Synopsis
If baseball fans were asked to vote on the best single-game pitching performance of all-time, Harvey Haddix, Sandy Koufax, Bob Gibson, Nolan Ryan, Randy Johnson and Kerry Wood would likely all get mentioned, but the decisive winner would have to be Don Larsen, whose perfect game in the 1956 World Series stands as one of the greatest achievements in baseball history. As Lew Paper reports, Larsen was a journeyman pitcher whose career winning percentage was under .500, but he needed fewer than 100 pitches to mow down 27 consecutive Brooklyn Dodgers that day. While his teammates on the bench became increasingly tense and nervous throughout the game, the surprisingly relaxed Larsen casually joked about his chance at history and even took a smoke break during the 7th inning stretch. Paper provides an in-depth analysis of the remarkable game, as well as concise biographies of many of the participants, including Hall-of-Fame inductees Jackie Robinson, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, and Roy Campanella.
| Details | | Publication Date: | 2009-09-29 |
| Size | | Length: | 421 pages | | Height: | 9.8 in | | Width: | 6.5 in | | Thickness: | 1.5 in | | Weight: | 23.2 oz |
Publisher's Note
Provides a researched and detailed account of Game Five of the 1956 World Series between the New York Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers, when Yankee pitcher Don Larsen threw the only post-season no-hitter in Major League Baseball history.
Industry Reviews
"Lew Paper's densely researched re-creation of Don Larsen's unmatched postseason pitching feat....is rich in biographical detail."
(10/04/2009)
"Mr. Paper is especially good at capturing poignant storylines....[He] has succeeded in getting under the skin the players, juxtaposing their stories with key moments..."
(10/17/2009)
"The story of Larsen and his legendary afternoon was hanging out there, like a juicy curve ball, for somebody to smash out of the park, and Lew Paper...has done exactly that with PERFECT....[He] stays true to the book's title, producing a fitting testament both to a singular performance and its cast of characters."
(10/25/2009)
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