RIP Don Larsen.

[tedzan]

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
.

[JackW]

What a story, Ted! And what a life you've had in baseball!!!!

[RCMcKenzie]

That Bowman TV is great. I like how he wrote "To Ted", classic.

One of my very first "vintage" buys with my own money was around 1978 at a flea-market. I paid $2 for a 1956 Topps Larsen. I kept telling my parents what a great deal I got and how undervalued that card was. I couldn't find it today, but I still have it somewhere packed away in a 1000 count box. Great memories.

[mr2686]

Remembering Don.

[tjb1952tjb]

…..a triumphant image for the ages. RIP Don Larsen.

[dlfallen]

Summer of '56. I was 11 and looking forward to starting Junior High (7th grade). That summer I purchased a transister radio out of my paper route money. These radios were expensive then so uncommon among kids my age. I would lie awake under my blankets, night after night, listening to my beloved Seattle Rainiers. With the World Series on the horizon I hatched a plot to listen to the games while at school.

I went to the local Goodwill store and purchased a very thick book with a nondescript cover. I then hollowed a space in the book to just fit my transister radio. I experimented with the volume until I could just hear it if the closed book was next to my ear and I could suppress the volume by pressing down on the cover. On the fateful day I smuggled the radio into school and would "work" on my schoolwork with my head close to the desk where my "book" was. The teacher had the habit of walking the aisles but I merely pressed on the book cover whenever he started in my direction. After class I was pleased with my cleverness, but as the students filed out I heard the teacher say "David, I need to talk to you". Doomed, I slowly walked over to him and after the last student had left he asked me "what's the score"! We need more teachers like that!

I was able to tell that story to Don Larson at a Tacoma Dome show many years ago. He was indeed very warm and gracious.

[mr2686]

Originally Posted by dlfallen

Summer of '56. I was 11 and looking forward to starting Junior High (7th grade). That summer I purchased a transister radio out of my paper route money. These radios were expensive then so uncommon among kids my age. I would lie awake under my blankets, night after night, listening to my beloved Seattle Rainiers. With the World Series on the horizon I hatched a plot to listen to the games while at school.

I went to the local Goodwill store and purchased a very thick book with a nondescript cover. I then hollowed a space in the book to just fit my transister radio. I experimented with the volume until I could just hear it if the closed book was next to my ear and I could suppress the volume by pressing down on the cover. On the fateful day I smuggled the radio into school and would "work" on my schoolwork with my head close to the desk where my "book" was. The teacher had the habit of walking the aisles but I merely pressed on the book cover whenever he started in my direction. After class I was pleased with my cleverness, but as the students filed out I heard the teacher say "David, I need to talk to you". Doomed, I slowly walked over to him and after the last student had left he asked me "what's the score"! We need more teachers like that!

I was able to tell that story to Don Larson at a Tacoma Dome show many years ago. He was indeed very warm and gracious.

Great Story! Reminds me of my 5th grade teacher Mrs. Hull. Never really liked her until she brought in a TV at lunch and let us watch the 1970 WS.