September 9, 1965: Sandy Koufax's Perfect Game

September 9, 1965, 60 years ago: The Los Angeles Dodgers host the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles. In the 1st 152 seasons of what we now call Major League Baseball, no game has ever had fewer hits, both teams combined.

Sandy Koufax started for the Dodgers. He had pitched a no-hitter in each of the last 3 seasons: 1962, 1963 and 1964. He was pitching as well as anybody ever had in the history of baseball.

Bob Hendley started for the Cubs. He was not a particularly well-known pitcher. On this night, he pitched the game of his life. Unfortunately for him, it was only the 2nd-best pitched game... in that game.

Neither pitcher allowed a single baserunner until the bottom of the 5th. Cliché Alert: Walks can kill you, especially the leadoff variety. So can errors. Hendley walked Lou Johnson to start the inning. Ron Fairly sacrificed Johnson over to 2nd base. Johnson tried to steal 3rd base. Cub catcher Chris Krug made a bad throw, allowing Johnson to score. Johnson would also get a hit, the Dodgers' only hit: A "Texas Leaguer" double to right field with 2 out in the 7th, but would be stranded.

The Dodgers had 1 run, without a hit contributing to it. That was all Koufax needed: One run. He went to a 3-balls, 2-strikes count on Ernie Banks in the top of the 5th, but struck him out. He went to another full count on Billy Williams in the 7th, but got him to fly out. He struck out the side in the 8th: Ron Santo, Banks, and Byron Browne.

He went into the 9th inning without having allowed a baserunner. Krug led off. He got to a 2-and-2 count, before Koufax struck him out swinging. Joey Amalfitano came up. Koufax struck him out on 3 pitches, the last a swing and a miss.

Cub manager Lou Klein sent Harvey Kuenn up to bad for Hendley, who had pitched 8 innings, allowing 1 run, 1 hit, and 1 walk, striking out 3. Ordinarily, even in that pitching-friendly era of baseball, it would have been enough to win. Not on this night.

Kuenn was 34 years old, and nearing the end of the line. But he was a .303 lifetime hitter, the 1953 American League Rookie of the Year, the 1959 AL batting champion with a .353 average, a 4-time AL leader in hits, a 3-time AL leader in doubles, an All-Star in 8 seasons (including 2 in which there were 2 All-Star Games, so he's sometimes listed as a 10-time All-Star), and, while not really a power hitter, topping off at 12 home runs in 1956, he was certainly capable of driving in runs, topping off at 88 RBIs that same year. He had spent most of his career with the Detroit Tigers, but had helped the San Francisco Giants win the 1962 NL Pennant.

No less than Casey Stengel had said that Kuenn was "one of the most dangerous hitters in baseball. The guy can hurt you a million ways. He has no weakness at the plate that I have ever noticed." However, he was now batting just .217. He had previously made the last out in Koufax's 2nd no-hitter, over the Giants in 1963.

There is no surviving film or videotape of this game, just a recording of Vin Scully's broadcast on radio station KFI, 640 on the AM dial: "It is 9:46 PM. Two and two to Harvey Kuenn. One strike away. Sandy into his windup. Here's the pitch: Swung on and missed, a perfect game!" (Note: That's 9:46 PM Pacific Time, so it was 12:46 AM Eastern Time on September 10.)

The perfect game was also his 4th no-hitter, breaking the record of 3, which had been shared by Larry Corcoran, Cy Young and Bob Feller. Young's 2nd no-hitter was a perfect game.

Koufax threw 113 pitches, 79 of them for strikes. He struck out 14 batters. Home plate umpire Ed Vargo didn't have the chance to make bad calls. His single-game strikeout peak was 18, having done it in 1959 (before he found his control) and 1962. The 14 from this game would be part of a total of 382, a major league record at the time. Nolan Ryan would raise the record to 383 in 1973, a year in which he pitched 2 no-hitters. Koufax's 382 remains a National League record, and a major league record for lefthanded pitchers.

Koufax's 4 no-hitters would be a record until Ryan pitched a 5th in 1981, eventually reaching 7 -- although none of those was a perfect game. In a weird twist of events, Jeff Torborg caught Koufax's last no-hitter, and also caught Ryan's 1st in 1973. That made him the 2nd catcher to catch no-hitters in both leagues, following Gus Triandos. They have since been joined by Darrell Porter, Ron Hassey and Drew Butera.

Torborg also caught Bill Singer's no-hitter for the Dodgers, in 1970, so he was the 1st catcher to catch 3 no-hitters. Jason Varitek now holds the record, with 4.

The Dodgers went on to win the World Series. Koufax would be the story of that Series, in more ways than one.

Harvey Kuenn would go on to manage the Milwaukee Brewers to their 1st Pennant, in 1982. He died in 1988. Ed Vargo died in 2008. Lou Johnson, who got the Dodgers' only hit, died in 2020. Vin Scully died in 2022. Jeff Torborg died early this year. As of September 9, 2025, Sandy Koufax and Bob Hendley are still alive.

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September 9, 1965 was a Thursday. Future basketball star Dan Majerle was born. This was also the day that both the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and Gatorade made their debuts.

July 28, 1875: The 1st No-Hitter

July 28, 1875, 150 years ago: The Philadelphia White Stockings beat the Chicago White Stockings, 4-0, in a National Association game at the Jefferson Street Grounds in Philadelphia. Joe Borden pitches, and allows no hits. It is not merely the 1st no-hitter ever pitched in professional baseball: It is the 1st no-hitter than anyone can recall ever having been pitched, anywhere.

Despite the heroics of Al Spalding (later to be a manager, team executive, and sporting-goods magnate) and Candy Cummings (the apparent inventor of the curveball), at this point, the pitcher was considered the least important person on the field. This would pretty much remain so until overhand pitching was legalized in 1884. Before that, it was all underhand -- hence, "pitching" instead of "throwing."

Joseph Emley Borden was born on May 9, 1854 in Jacobstown, in North Hanover Township, Burlington County, New Jersey, about 40 miles northeast of Philadelphia. He was pitching for an amateur team in Philadelphia when the White Stockings -- also known as simply the Whites, and as the Phillies, a few years before the team now known by that name was founded -- needed a replacement pitcher, and the man they'd signed was not yet available.

He made his 1st appearance on July 24, and was beaten by the other Philadelphia team in the NA, the Philadelphia Athletics, 11-4. But on the 28th, he allowed no hits to the team that would one day be named the Chicago Cubs. He made 7 appearances, going just 2-4, but both wins were shutouts.

The Cubs-to-be did not yet have the players by whom they would be best known: Spalding was with the Boston Red Stockings (the team that would become the Braves), Mike "King" Kelly was with the Brooklyn Atlantics, and Adrian Anson, not yet a team captain and thus not yet known as "Cap," was with the Athletics. As a result, they had trouble putting runs together.

In fact, the earliest known game in which a team failed to score a run was by a Chicago team -- not the White Stockings/Cubs, but an earlier one -- and, from that point onward, a "Chicago game," or just a "Chicago," was one where a team got shut out.

But the White Stockings turned that around in the 1880s, with Anson at 1st base, Kelly catching, and both of them hitting. Indeed, in 1907 and 1908, the Cubs tied a major league record with 32 pitching shutouts in a season. The American League's Chicago White Sox had done it in 1906. All 3 of those teams won the World Series.

The Philadelphia White Stockings folded with the NA after the 1875 season. When the National League began in 1876, the Athletics joined. Borden signed with the Boston Red Stockings, and, on April 22, 1876, he pitched and won the 1st game in NL history, as the Red Stockings beat the Athletics, 6-5 at the Jefferson Street Grounds.

On May 23, the Red Stockings beat the Cincinnati Reds, 8-0. Borden was listed as allowing 2 hits. However, the scorecard shows that he allowed 2 walks, but no hits. The official scorekeeper, Cincinnati Enquirer writer O.P. Caylor, was one of the few writers who believed that walks should be counted as hits. Only in 1 season, 1887, has the NL ever counted them as such.

But the Boston Daily Globe reported that the Reds did get two clean hits, each for one base. If the pitcher's (at least, professional) hometown paper didn't give him the credit for a no-hitter, that would seem to settle it. Officially, the 1st NL no-hitter was by George Bradley of the St. Louis Brown Stockings, against the Hartford Dark Blues, on July 15, 1876.

Borden went 11-12 for the Red Stockings, losing his effectiveness by midseason, and feuding with manager-shortstop George Wright. He was released in August, and never appeared in another major league game.

He later became a shoemaker, a banker, and a successful trainer of hunting dogs. He was mistakenly listed with the dead in the Johnstown Flood in 1889. Instead, he lived until October 14, 1929, dying in the Philadelphia suburb of Yeadon, Pennsylvania, just 8 miles southwest of Shibe Park, where, that day, a more recent version of the Philadelphia Athletics were clinching the World Series over the Cubs.

