Final pitch to Dale Mitchell
October 8th 1956
I told my Mom that I had a bad stomach ache. I wanted to stay home and watch the World Series game. And, what a game it was.
Don Larsen's perfect game vs the Brooklyn Dodgers. During the top of the 9th, when Furillo, Campy and Dale Mitchell came to bat,
I was praying for Don to get them out. Needless to say, it was the greatest BB game that I ever saw.
About 48 years later, I ran into Don Larsen in Cooperstown on HOF weekend. As I approached him, I said to him..."guess what was
the only day I ever played hooky from school back in the 1950's ?"
Don looked at me with a skeptical expression on his face. So we talked for quite a while about the events of Oct 8th 1956 while he
signed a few items for me. We talked about the two great defensive plays that saved the no-hitter. You could see a sparkle in Don's
blue eyes when he recalled the head's up play by Gil McDougald retrieving the ball off Andy Carey's miscue of a line drive off the bat
of Jackie Robinson, and rifled it to 1st base to get Jackie out by a split-second. We talked about Mickey Mantle's great running catch
of Gil Hodges 420-foot drive into "death valley" (left-center field). I found Don to be a very humble guy. He said "The Dodgers made
it easy for me, I only threw 97 pitches".
Then as I was leaving, Don said...."I don't believe you ?"
I stopped and asked him about what ?
Don said...."I don't believe that Oct 8th 1956 was the only day you played hooky from school". We parted laughing.
GOD Bless your soul, Don....and comfort your family and friends.
TED Z
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