from umpire Babe Pinelli. Larsen caught Mitchell looking for the 27th and last out.

Vin Scully was at the mike that day and proclaimed: “This most assuredly was the greatest game ever pitched in the history of baseball!”

Gary Livacari 

Photo Credits: Featured photo artwork done by Graig Kreindler https://www.facebook.com/GraigKreindler/

Information: Excerpts edited from the 1956 World Series Wikipedia page.