*

July 28, 1875 was a Wednesday. There were 2 other games were played in the National Association that day. The Philadelphia Athletics beat the New York Mutuals, 11-2 at the Union Grounds in Brooklyn. Until 1898, Brooklyn was a separate city, but there would no ballpark on Manhattan Island capable of holding a decent crowd until the original Polo Grounds opened in 1880.

And the New Haven Elm Citys beat the St. Louis Brown Stockings, 7-3 at Hamilton Park in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale University played some of its early football games at Hamilton Park.

July 18, 1999: David Cone's Perfect Game

July 18, 1999, 25 years ago: It wasn't quite a perfect day at the original Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York City. After all, it was brutally hot: 92 degrees at first pitch, and it felt even hotter. Other than that, it was about as close to perfect as you can get, as 2 of baseball's most memorable characters combined for a truly historic day.

In 1985, New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner fired team legend Yogi Berra as manager. But he sent front-office official Clyde King to tell him. Being fired wasn't the problem for Yogi: It had happened before, as Yankee manager after the 1964 season, and as New York Mets manager during the 1975 season. He knew: As the old saying goes, "That's baseball."

The problem was that, this time, George didn't tell him face-to-face, man-to-man. So Yogi said he would never return to Yankee Stadium as long as George owned the team. George knew that, even if the managerial change was the right thing to do -- and, competitively speaking, it was, as, under Billy Martin in his 4th run as manager, the Yankees got a lot better, and nearly won the American League Eastern Division -- it was a public-relations nightmare. Nobody ever won a popularity contest with Yogi Berra.

George tried to lure Yogi back. He invited him to every Old-Timers Day. He never came. He dedicated a plaque in Yankee Stadium's Monument Park for Yogi in 1988, and also for Yogi's predecessor and catching mentor, Bill Dickey. Dickey, 80 years old, in a wheelchair, and living far away in Arkansas, came. Yogi, 63, in good health, and living nearby in Montclair, New Jersey, didn't come.

George even tried to give Old-Timers Days themes that involved Yogi. The 1991 edition was a tribute to Joe DiMaggio on the 50th Anniversary of his hitting streak. Yogi didn't go back that far, but George was sure he would turn up to honor the Yankee Clipper. He didn't. The 1996 edition was a tribute to Don Larsen on the 40th Anniversary of his World Series perfect game, still the only single-pitcher no-hitter ever pitched in the World Series, and Yogi was the catcher. Yogi didn't come. Later that year, when the Monument to Mickey Mantle, who'd died the year before, was to be unveiled, Whitey Ford came, but he unveiled the Monument alone, as Yogi didn't come.

In 1997, Interleague Play came into Major League Baseball. The Yankees played the Mets at Yankee Stadium. Yogi is the only man to manage both teams to Pennants: The Yankees in the American League in 1964, the Mets in the National League in 1973. George invited Yogi. He didn't come. 

In 1998, the "Subway Series" (a misnomer: Only a World Series can truly be a Subway Series) was held at Shea Stadium for the 1st time. The Mets invited Yogi to throw out a ceremonial first ball. Not only did he accept, but he wore a Mets cap for the occasion -- and got a nice hand from Met fans, many of whom still blaming him for starting Tom Seaver in Game 6 of the 1973 World Series, instead of saving him for Game 7, and losing the Series. But the Mets reached out, Yogi accepted, and the Met fans reacted. That must have really ticked George off.

On March 8, 1999, DiMaggio died. A few days earlier, in the hospital, George visited him. Joe gave George a last request: Patch things up with Yogi. A few days later, at Spring Training, George was approached by Yankee broadcaster Suzyn Waldman, who said, "I'd like to talk to you about Yogi." With Joe's death still on his mind, George got concerned, and said, "Why? What's wrong?"

At that, Suzyn knew that there was a chance. George told her he was ready to apologize to Yogi. Suzyn told Yogi this. A meeting was set up at the Yogi Berra Museum & Learning Center, on the campus of Montclair State University in Little Falls, New Jersey, not far from Yogi's house. George came, and apologized. Yogi, whose many odd sayings included "It ain't over 'til it's over," had the perfect thing to say: "It's over."

George invited Yogi to throw out the ceremonial first ball on Opening Day, and he did. George invited Yogi to the dedication for the new Monument for DiMaggio -- as with Mantle, the former plaque was replaced with a monument upon the player's death -- and he came. George invited Yogi to Old-Timers Day, and this was the big deal, the thing everybody wanted: Yogi now had grandchildren who had never seen him wear a Yankee uniform. Now, they had seen it.

And Yogi Berra Day was set for July 18. It was a very hot day, and the country was still in something of a daze because of the disappearance of John F. Kennedy Jr., whose plane had not yet been found, and many were hanging onto a thin hope that he and his passengers, his wife and her sister, would be found alive. (They were found, but dead.) So it didn't feel like a great day at first.

But Yogi received all kinds of gifts, including the copy of his plaque that had waited 11 years. When he gave a speech, there were no "Yogi-isms," just a heartfelt message of thanks: To his family, to his surviving teammates, to the current Yankees for making him feel welcome, and to George. To finish the ceremony, Yogi caught a first ball, pitched by Larsen.

Yogi Berra (left) and Don Larsen, July 18, 1999

A year earlier, David Wells had pitched a perfect game for the Yankees against the Minnesota Twins. Larsen wasn't there, but someone realized that Wells and Larsen, the only 2 men to pitch a perfect game for the Yankees to that point, had both gone to Point Loma High School in San Diego, and a phone call was set up between them.

The Yankees then played their game, with Yogi's Number 8 written in chalk on each foul line. It was an Interleague game, against the Montreal Expos, and the Yankees' starting pitcher was David Cone. The Kansas City native had reached the major leagues with the Mets in 1987, too late to be a part of their recent World Series winners. He helped them win the NL Eastern Division in 1988, and had struck out 19 batters in the 1991 season finale, tying what was then the major league record. But there was a wedge between him and Mets management, and he was let go.

In 1992, he helped the Toronto Blue Jays win the World Series. In 1993, he went to his hometown Kansas City Royals, and won a Cy Young Award with them in 1994. The Yankees traded for him in 1995, and he missed most of the 1996 season with a shoulder injury. In his 1st game back, he pitched 7 innings of no-hit ball, but, worried about his recovery, manager Joe Torre took him out. The bullpen did not keep the no-hitter. Nevertheless, Cone helped the Yankees win the World Series in 1996 and 1998.

Now, in 1999, he was pitching as well as ever, coming into the game with a 9-4 record, sometimes seeming to make pitches up on the spot. And he toyed with the Expos. Despite having future Hall-of-Famer Vladimir Guerrero Sr., All-Stars José Vidro and Rondell White, and Vlad's brother Wilton Guerrero, who was a decent hitter, none of them could reach base. None of them could even get to a 3-ball count on him.

People began to realize what was happening. Cone was doing this with Don Larsen and his catcher, Yogi Berra, in the house. Wells had been put in the trade package for Roger Clemens before the season, so he wasn't there. But Larsen was.

The pressure on Cone to make history was palpable. Unlike Larsen, however, whose team only beat the Brooklyn Dodgers 2-0, the pressure to win the game wasn't. The Yankees gave him 5 runs in the bottom of the 2nd inning, including home runs by Ricky Ledée and Derek Jeter, and an RBI double by his catcher, Joe Girardi. By this point, Jorge Posada had replaced Girardi as the starting catcher, and had caught Wells' perfecto, but Cone preferred catching Girardi, who had also caught Dwight Gooden's no-hitter in 1996.

After 8 innings, the Yankees still had the 5-0 lead. But they got 3 straight hits to start off the bottom of the 8th: A double by Paul O'Neill, an RBI single by Bernie Williams, and a single by Tino Martinez. It was now 6-0, but the extra run seemed totally unnecessary. Suddenly, a big question arose: Would Cone still go out for the 9th inning? Pitchers don't like to wait long between innings, and it was very hot. But Chili Davis grounded into a double play, and Ledée grounded out. Torre sent Cone back out for the 9th.

The 1st batter was Chris Widger. Cone struck him out on 3 pitches. He hadn't stiffened up. The 2nd batter was Ryan McGuire, and he hit a sinking drive into left field. It looked like it would drop for a hit, and ruin the story. But Ledée came on and made a shoestring catch. Just as one of "the unwritten rules of baseball" is that you do not say the word "no-hitter" while one is in progress, for fear of jinxing it, another unwritten rule is that every no-hitter has at least one great defensive play, the kind that makes a fan say, "If he wasn't gonna lose it on that play, then he's gonna get it."

That left Orlando Cabrera, the Expo shortstop. In 2004, the Colombian would have a great moment on that field with the Boston Red Sox. But on this day, on a 1-1 count, Cone got him to pop up along the 3rd-base line. Scott Brosius got under it. He had a little trouble with the Sun. But he made the catch.

