Yankees-Dodgers iconic moments: Don Larsen’s pitches first, and still only, World Series perfect game

For the first time since 1981, two of the most storied franchises in sports, the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers, will be facing each other in the World Series. 

This matchup in the Fall Classic may not have happened in more than 40 years, but they have seen each other 11 times – the most in MLB history. Because of that, some of the most iconic moments in MLB postseason history have come from these two teams going at it on the biggest stage in baseball. 

Let’s take a look at one of those moments, which remains second to none in World Series history. 

Yankees pitcher Don Larsen tosses perfect game vs. Brooklyn Dodgers

A 27-year-old right-hander from Michigan City, Indiana, took the mound for the Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Dodgers when they were still playing in Brooklyn, New York. 

Larsen got the ball in hopes he could produce a better performance than he did in Game 2 of this series, a 13-8 loss to Brooklyn when he was knocked out of the game in the second inning. The Yankees had given Larsen a 6-0 lead to work with, but he just could not get things going.

However, Larsen had to forget about what happened in the past, as the Yankees were able to tie the series at two games apiece after winning Games 3 and 4. 

What then transpired was Larsen making MLB history, which still stands today as the only perfect game in the history of the World Series.

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Larsen needed just 97 pitches to get through this game, with the legendary Pee Wee Reese being the only Dodgers hitter to get to a three-ball count. 

Along with Reese were other Hall of Famers, including Jackie Robinson, Duke Snider, Gil Hodges and Roy Campanella, in the lineup that day, which showed just how dominant Larsen had to be to not allow a single base runner. 

The closest a Dodgers hitter got to getting on base was Robinson hitting a line drive off Andy Carey’s glove at third base. The ball ended up going to shortstop Gil McDougald, and he was quick to get the speedy Robinson out by a step at first base. 

Hodges was also able to barrel up a Larsen pitch to deep center field, but the fleet-footed Mickey Mantle tracked it down for a lovely catch. 

Larsen recalled the perfect game in 2016 to the Bergen Record, where he said, upon learning he was going to get the start, he simply did not want to mess it up for his team. 

“The ball in your shoe meant you were going to start. I was very surprised,” Larsen said. “I looked at that damn thing and I said, ‘Oh geez. Don’t mess this one up.’”

Larsen has noted on many occasions how much control he had over his pitches that day and needing only 97 to get through nine innings says it all there. His patented no-windup delivery to home plate, which he adopted during the 1956 campaign, contributed to him gaining more control over his pitches. 

Larsen’s day on the mound would not have come without Yogi Berra rounding out the pitcher-catcher battery in Game 5. Larsen told the Bergen Record that Berra, who was known as a talkative person, “didn’t say a thing to me” when the perfect game started to become a real thing. 

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“Nobody talked to me too much,” Larsen added. “I didn’t much like that.”

When the top of the ninth inning came around, the Yankees owned just a two-run lead, as Mantle hit a home run in the fourth inning, and Hank Bauer singled home a batter two innings later. 

Larsen was first set to face Carl Furillo to begin the frame, and he was able to get him to fly out to Bauer for the first out of the inning. Then, the ever-dangerous Campanella came to the plate, but he hit a ground ball to Billy Martin at second base, which was handled accordingly for out number two. 

Finally, the Dodgers sent Dale Mitchell, a career .312 hitter, to the plate in their last hope of getting somebody on base. However, it was only right that Larsen threw another perfect fastball and got Mitchell to strike out, sealing the perfect game and leaving the Yankee Stadium crowd in a frenzy. 

Berra sprinted up to Larsen, and one of baseball’s most signature moments ensued: Berra leaped into Larsen’s arms. 

“When Yogi jumped on me, I looked a little bit out of my eye while this was happening,” Larsen said. “Dale had turned around to argue, but there was nobody there. And here I had Yogi in my arms. I felt a little funny.”

Since Larsen’s perfect game, the only other no-hitter in World Series history was a combined effort by the Houston Astros, as Cristian Javier, Bryan Abreu, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly collectively kept the Phillies hitless in the 2022 Fall Classic. 

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