Don Larsen Stats & Facts
Don Larsen
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-4, 215lb (193cm, 97kg)
Born: August 7, 1929 in Michigan City, IN us
Died: January 1, 2020 in Coeur d’Alene, ID
Buried: Cremated
High School: Point Loma HS (San Diego, CA)
Debut: April 18, 1953 (11,000th in major league history)
vs. DET 5.1 IP, 9 H, 3 SO, 1 BB, 3 ER
Last Game: July 7, 1967
vs. HOU 2.0 IP, 1 H, 1 SO, 1 BB, 0 ER
Full Name: Don James Larsen
Nicknames: Gooney Bird
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Nine Players Who Debuted in 1953
Al Kaline
Ernie Banks
Junior Gilliam
Roy Face
Don Larsen
Johnny Podres
Bob Buhl
Bobo Holloman
Bill Bruton
All-Time Teammate Team
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Notable Events and Chronology
Biography
Though he had a mediocre career record, Larsen was immortalized by his World Series perfect game of October 8, 1956. He had gone 11-5 for the Yankees that year and, after being knocked out in the second inning of Game Two, started Game Five. He set down 27 Dodgers in a row, outdueling Sal Maglie and winning 2-0 for the first no-hitter in Series history. The last batter Larsen faced was Dale Mitchell, who was declared out by umpire Babe Pinelli on a called third strike. Mitchell and others, including Mickey Mantle in centerfield, thought the ball a bit outside, but mayhem had erupted and catcher Yogi Berra had jumped into Larsen’s arms before Mitchell could argue.
Before joining the Yankees, Larsen had a 3-21 record for the 1954 Orioles to lead the AL in losses. But two of his wins came against New York, who took him as part of an 18-player deal that winter. One early morning in spring training of 1956, Larsen, who had a reputation as a partier, crashed his car into a telephone pole, prompting manager Casey Stengel to say, “He was probably mailing a letter.” But he was a capable pitcher who, like Yankee teammate Bob Turley, adopted a no-windup delivery. His 11 wins in 1956 were his season high. He went 1-10 with the A’s in 1960 and bounced around before receiving his last ML chance with the Cubs in 1967. He was the last active former St. Louis Brown. A lifetime .242 batter, he had 14 career home runs and was used 66 times as a pinch hitter.
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