Cone had his 1st career no-hitter, and it was a perfect game. He dropped to his knees, and hugged Girardi, toppling him over. A crowd of 41,930 had braved the nasty heat, knowing that Yogi would be honored, but not knowing he would be honored like this, and gave Cone a standing ovation.

And the scoreboard operator put one of Yogi's familiar quotations on the board: "It's déjà vu all over again."

In all, Cone threw 88 pitches -- a pair of 8s, to match the 8s on each foul line, in honor of Yogi. Cliché Alert: You can't make this stuff up. For comparison's sake: In his perfect game on October 8, 1956, Larsen threw 97 pitches; in his, on May 17, 1998, Wells threw 120. For all 3, it was 27 men up, 27 men down.

There is a theory that Cone used himself up to pitch that perfecto. To that point, he was 10-4 on the season, but only went 2-5 the rest of the way. And 2000 was an awful season for him, as he went 4-14 with a 6.91 ERA. But he still helped the Yankees win the World Series both times. He pitched for the Boston Red Sox in 2001, retired, then came out of retirement to sign back with the Mets in 2003, and retired again.

Before the perfect game, he went 178-93. After it, he went 16-29. Overall, he was 194-126, with a 3.46 ERA, a 1.256 WHIP, and 2,668 career strikeouts. He went 8-3 in postseason play, including 2-0 with a 2.12 ERA in World Series play. He was named to 5 All-Star Games, and is one of the few players who remains popular with fans of both New York baseball teams: He was 81-51 as a Met, 64-40 as a Yankee, and 145-91 overall in New York. He is not yet in the Baseball Hall of Fame, but many pitchers who have achieved less are. Since 2004, he has been a broadcaster for the Yankees Entertainment & Sports (YES) Network.

On September 21, 2008, the last game was played at the old Yankee Stadium. One of the photos taken was on the mound, with the Stadium's 3 perfect game pitchers and their catchers: Larsen and Berra, Wells and Posada, Cone and Girardi (who was, at that point, the Yankees' manager). Berra died in 2015, Larsen in 2020.

On June 28, 2023, Domingo Germán pitched a perfect game for the Yankees, against the Tampa Bay Rays, at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, as the Yankees won, 11-0. This time, the Yankees did not go on to win the World Series, or even to make the Playoffs, and Germán, who had a troubled tenure with the team, was waived after the season.

Carl Erskine, 1926-2024

I see the boys of summer in their ruin

Lay the gold tithings barren,

Setting no store by harvest, freeze the soils.

Dylan Thomas wrote that. The great Welsh poet died on November 9, 1953, in New York, from the effects of raging alcoholism. Roger Kahn had just completed 2 seasons as the beat reporter for the Brooklyn Dodgers for the New York Herald Tribune. He would later write a book about the Dodger players that he covered in the 1952 and '53 seasons.

The last survivor of the players he looked up while they were in middle age, and profiled in the book The Boys of Summer, was Carl Erskine.

In 1985, with a few of the others still alive, rock and roll legend Don Henley wrote this:

I can tell you

my love for you will still be strong

after the boys of summer have gone.

Henley was from Texas, not a Dodger fan, and wasn't talking about baseball. Nevertheless, the "boys" of whom Kahn wrote -- as is Kahn himself -- are now all gone.

*

Carl Daniel Erskine was born on December 13, 1926 in Anderson, Indiana. After serving in the U.S. Navy during World War II, he signed as a pitcher with the Brooklyn Dodgers. He made his major league debut on July 26, 1948, pitching the 7th inning for the Dodgers, against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Forbes Field. He ended up as the winning pitcher in a 7-6 Dodger win.

The Brooks were in a transition: The men who'd led them to the National League Pennant in 1941 and 1947, and nearly did so in 1942 and 1946, were, or had been, traded away, due to either advancing age or their unwillingness to play with the 1st black player in modern baseball, Jackie Robinson. The men who would help the Dodgers win 5, and nearly 7, out of 8 Pennants were on their way up, and Erskine was one of them.

He was not one of the Dodger players who had a problem with playing with a black man. He recalled a moment from early in his career, meeting Jackie, his wife Rachel, and their son, Jackie Jr.:

In Brooklyn, I came out of the clubhouse one day, and there was an area where wives and family members could wait. When I came out of the clubhouse, Rachel and little Jackie were there. I just walked over, the natural thing to do, and talked with them for a few minutes.

The next day, Jackie said he wanted to thank me for what I did. I said, "I didn't pitch yesterday." He said, "No, you walked over to talk, out in front of the crowd, to talk with Jackie and Rachel." I was almost embarrassed. I said, "Jackie, don't thank me for that. Shake my hand for a well-pitched game." That was a natural thing for me to do. But he was impressed by that.

Soon, Dodger fans would be impressed with the man who, in their Brooklyn accent, called "Oisk." He was used mainly as a reliever in the Pennant season of 1949, and the near-miss seasons of 1950 and '51. In 1951, he went 16-12 with 4 saves. He was in the bullpen, along with Ralph Branca, in the bottom of the 9th inning of the Playoff game between the Dodgers and their arch-rivals, the New York Giants, when manager Charlie Dressen needed a relief pitcher.

Erskine had one of the best curveballs in the game at the time, but, at just the right moment, he threw a bad one. Bullpen coach Clyde Sukeforth saw this, and told Dressen over the phone that Branca looked better. Branca gave up a Pennant-winning home run to Bobby Thomas. Erskine would later call the curveball he bounced in the bullpen dirt the best pitch he ever threw.

Dressen moved Erskine into the starting rotation in 1952. It worked: Erskine went 14-6 with a 2.70 ERA, including a no-hitter against the Chicago Cubs on June 19. He went 20-6 in 1953, leading the NL with a .769 winning percentage. In Game 4 of the World Series, against the New York Yankees, he struck out 14 batters, a World Series record that stood for 10 years, and a record for righthanders that stood for 15 years. Still, the Dodgers lost both Series.

Those seasons, 1952 and '53, were Roger Kahn's years covering the Dodgers for the Herald Tribune. He got to know the players very well. Kahn's father was a Dodger fan, but was also was a book editor, and his mother was a schoolteacher, so he had a healthy respect for good writing. Kahn wrote of how Erskine sat next to him on a team flight, and they recited poetry to each other.

Don Newcombe, the Dodgers' best pitcher in that era, missed the entire '52 and '53 seasons, serving in the Korean War. For that reason, he was not one of the Dodger players that Kahn profiled in The Boys of Summer, as he looked up his former heroes, to see what they were doing in middle age: 2nd baseman Jackie Robinson, catcher Roy Campanella, 1st baseman Gil Hodges, shortstop Harold "Pee Wee" Reese, center fielder Edwin "Duke" Snider (all eventually Hall-of-Famers), 3rd baseman Billy Cox, left fielders George "Shotgun" Shuba and Andy Pafko, right fielder Carl "the Reading Rifle" Furillo; and pitchers Erskine, Elwin "Preacher" Roe, Clem Labine and Joe Black.

In 1954, Erskine went 18-15, and made his only All-Star Game. In 1955, he went 11-8, and the Dodgers finally won the World Series, beating the Yankees, after losing to them in the Series of 1941, 1947, 1949, 1952 and 1953. (They also lost to the Boston Red Sox in 1916, and the Cleveland Indians in 1920.)

In 1956, he seemed to slow down, only going 13-11. He did, however, pitch a 2nd no-hitter, against the hated Giants, on May 12, 1956. It was the 1st no-hitter broadcast on national television, on the NBC Game of the Week. Given that the Dodgers were still the defending World Champions, and that Robinson was still with the team, this may have been the all-time high-water mark for Brooklyn baseball.

The Dodgers lost the World Series to the Yankees that year. Robinson retired after it. In 1957, the Dodgers were moved to Los Angeles. Erskine lasted until 1959, but was not on the Dodgers' roster when they made that year's World Series. He finished his career with a record of 122-78, an ERA of 4.00, and a WHIP of 1.328.

He went back to Indiana, and coached the baseball team at Anderson College, an NAIA school, winning 4 league titles. He became president of the Star Bank of Anderson. In 1960, already with 3 children, Danny, Gary and Susan, Carl and Betty Erskine became the parents of James. He was born with Down syndrome.

It was a time when many doctors told parents that babies with Down syndrome should be sent to an institution, that they would be a societal hindrance, that they would disrupt family life. Carl and Betty wouldn't do that. Instead, they raised Jimmy just as they did their other three children.

Ted Green, a documentary filmmaker, said in his film The Best We've Got: The Carl Erskine Story, "They let him fly. They took Jimmy out with them wherever they went, to church, to restaurants. It was always Jimmy was there and if he acted up, he acted up." Just like every other kid acts up. The Erskines blazed a trail for other families with children who had special needs. They showed quietly though their actions how to raise a child with intellectual disabilities.

