The sole owner of a perfect game, or even a no-hitter, in the World Series had some "Perfect" days at the dish, too. He some impressive three-hit games.
Don Larsen had six games where he collected three hits. Larsen was a .242 hitter lifetime, so it's not as if those six times are a fluke. Don even twice took a turn in the outfield, so beyond his pitching (Though only 81-91 all told on the hill, Don was 45-24 on the New York Yankees. For good measure, Larsen went 4-2 in the World Series, posting an ERA of 2.75).
Okay, so where were we? Ah. Larsen wielding the big stick. Don's first big-league season was the St. Louis Browns last. The Browns were saying goodbye to St. Louis in 1953, and they had a rookie with a good bat. Larsen's very first MLB game was on April 18th of that year and he was 2-2 at the plate.
But it was on July 28th of that year that Don did something incredible for a pitcher. No, it wasn't his pitching, as St. Louis lost to Philadelphia 9-7. Larsen actually pitched well in relief of Bob Cain, who was tagged with the loss. Don got the Browns to within a run of the Athletics with an RBI single in the top of the fifth. He added two more hits in two more at bats but couldn't get his team the win.
But eight days later, Don Larsen went 3-3. Pitching-wise, he took a 5-0 loss to Boston. Batting-wise, Don was great. He had a chance to bat again in the top of the ninth, but pinch hitter Don Lenhardt grounded into a game-ending double play.
The next season, Don was part of the Baltimore Orioles, as St. Louis was now only an National League team. Larsen got three hits in a 6-5 loss to Washington on July 21st. Oddly enough, it was Bob Turley, who was part of a deal later that sent both he and Larsen to the New York Yankees, who started the game. Don had three hits in relief for the second time in his young career. Alas, his attempt at an inside-the-park home run in the top of the second saw him out at home. Don was retired for the only time in the game in the top of the seventh.
You know, you'd think Larsen was taken more seriously by opposing pitchers at this point. In 1955, he was a Yankee. Larsen was 9-2 on mound that season, but only 6-41 as a batter. He never got more than one hit in a game.
1956 was the year of Larsen's perfect game in the World Series. His best showing at the plate was a April 22nd contest between New York and Boston. The Yankees won 13-6, but Larsen started the game and didn't get through five innings, making him ineligible for the win. At the dish, however, Don more than made up for that by going 2-2 with a home run and four runs driven in!
The Yankees were in the World Series again in 1957 and '58. Larsen contributed. He went 10-4 in '57, and had two three-hit games. On June 30th of 1957, in the second game of a doubleheader against Kansas City, Don not only went 3-3, but he added a walk. Don limited KC to just four hits and one run. New York won, 5-1.
How about '58? Larsen had three two-hit games. He twice went 2-2. Against his old team, the Baltimore Orioles on May 13th, Don pitched his team to a 3-0 win. In addition to his two hits, Larsen added a walk in his only other plate appearance. One of his hits was a solo home run.
On June 5th of that year, Larsen collected two hits in a 12-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. Larsen could only line out to centre in the bottom of the second, but the fly scored Yogi Berra. Larsen promptly added a run-scoring single in the last of the fourth. These two RBIs came off of Early Wynn, who the Yankees knocked out after just 4 2/3 innings.
Andy Carey singled off new pitcher Bill Fischer after Wynn left. That loaded the bases. Larsen followed with a two-run single to left. Don was himself knocked out of the game in favour of Ryne Duren in the top of the seventh. Duren was no Larsen at the dish. He fanned in his only plate appearance of the game.
But Larsen had a win and four RBIs on the day. His two hits upped his batting average in 1958 to a remarkable .455. But Don would bat .263 the rest of the season. That's pretty good for a pitcher, but it dropped Larsen's batting average to .306.
Alas, 1959 would be Don Larsen's last year with the New York Yankees. As a pitcher, his seasons of 9-2, 11-5, 10-4 and 9-6 in the four seasons prior to this had been quite good. However, Don could go only 6-7 in '59. In the off-season, he was traded to Kansas City.
