by 
Journeyman pitcher Don
Larsen, the only player in World Series history to throw a perfect game, died
of cancer on Wednesday. He was 90.
Larsen’s family spokesman Andrew Levy said the
former New York Yankee died from cancer of the oesophagus in Hayden, Idaho.
“The world is less ‘perfect’ today,” Levy wrote on Twitter. “Don Larsen, the
only man to pitch a perfect game in World Series history, is gone. Goodbye, my
friend. We will miss you!” Born in Indiana, on August 7, 1929, Larsen pitched
his way into baseball lore on October 8, 1956, when he retired all 27 Brooklyn
Dodgers he faced as the New York Yankees won game five by 2-0 before capturing
the World Series in seven games.
The perfect game included seven strikeouts and
ended with the iconic image of catcher Yogi Berra leaping into Larsen’s arms.
Larsen posted a career 81-91 record with seven Major League Baseball clubs and
won two World Series over 14 seasons with the Yankees. “We are deeply saddened
to learn of the passing of Don Larsen,” the Yankees said in a statement
Wednesday. “Don’s perfect game is a defining moment for our franchise,
encapsulating a storied era of Yankees success and ranking among the greatest
single-game performances in Major League Baseball history.” Larsen was named
Most Valuable Player of the 1956 World Series, then won another championship
with the Yankees in 1958.
SOURCE: VANGUARD