As an adult, Jimmy lived at home, and held a job nearby, at the Hopewell center, for people with developmental difficulties, assisting those who didn't have parents as strong as his own. Together, the Erskines, parents and children, raised money for the Special Olympics.

Anderson named an elementary school and a hospital after him. Brooklyn named a street after him. In 2010, Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana gave him the State's highest honor, the Sachem Award. In 2023, the Baseball Hall of Fame gave him the Buck O'Neil Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions to charity.

That year, Jimmy's health difficulties caught up with him, and he died at the age of 63, which is longer than most Down's patients live. It's not much of a surprise that Carl Erskine died yesterday, April 16, 2024, at the age of 97, less than a year after his son.

Hodges was the 1st of "the Boys of Summer" to die, in 1972. Robinson, due to his health difficulties, told a reporter at Hodges' funeral that he believed he would be the 1st to go. He wasn't off by much, dying later in the year. Cox died in 1978, Furillo in 1989, Campanella in 1993, Reese in 1999, Black in 2002, Labine in 2007, Roe in 2008, Snider in 2011, Pafko in 2013, Shuba in 2014, and Newcombe in 2019. Now, with Erskine, they're all gone.

With his death, that leaves 5 living former Brooklyn Dodgers: Tommy Brown, Jim Gentile, Fred Kipp, Bob Aspromonte and Sandy Koufax. It leaves Koufax as the last surviving member of the 1955 World Champion Brooklyn Dodgers, although Erskine was the last one who played in that World Series. And it leaves 3 surviving players who played in the 1940s: Ed Mickelson, Frank Saucier and Bobby Shantz.

Ken Holtzman, 1945-2024

I don't need reminders of my advancing age. My bones, muscles and joints do that for me, just fine, even after two hip replacements.

I certainly don't need news that another member of the first team I ever loved has died, even though I know they're all old now.

Kenneth Dale Holtzman was born on November 3, 1945 in St. Louis. Debuting with the Chicago Cubs in 1965, this Jewish lefthander was called "the new Sandy Koufax." In Koufax's 3rd-from-last regular-season appearance, on September 25, 1966, Ken Holtzman's Cubs beat Koufax's Dodgers, 2-1.

He didn't become the new Koufax, but he did go 174-150 in his career -- more wins than Koufax, although Koufax's career ended early due to elbow trouble. Included were 2 no-hitters, half as many as Koufax: On August 19, 1969, against the Atlanta Braves; and on June 3, 1971, against the Cincinnati Reds. He still holds the record for most games won by a Jewish pitcher.

He was a 2-time All-Star, in 1972 and '73. With the Oakland Athletics, he won the World Series in 1972, '73 and '74. In the 1974 Series, he hit a home run, something only 1 pitcher has done in Series play since (Joe Blanton of the 2008 Phillies). He also won a Pennant with the Yankees in 1976 and another World Series with them in 1977.

The Yankees traded him back to the Cubs in 1978, and he retired with them after the 1979 season. The Cubs have elected him to their team Hall of Fame. He was also elected to the University of Illinois Athletics Hall of Fame, the St. Louis Sports Hall of Fame, and the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame.

He returned to his hometown of St. Louis, became an insurance salesman, and died yesterday, April 14, 2024. He was 78 years old, and had been battling heart trouble. He was survived by his ex-wife, Michelle; 3 daughters, Roby, Stay and Lauren; and 4 grandchildren.

Of the 1977 Yankees, Thurman Munson was killed in a plane crash in 1979, Catfish Hunter died from Lou Gehrig's disease in 1999, Elrod Hendricks (only 10 games, none in the postseason) in 2005, Dock Ellis (traded in April) in 2008, Paul Blair in 2013, Dave Bergman in 2015, Jimmy Wynn in 2020 (not from COVID), Dick Tidrow in 2021, and Don Gullett earlier this year.

Still alive, in descending order of age, are: Lou Piniella, 80; Roy White, 80; Graig Nettles, 79; Sparky Lyle, 79; Marty Perez, 1 game before being traded in April, 78; Reggie Jackson, 77; Frank Healy, 77; Mike Torrez, 77; Cliff Johnson, 76; Fred Stanley, 76; Carlos May, 75; Mickey Rivers, 75; Dave Kingman, who played all of 8 games, all of them in the regular season, 75; Ed Figueroa, 75; Chris Chambliss, 75; Gene Locklear, only the last game of the regular season, and it was the last major league game he ever played, 74; Stan Thomas, 3 games as a September call-up, and never appeared again, 74; Ron Guidry, 73; George Zeber, 73; Bucky Dent, 72; Larry McCall, 2 games as a September call-up, 71; Dell Alston, 71; Ken Clay, 70; Willie Randolph, 69; Mickey Klutts, 5 games as a September call-up, 69; Gil Patterson, 68.

Yankees Hitless for 10 Innings, Win In 13th

There are bad days, and then there are truly bad days. Today is September 11, the anniversary of one of the truly bad days in American history. There is no point in trying to compare any sports loss to that.

But by most standards, yesterday shaped up as a bad day for the Yankees. First of all, it was determined that the much-hyped rookie Jasson Domínguez has a torn ulnar collateral ligament. He will need Tommy John surgery, and will be out into next season. Thus endeth any hope of making the Playoffs this season.

As for the game... It was the finale of a 3-game series with the Milwaukee Brewers. In each of the 1st 2, the Yankees were tied 2-2 late, but the bullpen collapsed, and they lost 8-2 and 9-2. This was, if not worse, then, certainly, more depressing.

Gerrit Cole started for the Yankees. The ace went 7 innings, allowing no runs on 3 hits and no walks, striking out 9. He had thrown 106 pitches, so it's understandable that he was taken out.

The problem was, Corbin Burnes -- not to be confused with Corbin Bernsen, who played Cleveland Indians 3rd baseman Roger Dorn in the Major League movies -- started for the Brewers, and he pitched a no-hitter for 8 innings! Devin Williams pitched a perfect 9th. The Yankees had a no-hitter pitched against them -- at least, under the old definition. Since 1991, it has only counted as a "no-hitter" if the game is completed, not merely with 9 no-hit innings.

The "ghost runner" came into effect, but neither team scored in the 10th. Indeed, Abner Uribe pitched a 10th hitless inning. The Yankees had been no-hit for 10 innings. Their only baserunners: Giancarlo Stanton led off the 5th with a walk, Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a fielder's choice that eliminated Stanton but got himself on, Everson Pereira drew a walk; and then that was it, until Stanton drew another walk in the 10th. When that inning ended, the game was still scoreless.

Aaron Boone sent Nick Ramirez to pitch the top of the 11th for the Yankees, and he allowed a run. Good defense kept it at 1-0, but the Yankees looked finished. Only 1 team has ever gone a full 11 innings in a game without getting a hit, the 1959 Milwaukee Braves against Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and they ended up breaking up his perfect game and then beating him in the 13th. With 1 out in the bottom of the 11th, the Yankees avoided ignominy by an Oswaldo Cabrera double that scored ghost runner Anthony Volpe.

Ramirez stayed on the mound for the top of the 12th, and allowed 2 runs, to make it 3-1 Milwaukee. But Stanton, already responsible for 2 Yankee baserunners, crushed a home run to score himself and ghost runner Gleyber Torres, and tied the game.

Journeyman lefthander Anthony Misiewicz made his Yankee debut, and pitched a hitless top of the 13th. With 1 out in the bottom of the 13th, Kyle Higashioka doubled ghost runner Pereira home with the winning run. Yankees 4, Brewers 3.

This was very close to being the worst loss in a season of bad losses. Instead, it was a walkoff win.

With 19 games to go, the Yankees are 8 games out of the last American League Wild Card spot. It looks hopeless. And now, they have to go to Fenway to face The Scum.

The 24 Major League Pitchers to Have Pitched a Perfect Game, In Perspective

With Domingo Germán having pitched a perfect game on Wednesday night, this is a good occasion on which to look back at previous perfect pitching performances.

A shutout is a complete game pitched without allowing any runs. A no-hitter is a complete game pitched without allowing any hits, although allowing a run is still possible. A perfect game is a complete game pitched without allowing any baserunners: 27 men up, 27 men down. All 9 players in the lineup go up 3 times, and none of them reach base on any occasion. A perfect game is also a no-hitter and a shutout.

1. Lee Richmond, Oberlin, Ohio (outside Cleveland), 1857-1929, lefthanded, Worcester Brown Stockings, caught by Charlie Bennett, against the Cleveland Blues, winning 1-0, at the Worcester Agricultural Fairgrounds in Worcester, Massachusetts, outside Boston, on June 12, 1880.

