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Don Larsen, the former New York Yankees legend known for pitching a perfect World Series game, died Wednesday night in Hayden, Idaho. He was 90.
The renowned athlete died of esophageal cancer, his agent Andrew Levy told theAssociated Press. According to Larsen’s son, Scott — who confirmed the death with Levy — his father had just recently gone through radiation therapy and was diagnosed with the disease after a trip to St. Louis in August.
Levy announced the news of Larsen’s death on Twitter Wednesday, referencing the former athlete’s legendary 1956 World Series moment.
He played in the minor leagues for two seasons before getting injured and spending two years in the Army. Larsen returned to the Browns in 1953 and started with the Yankees’ farm team in Denver in 1955. He was brought up to the majors halfway through the season, the AP reported.
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Before Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, Larsen didn’t know he would be stepping up to the mound that morning.
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“I must admit I was shocked,” Larsen wrote in his autobiography,The Perfect Yankee. “I knew I had to do better than the last time, keep the game close and somehow give our team a chance to win. Casey [Stengel] was betting on me, and I was determined not to let him down this time.”
According to theNew York Post,Larsen retired 27 batters including icons like Roy Campanella, Duke Snider, and Jackie Robinson during his perfect game.
Larsen’s unlikely accomplishment scored him MVP of the 1956 series. He later went on to pitch for the Yankees in 1957 and 1958.
“We are deeply saddened to learn of the passing of Don Larsen, who remained a welcome and familiar face at our annual Old-Timers’ Day celebrations in the decades following his playing career,” the Yankees said in a Twitter statement.
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Across his 14 major league seasons, Larsen also played for the Baltimore Orioles, Chicago White Sox, Chicago Cubs, San Francisco Giants, Houston Astros, and the Oakland Athletics.
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He retired in 1967 with a record of 81-91, and later found work as a liquor salesman and a paper company executive, the AP reported.
source: people.com
