Perfect
Don Larsen's Miraculous World Series Game and the Men Who Made it Happen
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3.8 • 5 Ratings
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- $4.99
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- $4.99
Publisher Description
“Perfect captures our hearts as it carries us back to the golden age of baseball and the more innocent world of the 1950s.”—Doris Kearns Goodwin, Pulitzer Prize-winning Author of The Bully Pulpit
On October 8, 1956, New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen took the mound for game five of the World Series against the rival Brooklyn Dodgers. In an improbable performance that the New York Times called "the greatest moment in the history of the Fall Classic," Larsen, an otherwise mediocre journeyman pitcher, retired twenty-seven straight Dodger batters to clinch a perfect game and, to date, the only World Series no-hitter ever witnessed in major league baseball. Here, Lew Paper delivers a masterful pitch-by-pitch account of that fateful day and the extraordinary lives of the players on the field—seven of whom would later be inducted into the Hall of Fame. Meticulously researched and relying on dozens of interviews, Paper's gripping narrative recreates Larsen's feat in a pitching duel that featured legendary figures such as Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, Yogi Berra, and Roy Campanella.
More than just the story of a single game, Perfect is a window into baseball's glorious past.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
As lawyer and author Paper (John F. Kennedy: The Promise and the Performance) points out in this engaging history, by looking at his numbers (81-91 won/loss record over 14 transient seasons), Yankee Don Larsen was no great pitcher by any means, known more for his late-night antics than his pitching prowess. Nonetheless, Larsen had a knack for coming through in high-pressure situations, as he did on October 8, 1956, in immortal fashion, retiring 27 consecutive Brooklyn Dodgers in Game 5 of the World Series, the only no-hitter (and perfect game) in postseason history. Paper doesn't focus on the day's events in great detail; rather, he provides minibiographies of the 19 players who participated, ranging from legends like Jackie Robinson and Mickey Mantle to almost forgotten veterans like gentlemanly Joe Collins and ace hitter Dale Mitchell, who loathed being remembered as Larsen's final out. Paper writes each profile with a fan's passion. It's to his credit that chapters on oft-covered icons such as Robinson, Mantle and Berra are all compelling as well. A must-read for baseball fans, this book is a terrific tribute to when baseball really was the national pastime.
Customer Reviews
Great book
This is an unbelievably detailed book, and is Perfect for any baseball fan that want to take his knowledge of the game one step further. I highly recommend it.