Like the world at large, baseball was very different then, in particular because of pitching. For one thing, it really was "pitching," underhanded, not "throwing," overhanded. You've heard the expression of the pitcher being "knocked out of the box"? Well, in those days, there was no pitcher's mound, just a chalked off box, the center of which was 45 feet from home plate.

The Brown Stockings moved in 1883, becoming the Philadelphia Phillies. The Blues went out of business after the 1884 season. Charlie Bennett would help the Detroit Wolverines win the National League Pennant in 1887, then lose his legs in a train accident, but would still catch the ceremonial first ball on every Opening Day in Detroit until his death in 1927.

In 1896, Detroit's new ballpark was named Bennett Park for him. In the 1911-12 off-season, it was torn down, and a new ballpark was built on the site, named Navin Field for the Tigers' owner, Frank Navin. Bennett was still invited back. The ballpark would later be renamed Tiger Stadium.

2. John Montgomery Ward, Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, 1860-1925, righthanded, Providence Grays, caught by Emil Gross, against the Buffalo Bisons, winning 5-0, at the Messer Street Grounds in Providence, Rhode Island, on June 17, 1880, just 5 days after Richmond's perfecto.

At 20, "Monte" Ward remains the youngest pitcher ever to throw a perfect game in the major leagues, and the only one to later switch to another position, playing mostly shortstop, but also frequently 2nd base. He won the National League Pennant with the New York Giants in 1888 and 1889, and was the leading figure in the Players' League of 1890. In spite of this blatant act of betrayal of the team owners, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

The Grays and the Bisons both went out of business after the 1885 season -- and played their last game against each other.

In 1881, the pitching distance was moved back to 50 feet. In 1884, overhand throwing was made legal. In 1887, a new rule meant that pitchers had to have their back foot in contact with the back line of the pitcher's box, which was 5 1/2 feet behind the front line. That meant the distance was now 55 feet, 6 inches from home plate. In 1893, the box was converted into a raised mound of dirt, usually around 15 inches high (but not yet mandated as such), and was moved back another 5 feet, to the current 60 feet, 6 inches.

So that's where the extra 6 inches, which looks so odd next to an otherwise round number, came from. There was an urban legend that a groundskeeper misread "60 feet, 0 inches" "60 feet, 6 inches," and it stuck. But it's not true.

3. Denton True Young, Gilmore, Ohio, 1867-1955, righthanded, Boston Americans, caught by Lou Criger, against the Philadelphia Athletics, winning 3-0, at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston, Massachusetts, on May 5, 1904.

Cy Young -- shortened from "Cyclone," for his fastball -- was the 1st pitcher to pitch a no-hitter under the 60-and-6 distance. It was the 2nd of 3 no-hitters he would throw. He reached the major leagues in 1890, and was one of the few pitchers to be great both before and after the mound was moved back in 1893.

He had helped the Americans win the 1st World Series the season before, and would help them win the American League Pennant again, but the New York Giants refused to play them in a World Series. The 1904 season was also the year that the height of the mound was standardized at 15 inches. The Americans changed their name to the Red Sox in 1907.

Young won 511 games, more than any other pitcher. He also lost more than any player, and pitched more innings, and faced more batters, and so on. He was the 3rd pitcher elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame, after Christy Mathewson and Walter Johnson; and was named to the All-Century Team in 1999, 88 years after his last game. The award for the best pitcher in each League is named the Cy Young Award.

4. Adrian Joss (no middle name), Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, 1880-1911, righthanded, Cleveland Naps, caught by Nig Clarke, against the Chicago White Sox, winning 1-0, at League Park in Cleveland, Ohio, on October 2, 1908.

I have to address the names. The former Cleveland Blues renamed themselves after acquiring superstar 2nd baseman Napoleon "Nap" Lajoie, and naming themselves the Naps until he left following the 1914 season. They then became the Cleveland Indians, and became the Cleveland Guardians in 2022.

And Jay Justin Clarke, like an earlier Cleveland player, pitcher George Cuppy, was a white man who had a complexion dark enough that he was nicknamed "Nig." It's disgusting, but it's true.

"Addie" Joss needed that perfect game, because the Naps, the Chicago White Sox, and the Detroit Tigers were in a tight 3-way race for the Pennant; and Big Ed Walsh struck out 15 batters in the same game. In the end, neither team won the Pennant: The Tigers did.

Joss died of meningitis, 2 days after his 31st birthday, just before the start of the 1911 season, which would have been his 10th season in the major leagues. For that reason, he did not meet the eligibility requirement for the Hall of Fame. In 1978, no longer able to ignore that he had the lowest WHIP in history, 0.968 (Walsh was 2nd, at 1.000), and the 2nd-lowest ERA, 1.88 (Walsh was 1st, at 1.82), and accepting that he almost made it to a 10th season, and it wasn't his fault that he didn't, and that 1 game in it would have qualified him, the rule of at least 10 seasons was set aside for him, and he was elected. The Indians honored him in their team Hall of Fame.

Interlude: Ernest Grady Shore, East Bend, North Carolina, 1891-1980, righthanded, Boston Red Sox, caught by Sam Agnew, against the Washington Senators, winning 4-0, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts.

Shore did not start this game. Come to think of it, neither did Agnew. Babe Ruth was the starting pitcher for the Red Sox, and, to start the game, he faced Ray Morgan. Home plate umpire Clarence "Brick" Owens called ball 4 and put Morgan on 1st base. Ruth was so incensed that he punched Owens. Owens threw Ruth out of the game, and threw starting catcher Chester "Pinch" Thomas out, too.

Ruth was replaced by Shore, and Thomas by Agnew. Shore immediately picked Morgan off 1st, and then retired the next 26 batters in a row. Since he had retired 27 straight, Shore was given credit for a perfect game, until a 1991 ruling by Major League Baseball that Shore hadn't pitched a complete game, therefore he couldn't get credit for a perfect game or a no-hitter.

Shore pitched for the Red Sox when they won the 1915 and 1916 World Series, but was already in the service during the 1918 edition, as America had fully joined World War I.

5. Charles Culbertson Robertson, Nocona, Texas (outside Dallas), 1896-1984, righthanded, Chicago White Sox, caught by Ray Schalk, against the Detroit Tigers, winning 2-0, at Navin Field, Detroit Michigan, on April 30, 1922.

This was the 1st perfect game pitched in the post-1920 Lively Ball Era. Charlie Robertson was the 1st perfect game pitcher to be overshadowed by his catcher: At 49-80, with a .380 winning percentage, he is the least accomplished player on this list. Schalk is now generally regarded to have been elected to the Hall of Fame not so much because he was a great defensive catcher, although he was, but because he was a member of the 1919 White Sox team that wasn't in on the fix of the World Series. For many fans, if they had to drop one player from the Hall's ranks, he's the one.

6. Don James Larsen, "Gooney Bird," San Diego, California, 1929-2020, righthanded, Number 18, with Yogi Berra catching, against the Brooklyn Dodgers, in Game 5 of the World Series, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 2-0, on October 8, 1956.

This was the 1st perfect game broadcast on radio, let alone on television; the 1st pitched with a black player on the winning side, and the 1st with one on the losing side; and the 1st pitched by a pitcher wearing a uniform number.

It was also the 1st no-hitter in postseason history, and while it is no longer the only one, or even the only one in World Series history, it remains the only perfect game in postseason history. Or, as Yogi put it, as only he could, "It's never been done before, and it still hasn't."

Larsen won the 1956 and 1958 World Series with the Yankees, losing in 1955 and 1957, and also lost to the Yankees with the San Francisco Giants in the 1962 World Series.

Interlude: Harvey Haddix (no middle name), South Vienna, Ohio (outside Columbus), 1925-1994, lefthanded, Number 31, Pittsburgh Pirates, caught by Smoky Burgess, against the Milwaukee Braves, at Milwaukee County Stadium, on May 26, 1959. Haddix is the only pitcher ever to pitch a perfect game into extra innings, and he kept it going for 12 innings: 36 men up, 36 men down.

But Lew Burdette of the Braves also had a shutout going, and he kept it going through the top of the 13th. In the bottom of the 13th, Pirate 3rd baseman Don Hoak made an error on a grounder hit by Félix Mantilla. The perfect game was off, but the no-hitter was still on. Eddie Mathews bunted Mantilla over to 2nd base. Hank Aaron was walked intentionally to set up the inning-ending double play. But Joe Adcock hit a game-winning home run. Except Aaron walked off the field without scoring, so Adcock was declared out for passing him, so what should have been a 3-0 Braves win was ruled a 1-0 win.

A 1991 ruling by Major League Baseball determined that, since Haddix lost the game, he would no longer receive credit for a no-hitter and a perfect game. He got robbed: He may not have finished the game, but did 27 up, 27 down. He should have gotten the credit.

7. James Paul David Bunning, Southgate, Kentucky (near Cincinnati), 1931-2017, righthanded, Number 14, Philadelphia Phillies, caught by Gus Triandos, against the New York Mets, winning 6-0, at Shea Stadium, on June 21, 1964.

