BUY ON AMAZON: The Perfect Yankee: The Incredible Story of the Greatest Miracle in Baseball History
By all accounts, the perfect game pitched by New York Yankees right-hander Don Larsen in the 1956 World Series qualifies as a true miracle. No one knows why it happened, or why an unlikely baseball player such as Larsen was the one who tossed it. In The Perfect Yankee Larsen describes the facts surrounding one of the most famous games in baseball history and details the complete story behind the amazing “Walter Mitty” performance. A former Baltimore Orioles pitcher who lost 21 games in 1954, the free-spirited Larsen reveals how comic book “Ghoulies” told him he should experiment with a no-windup pitching delivery just prior to the ‘56 World Series. Knocked out in Game Two, the man known as Gooney Bird to his teammates regrouped to record a miracle win that propelled the Casey Stengel-led Yankees to the world championship over the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers.
Don Larsen is an iconic figure from baseball’s golden age. He began his pro baseball career by pitching for the St. Louis Browns in 1953 before joining the Yankees in 1955. On October 8, 1956, he pitched baseball’s first postseason no-hitter during Game 5 of the World Series. His skills earned him the 1956 World Series MVP and Babe Ruth Award. He took home 2 more World Series rings in 1957 and 1958. Larsen retired from baseball in 1967. He lives in Lake Hayden, Idaho.
Mark Shaw has written over twenty books and served as legal correspondent for Good Morning America, ABC, ESPN, and London Channel Four. He lives in Superior, Colorado.
Yogi Berra is one of the greatest and most enduring legends in American sports. He lives in Montclair, New Jersey.