His bat was still potent in his last Yankee year, though. On May 23rd, 1959, Don beat Baltimore 13-5. His record was 4-0 at this point. Don added three hits and walk in four trips to the dish. Larsen, oddly, didn't collect a single RBI, but scored two runs.
This was actually his last three-hit game of Don Larsen's career, although he was 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored on July 31st. Don finished the year hitting .255. After his trade, his batting average went south, although Larsen managed to bat .311 in 1961.
Sadly, Don wasn't much of a hitter in the postseason. He went 0-2 at the plate in the 1955 Fall Classic. Larsen managed to single home a run in game two of the 1956 World Series against Brooklyn. This was in the top of the second. Later that inning, Don came around to score on a Yogi Berra grand slam. This put New York up 6-0, but Brooklyn fought back.
A single by Hodge was the only hit the Dodgers got off Larsen, but his wildness let Brooklyn back in it. And error and a walk loaded 'em up for Roy Campanella. Larsen retired him on a fly, but Hodges scored. One out later, Jim Gilliam drew Don Larsen's second walk. Casey Stengel, the Yankee manager, pulled him right then and there.
The second start for Don Larsen in that Fall Classic was his perfect game. However, at the dish, it was a different story. In the bottom of the third in game five, Larsen and New York were looking for their first hit off Sal Maglie, who was matching his mound opponent out for out. Quickly, Sal got two outs, with Andy Carey popping back to catcher Roy Campanella for the second out. Larsen did the exact same thing as Carey. Yankee Stadium was in for a pitcher's duel.
But Carey singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth. In the last of the fourth, Mickey Mantle had given the home team the lead with a solo home run. One hit, one run. Andy Carey's single was New York's second hit.
So Larsen was back at the dish. He laid down a sac bunt to get Carey into scoring position. Hank Bauer singled to left for a 2-0 New York lead. The Yankees looked poised to knock Sal Maglie out of the game as Joe Collins came up with the fourth New York hit of the afternoon. Runners on the corners, Mantle back at the dish.
The Mick, alas, grounded out to first. Bauer tried for home as the second out was recorded, only to be caught in a run-down to end the inning. The home team had one last crack for some more insurance the next inning. Maglie got the first two outs, but then Billy Martin singled and Gil McDougald walked. Andy Carey was back at the dish and Don Larsen would follow. If Carey could come through.
Alas, Carey forced McDougald at second. Larsen came up the next inning as the first batter, of course. Sal Maglie was still pitching. He fanned his mound opponent. The next two batters also struck out, meaning Larsen wouldn't get another chance to bat in the game.
Larsen walked twice in his first start in the 1957 World Series again Milwaukee, and even scored a run. But he was knocked out early in game seven, before he got a chance to bat. The next year, the two teams met again. And again it went seven. Larsen tossed seven scoreless innings in game three, but could only walk in two times at the plate. As was the case the previous year, Don started game seven. And like 1957, he was yanked early. He did manage to come to the dish once, but was retired.
Despite appearing in three games (All in relief) in the 1962 World Series with the San Francisco Giants, and even picking up a win, Don Larsen did not bat once in his last World Series. Overall, he batted just .111 (1-9) with three walks in the Fall Classic.
You would have though that Don would have been a better pinch hitter, though. I was surprised to find that he hit just .182 in 66 at bats coming off the bench. Furthermore, Don also failed to collect a hit the five times he batted as an outfielder.
Here's an odd one for you: Don Larsen was penciled in as a leadoff hitter five times in his career!
References
Buckley, James Jr. Unhittable: Reliving The Magic And Drama Of Baseballs Best-Pitched Games. Triumph Books, 2004. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 2000. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Herb Gluck. The Mick. Easton Press, 1996. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
Paper, Lewis J. Perfect: Don Larsen's Miraculous World Series Game And The Men Who Made It Happen. New York, NY: New American Library, 2009. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 08 Aug. 2019.
Don Larsen had six games where he collected three hits. Larsen was a .242 hitter lifetime, so it's not as if those six times are a fluke. Don even twice took a turn in the outfield, so beyond his pitching (Though only 81-91 all told on the hill, Don was 45-24 on the New York Yankees. For good measure, Larsen went 4-2 in the World Series, posting an ERA of 2.75).