Jim Bunning had previously pitched a no-hitter with the Detroit Tigers in 1958. This made him the 2nd pitcher, after Cy Young, to pitch a no-hitter in each League. It was Father's Day, and Bunning already had 6 children, and would eventually have 9.

The Phillies retired his number, and elected him to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame. He was elected to 9 All-Star Games, to the Baseball Hall of Fame -- and to each house of Congress, as a Republican from Kentucky. It should be noted that his conservatism was known when he was elected, which should, but won't shut up the people whining about Curt Schilling not being elected.

8. Sanford Koufax (no middle name, born Sanford Braun), Brooklyn, New York, born in 1935, lefthanded, Number 32, Los Angeles Dodgers, caught by Jeff Torborg, against the Chicago Cubs, winning 1-0, at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on September 9, 1965.

This was the 4th and last no-hitter for Sandy Koufax, "The Left Arm of God." The opposing pitcher, Bob Hendley, allowed only 1 hit, so this game set a record that still stands for fewest hits by both teams combined in a single game.

Koufax had helped the Dodgers win the World Series in 1959 and 1963, and would do so again in 1965, and win another Pennant in 1966. He appeared in 7 All-Star Games. The Dodgers retired his number, and, due to his early retirement, he was, at 36, the youngest person ever elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

9. James Augustus Hunter, Hertford, North Carolina, 1946-1999, righthanded, Oakland Athletics, Number 27, caught by Jim Pagliaroni, against the Minnesota Twins, winning 4-0, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum in Oakland, California, on May 8, 1968.

Jim Hunter already had the nickname "Catfish," but he didn't yet have the mustache. He helped the A's win the World Series in 1972, 1973 and 1974, and the Yankees win it in 1977 and 1978, losing the World Series in 1976. He reached 8 All-Star Games. The A's retired his number (he wore 29 with the Yankees), and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Interlude: Milton Stephen Pappas, Detroit, Michigan, 1939-2016, righthanded, Chicago Cubs, Number 32, caught by Randy Hundley, against the San Diego Padres, winning 8-0, at Wrigley Field in Chicago, Illinois, on September 2, 1972.

Pappas was 1 strike away from a perfect game, and had a full count on to pinch-hitter Larry Stahl, and seemed to have gotten a called 3rd strike. But home plate umpire Bruce Froemming called ball four. The instant replay showed that Froemming was wrong. Pappas then got Garry Jestadt to pop up, so he kept the no-hitter, but lost a perfect game on an obviously wrong call.

After the game, Pappas tried to reason with Froemming, pointing out that only 9 home-plate umpires had ever called a perfect game, and that he could have been only the 10th. Froemming said, "Milt, if I'd called that pitch a strike, I never would have been able to live with myself." That's when Pappas lost it, yelling, "How the hell do you live with yourself with all the other lousy calls you make?"

Froemming went on to make many more lousy calls before his retirement in 2007. The following year, a Chicago radio host got both of them on the air, and they still argued it.

10. Leonard Harold Barker, Langhorne, Pennsylvania (outside Philadelphia), born in 1955, righthanded, Cleveland Indians, Number 39, caught by Ron Hassey, against the Toronto Blue Jays, winning 3-0, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium, on May 15, 1981.

This was the 1st perfect game pitched after 1968, "The Year of the Pitcher," after which the height of the pitcher's mound was lowered from 15 to 10 inches. It was also the 1st perfect game pitching during my lifetime. Although a sportswriter remarked, "How could it be perfect? It was pitched in Cleveland."

"Large Lenny" was considered a candidate to pitch a no-hitter, but not a perfect game, because he was wild. How wild was he? In a 1978 game, pitching for the Texas Rangers against the Boston Red Sox, he threw one pitch that ended up on the Fenway Park backstop.

11. Michael Atwater Witt, Anaheim, California (outside Los Angeles), born in 1960, righthanded, California Angels, Number 39, caught by Bob Boone, against the Texas Rangers, winning 1-0, at Arlington Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas, on September 30, 1984.

In 1940, Bob Feller pitched a no-hitter in his team's 1st game of the season, but this was the 1st time a pitcher threw one in the last game of the regular season. Since the Angels play their home games in Anaheim, this made Mike Witt the 1st pitcher to pitch a perfect game for his hometown team. He helped them win the AL Western Division title in 1982 and 1986, made 2 All-Star Games, and later pitched for the Yankees.

12. Thomas Leo Browning, Malone, New York, 1960-2022, lefthanded, Cincinnati Reds, Number 32, caught by Jeff Reed, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning 1-0, at Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati, Ohio, on September 16, 1988.

Tom Browning helped the Reds win the World Series in 1990, and made the All-Star Game the next season. In 1994, he broke his arm in mid-pitch, and only pitched in 1 more season. The Reds elected him to their team Hall of Fame.

13. José Dennis Martínez Ortiz, Granada, Nicaragua, born 1955, righthanded, Montreal Expos, Number 32, caught by Ron Hassey, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, winning 2-0, at Dodger Stadium, on July 28, 1991. 

This made Dodger Stadium the 1st ballpark to host 2 perfect games, Hassey the 1st catcher to catch 2, and Dennis Martínez (the name he has always used) the 1st Hispanic pitcher, and the 1st pitcher born outside the United States, to pitch a perfect game.

His 245 wins surpassed Juan Marichal as the winningest Hispanic pitcher, but Bartolo Colón surpassed him with 247. "El Presidente" had helped the Baltimore Orioles reach 2 World Series, losing in 1979 and winning in 1983. He appeared in 4 All-Star Games.

14. Kenneth Scott Rogers, Dover, Florida (outside Tampa), born 1964, lefthanded, Texas Rangers, Number 37, caught by Iván Rodríguez, against the the California Angels, winning 4-0, at The Ballpark in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas, on July 28, 1994.

No relation to the country singer also named Kenny Rogers (Kenneth Ray Rogers), but, in line with one of his songs, the pitcher was nicknamed "The Gambler." He made 4 All-Star Games, and the Rangers elected him to their team Hall of Fame. He appeared in the postseason with the Yankees in 1996 (winning the World Series), the New York Mets in 1999, the Minnesota Twins in 2003, and the Detroit Tigers in 2006 (reaching but losing the World Series).

It should be noted that, like a later perfecto pitcher, Domingo Germán, he got caught using illegal "sticky stuff" on the mound -- but not during his perfecto.

15. David Lee Wells, San Diego, California, born in 1963, lefthanded, New York Yankees, Number 33, with Jorge Posada catching, against the Minnesota Twins, winning 4-0, at Yankee Stadium, on May 17, 1998.

"Boomer" claimed to have been hungover when he pitched this game. He appeared in 3 All-Star Games, won the 1992 World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays, lost the 1996 AL Championship Series to the Yankees with the Baltimore Orioles, won the 1998 World Series with the Yankees, lost the 2003 World Series with the Yankees, and also reached the postseason with the 2005 Red Sox, and in 2006 with his hometown San Diego Padres.

He and Larsen both graduated from Point Loma High School in San Diego, both were known for their hard-partying ways, and both pitched perfect games for the Yankees.

16. David Brian Cone, Kansas City, Missouri, born in 1963, righthanded, New York Yankees, Number 36, with Joe Girardi catching, against the Montreal Expos, at Yankee Stadium, winning, 6-0, on July 18, 1999.

The Yankees held Yogi Berra Day, and Larsen threw a ceremonial first pitch that Berra caught. It was the 1st no-hitter ever pitched in an Interleague game. A 5-time All-Star, "Coney" won the 1994 AL Cy Young Award with the Kanas City Royals. He arrived too late to appear with the Mets in the 1986 World Series, but was a member of their 1988 NL Eastern Division Champions. He won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992; and with the Yankees in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

17. Randall David Johnson, Livermore, California (outside San Francisco), born in 1963, lefthanded, Arizona Diamondbacks, Number 51, with Robby Hammock catching, against the Atlanta Braves, at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia, winning 2-0, on May 18, 2004.

Few pitchers in the post-1968 Ten-Inch Mound Era have been as dominating as Randy Johnson. This was the 2nd no-hitter for the 6-foot-10 "Big Unit," who appeared in 10 All-Star Games, won 5 Cy Young Awards, including in both Leagues, and is the only perfect game pitcher to be a member of both the 300 Wins Club and the 3,000 Strikeouts Club. No lefty has more strikeouts than his 4,875, and, among righthanders, only Nolan Ryan has more. (Ryan pitched 7 no-hitters, but none was a perfect game.)

