It Was 20 Years Ago...

...when David Cone pitched his way into history.

At Yankee Stadium: after pre-game festivities honoring Hall of Famer Yogi Berra, capped by receiving the ceremonial first pitch from Don Larsen -- who threw a perfect game with Berra his catcher in the 1956 World Series -- David Cone became just the 16th pitcher to fire a perfect game.

He retired all 27 Montreal batters in order, as the Yankees defeat the Expos 6-0. The 13-year veteran was both overpowering and efficient: striking out 10, never going to a three-ball-count on any batter and completing his masterpiece in just 88 pitches. Cone's perfect game came just 14 months after David Wells authored one against Minnesota.

A perfect day, indeed. It marked Yogi's return to the Stadium, ending a 14 year exile after being fired by George Steinbrenner as Yankee manager. As beloved as any Yankee ever -- and a man who made the New York area his lifelong home once his playing career began -- Yogi's return, only months after the passing of Joe DiMaggio, re-affirmed his place as the Greatest Living Yankee.

It's often been said that Yogi led a charmed life. And on this date in 1999, some of that good luck rubbed off on David Cone.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

If Your Birthday is January 3rd...

Image
...you share it with AJ Burnett .  The well traveled righthander, who after seven years with the Marlins. spent time with the Yankees, Pirates, Blue Jays and Phillies, won 164 big league games and struck out more than 2500, but inconsistent control kept him from becoming an ace: he twice led the American League in wild pitches and once in hit batters. The Arkansas native earned a pair of World Series rings -- with the 2003 Marlins (while recovering from Tommy John surgery) and 2009 Yankees (where he set a record for hitting five batters in a post-season series).   Also in the January 3rd birthday circle: longtime big league reliever Gary Lavelle , the late Phllies catcher Darren Daulton  and utilityman Luis Sojo , who between his time with the Mariners and Yankees, made the post-season six times in 13 seasons.  But among the 68 players born on this date who've played in MLB, Burnett was -- if you go by WAR -- the most productive of them.
Read more

Wayback: 70 Years Ago Today

Image
September 2nd, 1955 :  Whitey Ford takes a no-hitter into the 7th inning, while Yogi Berra adds two hits and Mickey Mantle crushes a three-run homer as the Yankees beat the Washington Senators 4-2 . It's also a big day for Billy Martin .  Back from a year and an half of active duty in the Army, the shortstop goes 2-for-4 as the Yanks stay a half-game back of the league-leading White Sox. (They would regain 1st place on the 16th and go on to their 21st American League pennant.   Martin would hit .300 over the final 22 games.) The Monument Park plaques are from a 2021 visit to Yankee Stadium.  The image of Whitey and Yogi up top is from the 2012 Old Timers Day at the Stadium.
Read more

If Your Birthday is September 5th...

Image
...you celebrate it with  Bill Mazeroski , the first player to end a World Series with a walk-off home run. 65 years ago next month, leading off the last of the 9th in game seven against the Yankees, he crushed Ralph Terry's second pitch over the left field wall, giving Pittsburgh perhaps its greatest baseball moment. A gifted defensive player with more modest offensive skills, Maz remains one of the more controversial inductees of the Hall of Fame. A statue, depicting his joyful scamper around the bases following that 1960 home run, is one of several outside PNC Park in Pittsburgh. And below,  Pablo Lopez  , who earlier this season, added his name to the nearly 170 who have played for both the Yankees and Mets. The utilityman got into 24 games for Bronx Bombers -- highlighted by driving in the go-ahead run against the Royals on June  12th,  His Mets tenure was microscopic -- he pinch ran for JD Martinez (and scored a run) in the September 1st, 2024 game against...
Read more