Okay, so where were we? Ah. Larsen wielding the big stick. Don's first big-league season was the St. Louis Browns last. The Browns were saying goodbye to St. Louis in 1953, and they had a rookie with a good bat. Larsen's very first MLB game was on April 18th of that year and he was 2-2 at the plate.
But it was on July 28th of that year that Don did something incredible for a pitcher. No, it wasn't his pitching, as St. Louis lost to Philadelphia 9-7. Larsen actually pitched well in relief of Bob Cain, who was tagged with the loss. Don got the Browns to within a run of the Athletics with an RBI single in the top of the fifth. He added two more hits in two more at bats but couldn't get his team the win.
But eight days later, Don Larsen went 3-3. Pitching-wise, he took a 5-0 loss to Boston. Batting-wise, Don was great. He had a chance to bat again in the top of the ninth, but pinch hitter Don Lenhardt grounded into a game-ending double play.
The next season, Don was part of the Baltimore Orioles, as St. Louis was now only an National League team. Larsen got three hits in a 6-5 loss to Washington on July 21st. Oddly enough, it was Bob Turley, who was part of a deal later that sent both he and Larsen to the New York Yankees, who started the game. Don had three hits in relief for the second time in his young career. Alas, his attempt at an inside-the-park home run in the top of the second saw him out at home. Don was retired for the only time in the game in the top of the seventh.
You know, you'd think Larsen was taken more seriously by opposing pitchers at this point. In 1955, he was a Yankee. Larsen was 9-2 on mound that season, but only 6-41 as a batter. He never got more than one hit in a game.
1956 was the year of Larsen's perfect game in the World Series. His best showing at the plate was a April 22nd contest between New York and Boston. The Yankees won 13-6, but Larsen started the game and didn't get through five innings, making him ineligible for the win. At the dish, however, Don more than made up for that by going 2-2 with a home run and four runs driven in!
The Yankees were in the World Series again in 1957 and '58. Larsen contributed. He went 10-4 in '57, and had two three-hit games. On June 30th of 1957, in the second game of a doubleheader against Kansas City, Don not only went 3-3, but he added a walk. Don limited KC to just four hits and one run. New York won, 5-1.
How about '58? Larsen had three two-hit games. He twice went 2-2. Against his old team, the Baltimore Orioles on May 13th, Don pitched his team to a 3-0 win. In addition to his two hits, Larsen added a walk in his only other plate appearance. One of his hits was a solo home run.
On June 5th of that year, Larsen collected two hits in a 12-5 win over the Chicago White Sox. Larsen could only line out to centre in the bottom of the second, but the fly scored Yogi Berra. Larsen promptly added a run-scoring single in the last of the fourth. These two RBIs came off of Early Wynn, who the Yankees knocked out after just 4 2/3 innings.
Andy Carey singled off new pitcher Bill Fischer after Wynn left. That loaded the bases. Larsen followed with a two-run single to left. Don was himself knocked out of the game in favour of Ryne Duren in the top of the seventh. Duren was no Larsen at the dish. He fanned in his only plate appearance of the game.
But Larsen had a win and four RBIs on the day. His two hits upped his batting average in 1958 to a remarkable .455. But Don would bat .263 the rest of the season. That's pretty good for a pitcher, but it dropped Larsen's batting average to .306.
Alas, 1959 would be Don Larsen's last year with the New York Yankees. As a pitcher, his seasons of 9-2, 11-5, 10-4 and 9-6 in the four seasons prior to this had been quite good. However, Don could go only 6-7 in '59. In the off-season, he was traded to Kansas City.
His bat was still potent in his last Yankee year, though. On May 23rd, 1959, Don beat Baltimore 13-5. His record was 4-0 at this point. Don added three hits and walk in four trips to the dish. Larsen, oddly, didn't collect a single RBI, but scored two runs.