He reached the postseason with the Seattle Mariners in 1995 and 1997; the Houston Astros in 1998; the Diamondbacks in 2001 (winning the World Series) and 2002; and the Yankees in 2005 and 2006, The Mariners named him to their team Hall of Fame, the Diamondbacks retired his number, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

18. Mark Alan Buehrle, St. Charles, Missouri (outside St. Louis), born in 1979, lefthanded, Chicago White Sox, Number 56, with Ramón Castro catching, against the Tampa Bay Rays, at U.S. Cellular Field (now Guaranteed Rate Field) in Chicago, winning 5-0, on July 23, 2009.

This was Buehrle's 2nd no-hitter. A 5-time All-Star, he reached the postseason with the ChiSox in 2000, 2005 (winning the World Series) and 2008; and with the Toronto Blue Jays in 2015 (although he was injured and unavailable for the postseason roster). The White Sox retired his number.

19. Dallas Lee Braden, Stockton, California (outside Sacramento), born in 1983, lefthanded, Oakland Athletics, Number 51, with Landon Powell catching, against the Tampa Bay Rays, at the Oakland Coliseum, winning 4-0, on May 9, 2010.

Braden grew up as an A's fan, so he was the 2nd pitcher, after Mike Witt, to pitch a perfect game for his favorite team. The game was played on Mother's Day. Like David Wells, he claimed to have pitched his gem while hungover. But less than a year later, a shoulder injury meant that he would never pitch again, done at age 27.

20. Harry Leroy Halladay, Arvada, Colorado (outside Denver), 1977-2017, righthanded, Philadelphia Phillies, Number 34, with Carlos Ruiz catching, against the Florida Marlins, at Sun Life Stadium (now Hard Rock Stadium) in Miami Gardens, Florida, winning 1-0, on May 29, 2010.

Roy Halladay pitched his perfecto just 20 days after Braden's. Later in the season, he pitched MLB's 2nd postseason no-hitter, against the Cincinnati Reds, in Game 1 of the NL Division Series. He also pitched for the Phillies in the following year's postseason.  Unfortunately, like Addie Joss, "Doc" didn't live for very long after his perfect game, dying in a plane crash only 4 years after his retirement.

The Toronto Blue Jays named him to their team Hall of Fame, the Level of Excellence, and retired his Number 32. The Phillies named him to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame, and retired his Number 34. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Interlude: Armando Antonio Galarraga Barreto, Cumana, Venezuela, born in 1982, righthanded, Detroit Tigers, Number 58, with Alex Avila catching, against the Cleveland Indians, at Comerica Park in Detroit, winning 3-0, on June 2, 2010.

This one should have counted, but didn't. Armando Galarraga got the 1st 26 batters out. The 27th was Jason Donald, and he grounded to 1st baseman Miguel Cabrera. Galarraga ran over to cover 1st base. Cabrera made the throw, and the instant replay proved that Donald was out. But umpire Jim Joyce called him safe. Under the rules of the time, there was no provision for overturning the call with an instant replay, and so, the perfect game and the no-hitter were ruined.

Joyce had been the 2nd base umpire for Braden's perfect game, just 22 days earlier. Unlike Bruce Froemming, 38 years earlier, Joyce accepted that he blew it: "I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay." Joyce apologized to Galarraga, and was widely praised for accepting his mistake.

21. Philip Gregory Humber, Carthage, Texas, born in 1982, righthanded, Chicago White Sox, Number 41, with A.J. Pierzynski catching, against the Seattle Mariners, at Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) in Seattle, Washington, winning 4-0, on April 21, 2012.

Philip Humber was with the Mets in 2006, and the Minnesota Twins in 2008 and 2009, but did not appear on the postseason roster on any of those occasions. He struggled badly after his perfect game, and last appeared in the major leagues only a year and a half later. He has fewer wins than any other perfect game pitcher, including the still-active Domingo Germán.

22. Matthew Thomas Cain, Germantown, Tennessee (outside Memphis), born in 1984, righthanded, San Francisco Giants, Number 18, with Buster Posey catching, against the Houston Astros, at AT&T Park (now Oracle Park) in San Francisco, California, winning 10-0, on June 13, 2012.

Matt Cain was a 3-time All-Star, and he helped the Giants win the 2010 and 2012 World Series. However, "The Horse" was injured midway through the 2014 season, and was unable to be a part of a 3rd Series winner. The Giants elected him to their Wall of Fame.

23. Félix Abraham Hernández García, Valencia, Venezuela, bornin 1986, righthanded, Seattle Mariners, Number 34, with John Jaso catching, against the Tampa Bay Rays, at Safeco Field (now T-Mobile Park) in Seattle, winning 1-0, on August 15, 2012.

Three perfect games in 1 season, when it used to be a rare occurrence. Mariner fans called Hernández "King Felix," even though he never appeared in a single postseason game. He did, however, appear in 6 All-Star Games, and win 2 AL Cy Young Awards.

24. Domingo Germán (no middle name, unusual for a Hispanic person), San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, righthanded, Number 0 (formerly 55), with Kyle Higashioka catching, against the Oakland Athletics, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Yankees winning, 11-0, on June 28, 2023.

Dallas Braden was part of MLB Network's coverage of this game. This makes him the 1st man to pitch a perfect game and broadcast another. David Cone is a member of the Yankees' broadcast staff, but did not broadcast this game.

Richmond, Haddix, Koufax, Browning, Rogers, Wells, Johnson, were lefthanded. The rest were righthanded.

Richmond, Young, Shore, Hunter, Barker, Rogers, Cone, Johnson, Humber were of English descent; Ward, Browning, Wells, Braden, Halladay and Cain, Irish; Robertson and Bunning, Scottish; Joss, Swiss; Larsen, Danish; Haddix, French; Koufax, German Jewish; Pappas, Greek; Witt and Buehrle, German; Martínez, Nicaraguan; Galarraga and Hernandez, Venezuelan; and Germán, Dominican. Although Germán is a black Hispanic, no African-American pitcher has ever pitched a perfect game in the major leagues.

Robertson, Haddix (sort of), Bunning, Witt, Johnson, Halladay, Humber and Germán did it on the road; the rest did it in their home parks.

Ward, Koufax, Barker, Browning were from the Northeastern U.S.; Richmond, Young, Joss, Haddix, Pappas, Cone, Buehrle were from the Midwest; Shore, Robertson, Bunning, Hunter, Humber, Cain, the Southeast; Halladay, from the Rocky Mountains; Larsen, Witt, Wells, Johnson, Braden, the West Coast; Martínez, Galarraga, Hernández and Germán from outside the U.S.

Career wins: Young 511, Johnson 303, Wells 239, Bunning 224, Hunter 224, Rogers 219, Buehrle 214, Pappas 209, Halladay 203, Cone 194, Hernández 169, Koufax 165, Ward 164, Joss 160, Haddix 136, Browning 123, Witt 117, Cain 104, Larsen 81, Richmond 75, Barker 74, Shore 65, Robertson 49, Germán (still active) 31, Braden 26, Galarraga 26, Humber 16.

Ward, Young, Joss, Bunning, Koufax, Hunter, Johnson and Halladay have been elected to the Hall of Fame. However, Richmond, Robertson, Larsen, Barker, Braden, Galarraga, Humber and Cain retired with losing records.

Uniform numbers during their perfect games: Germán 0; Bunning 14; Larsen and Cain 18; Hunter 27; Haddix 31; Koufax, Pappas, Browning and Martínez 32; Wells 33, Halladay and Hernández 34, Cone 36, Rogers 37; Barker and Witt 39; Humber 41, Johnson and Braden 51; Buehrle 56; Galarraga 58.

Koufax, Barker, Witt, Browning, Martínez, Rogers, Wells, Cone, Johnson, Buehrle, Braden, Galarraga, Humber, Cain, Hernández and the still-active Germán are still alive.

The 12 New York Yankees to Have Pitched a No-Hitter, In Perspective

Left to right: Joe Girardi, David Cone, Don Larsen,

Yogi Berra, David Cone and Jorge Posada.

The following 12 pitchers have pitched a no-hitter while playing for the New York Yankees:

1. George Anthony Mogridge, Rochester, New York, 1889-1962, lefthanded, pitching in the era before uniform numbers were worn, with Les Nunamaker as his catcher, against the Boston Red Sox, at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts, the Yankees winning, 2-1, on April 24, 1917. He walked 3 batters, and the Yankees made 3 errors behind him.

He pitched in the era before there was an All-Star Game. He appeared in 1 postseason, but after leaving the Yankees, winning the 1924 World Series with the Washington Senators.

2. Samuel Pond Jones, "Sad Sam," Woodsfield, Ohio, 1892-1966, righthanded, pre-number, with Fred "Bootnose" Hofmann catching, against the Philadelphia Athletics, at Shibe Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the Yankees winning, 2-0, on September 4, 1923. He didn't strike any batters out, walked 1, and the Yankees made an error behind him.

He pitched in the era before there was an All-Star Game. He had won the 1916 and 1918 World Series with the Boston Red Sox, won with the Yankees in 1923, and lost with the Yankees in 1922 and 1926.

In 1959, another pitcher named Sam Jones, with the Chicago Cubs, became the 1st black pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the major leagues.

3. Montgomery Marcellus Pearson, "Monte," Fresno, California, 1908-1978, righthanded, Number 16, with Joe Glenn (not Bill Dickey) catching, against the Cleveland Indians, at Yankee Stadium in The Bronx, New York, in the 2nd game of a doubleheader, the Yankees winning, 13-0, on August 27, 1938. He walked 2 batters.

Monte Pearson appeared in 2 All-Star Games, and was a member of the Yankees' 4 straight World Series wins from 1936 to 1939.

He pitched the 1st no-hitter at the original Yankee Stadium. is the only native of Fresno, California to pitch a no-hitter for a New York team. Tom Seaver was from Fresno, but, of course, pitched his only career no-hitter with the Cincinnati Reds, not the Mets.

4. Allie Pierce Reynolds, "the Superchief," Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, 1917-1994, righthanded, Number 22, with Yogi Berra catching, against the Cleveland Indians, at Cleveland Municipal Stadium in Cleveland, Ohio, the Yankees winning, 1-0, on July 12, 1951. He walked 3 batters, and the Yankees made an error.

Reynolds became the 2nd pitcher, of whom there are now 6, to throw 2 no-hitters in 1 season: Again with Yogi Berra catching, it was against the Boston Red Sox, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 8-0, in the 1st game of a doubleheader, on September 28, 1951. He walked 4 batters, and the Yankees made an error. In the 2nd game of the doubleheader, they clinched the Pennant.

Reynolds pitched in 6 All-Star Games, and won the World Series with the Yankees in 1947, and then with their 5 straight World Champions of 1949 to 1953. The Yankees honored him with a Plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium -- so far, the only one of these so honored.

Charles "Chief" Bender of the Philadelphia Athletics pitched a no-hitter in 1910, so Reynolds was the 2nd Native American pitcher to throw a no-hitter in the major leagues.

5. Don James Larsen, "Gooney Bird," San Diego, California, 1929-2020, righthanded, Number 18, with Yogi Berra catching, against the Brooklyn Dodgers, in Game 5 of the World Series, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 2-0, on October 8, 1956.

It was the 1st no-hitter in postseason history, and while it is no longer the only one, or even the only one in World Series history, it remains the only perfect game in postseason history. Or, as Yogi put it, as only he could, "It's never been done before, and it still hasn't."

Larsen won the 1956 and 1958 World Series with the Yankees, losing in 1955 and 1957, and also lost to the Yankees with the San Francisco Giants in the 1962 World Series.

6. David Allan Righetti, "Rags," San Jose, California, born in 1958, lefthanded, Number 19, with Butch Wynegar catching, against the Boston Red Sox, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 4-0, on July 4, 1983. He walked 4 batters.

Dave Righetti had been the 1981 American League Rookie of the Year, and had just been selected for the 1st of what would be 2 All-Star Games. But, by starting him in this game, manager Billy Martin ensured that Righetti wouldn't be able to pitch in the All-Star Game. It was a very hot day, but he finished the game in improbable fashion, by striking out Wade Boggs, one of the best contact hitters of all time.

Righetti had been with the Yankees when they lost the 1981 World Series, then was converted to a reliever in 1984. In 1986, he saved 46 games, a record at the time. He later served as the pitching coach on the San Francisco Giants teams that won the 2010, 2012 and 2014 World Series.

George "Hooks" Wiltse of the 1908 New York Giants and George Mullin of the 1912 Detroit Tigers also pitched no-hitters on the 4th of July. In Righetti's case, it was also the birthday of his boss, Yankees team owner George Steinbrenner.

7. James Anthony Abbott, "Jim," Flint, Michigan, born in 1967, lefthanded -- he was born without a right hand -- Number 25, with Matt Nokes catching, against the Cleveland Indians, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 4-0, on September 4, 1993. He walked 5 batters.

When Jim Abbott arrived in the major leagues, in 1989, with the team then named the California Angels, it was one of the most inspirational stories in baseball history. His closest call with the postseason was after leaving the Yankees, going back to the Angels, when they lost a Playoff for the American League Western Division title in 1995.

8. Dwight Eugene Gooden, "Doctor K" or just "Doc," Tampa, Florida, born in 1964, righthanded, Number 11, with Joe Girardi catching, against the Seattle Mariners, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 2-0, on May 14, 1996. It was the least "perfect" Yankee no-hitter, with 6 walks and an error.

Doc had been the great hope of New York Mets fans, winning the National League's Rookie of the Year in 1984 and its Cy Young Award in 1985, but by the time they won the 1986 World Series, he was already beginning to descend into cocaine addiction. He eventually appeared in 4 All-Star Games, before a combination of drugs and a rotator cuff injury led the Mets to let him go after he was suspended for the entire 1995 season.

George Steinbrenner, always a sucker for a redemption story, and also always there for getting one over on the Mets, signed him. It worked, and he helped the Yankees win the 1996 World Series, was traded, was reacquired, and helped them win the 2000 World Series.

9. David Lee Wells, "Boomer," San Diego, California, born in 1963, lefthanded, Number 33, with Jorge Posada catching, against the Minnesota Twins, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 4-0, on May 17, 1998. It was a perfect game, although he claimed that he was hungover while he pitched it.

Wells appeared in 3 All-Star Games, won the 1992 World Series with the Toronto Blue Jays, lost the 1996 AL Championship Series to the Yankees with the Baltimore Orioles, won the 1998 World Series with the Yankees, lost the 2003 World Series with the Yankees, and also reached the postseason with the 2005 Red Sox and in 2006 with his hometown San Diego Padres.

He and Larsen both graduated from Point Loma High School, both were known for their hard-partying ways, and both pitched perfect games for the Yankees.

10. David Brian Cone, "Coney," Kansas City, Missouri, born in 1963, righthanded, Number 36, with Joe Girardi catching, against the Montreal Expos, at Yankee Stadium, the Yankees winning, 6-0, on July 18, 1999. It was a perfect game.

The Yankees held Yogi Berra Day, and Larsen threw a ceremonial first pitch that Yogi caught. It was a terribly hot day, hotter even than for Righetti's no-hitter. Cone managed to finish the job, though. It was the 1st no-hitter ever pitched in an Interleague game. It was also, along with Gooden's, one of many no-hitters to have been pitched by a former Met before Johan Santana's dubious achievement of 2012.

A 5-time All-Star, Cone won the 1994 AL Cy Young Award with the Kanas City Royals. He arrived too late to appear with the Mets in the 1986 World Series, but was a member of their 1988 NL Eastern Division Champions. He won the World Series with the Blue Jays in 1992; and with the Yankees in 1996, 1998, 1999 and 2000.

When the old Yankee Stadium was closed on September 21, 2008, a photo was taken on the mound, with the 3 perfect game pitchers and their catchers, as seen above.

11. Corey Scott Kluber, "Klubot," Coppell, Texas, born in 1986, righthanded, Number 28, with Kyle Higashioka catching, against the Texas Rangers, at Globe Life Field, in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas, the Yankees winning, 2-0, on May 19, 2021. The only baserunner he allowed was a walk of Charlie Culberson with 1 out in the 3rd inning.

The Rangers represent the Dallas-Fort Worth "Metroplex," which includes Coppell, so Kluber is the only Yankee ever to pitch a no-hitter in his home region. Due to his injuries, the Yankees let him go after the season, making him the Yankee soonest let go after his no-hitter, beating Wells' record by 2 days. A 3-time All-Star, Kluber won the AL Cy Young Award with the Indians in 2014 and 2017.

12. Domingo Germán (no middle name, unusual for a Hispanic person), San Pedro de Macorís, Dominican Republic, born in 1992, righthanded, Number 0 (formerly 55), with Kyle Higashioka catching, against the Oakland Athletics, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, the Yankees winning, 11-0, on June 28, 2023.

Higgy thus joined Yogi and Girardi as the only catchers to catch 2 Yankee no-hitters. Yogi lived to see Girardi do it, and he could have said, "I don't mind the company, especially when there's somebody else who did it."

Career wins: Wells 239, Jones 229, Gooden 194, Cone 194, Reynolds 182, Mogridge 132, Kluber 116, Pearson 100, Abbott 87, Righetti 82 (plus 252 saves), Larsen 81, Germán 31. Kluber and Germán are still active.

Wins with the Yankees: Reynolds 131, Righetti 74 (with 224 saves), Wells 68, Jones 67, Cone 64 (81 with the Mets), Pearson 63, Mogridge 48, Larsen 45, Germán 31, Gooden 24 (157 with the Mets), Abbott 20, Kluber 5.

Righetti, Abbott, Gooden, Wells, Cone, and the still-active Kluber and Germán are still alive.