This was actually his last three-hit game of Don Larsen's career, although he was 2-2 with an RBI and a run scored on July 31st. Don finished the year hitting .255. After his trade, his batting average went south, although Larsen managed to bat .311 in 1961.
Sadly, Don wasn't much of a hitter in the postseason. He went 0-2 at the plate in the 1955 Fall Classic. Larsen managed to single home a run in game two of the 1956 World Series against Brooklyn. This was in the top of the second. Later that inning, Don came around to score on a Yogi Berra grand slam. This put New York up 6-0, but Brooklyn fought back.
A single by Hodge was the only hit the Dodgers got off Larsen, but his wildness let Brooklyn back in it. And error and a walk loaded 'em up for Roy Campanella. Larsen retired him on a fly, but Hodges scored. One out later, Jim Gilliam drew Don Larsen's second walk. Casey Stengel, the Yankee manager, pulled him right then and there.
The second start for Don Larsen in that Fall Classic was his perfect game. However, at the dish, it was a different story. In the bottom of the third in game five, Larsen and New York were looking for their first hit off Sal Maglie, who was matching his mound opponent out for out. Quickly, Sal got two outs, with Andy Carey popping back to catcher Roy Campanella for the second out. Larsen did the exact same thing as Carey. Yankee Stadium was in for a pitcher's duel.
But Carey singled to lead off the bottom of the sixth. In the last of the fourth, Mickey Mantle had given the home team the lead with a solo home run. One hit, one run. Andy Carey's single was New York's second hit.
So Larsen was back at the dish. He laid down a sac bunt to get Carey into scoring position. Hank Bauer singled to left for a 2-0 New York lead. The Yankees looked poised to knock Sal Maglie out of the game as Joe Collins came up with the fourth New York hit of the afternoon. Runners on the corners, Mantle back at the dish.
The Mick, alas, grounded out to first. Bauer tried for home as the second out was recorded, only to be caught in a run-down to end the inning. The home team had one last crack for some more insurance the next inning. Maglie got the first two outs, but then Billy Martin singled and Gil McDougald walked. Andy Carey was back at the dish and Don Larsen would follow. If Carey could come through.
Alas, Carey forced McDougald at second. Larsen came up the next inning as the first batter, of course. Sal Maglie was still pitching. He fanned his mound opponent. The next two batters also struck out, meaning Larsen wouldn't get another chance to bat in the game.
Larsen walked twice in his first start in the 1957 World Series again Milwaukee, and even scored a run. But he was knocked out early in game seven, before he got a chance to bat. The next year, the two teams met again. And again it went seven. Larsen tossed seven scoreless innings in game three, but could only walk in two times at the plate. As was the case the previous year, Don started game seven. And like 1957, he was yanked early. He did manage to come to the dish once, but was retired.
Despite appearing in three games (All in relief) in the 1962 World Series with the San Francisco Giants, and even picking up a win, Don Larsen did not bat once in his last World Series. Overall, he batted just .111 (1-9) with three walks in the Fall Classic.
You would have though that Don would have been a better pinch hitter, though. I was surprised to find that he hit just .182 in 66 at bats coming off the bench. Furthermore, Don also failed to collect a hit the five times he batted as an outfielder.
Here's an odd one for you: Don Larsen was penciled in as a leadoff hitter five times in his career!
References
Buckley, James Jr. Unhittable: Reliving The Magic And Drama Of Baseballs Best-Pitched Games. Triumph Books, 2004. Print.
Golenbock, Peter. Dynasty: The New York Yankees, 1949-1964. Lincolnwood, IL: Contemporary Books, 2000. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Herb Gluck. The Mick. Easton Press, 1996. Print.
Mantle, Mickey, and Mickey Herskowitz. All My Octobers: My Memories of Twelve World Series When the Yankees Ruled Baseball. New York: HarperCollins, 1994. Print.
Paper, Lewis J. Perfect: Don Larsen's Miraculous World Series Game And The Men Who Made It Happen. New York, NY: New American Library, 2009. Print.
Sports Reference LLC. Baseball-Reference.com - Major League Statistics and Information. http://www.baseball-reference.com/. Web. 08 Aug. 2019.
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