These Players Earned Place in Major League History by Making Out

The 27th out has challenged pitchers ever since Alexander Cartwright decided a ballgame would go nine innings.

Sometimes, as Cincinnati right-hander Ron Robinson learned May 2, the challenge involves more emotion than usual. Robinson, 26, retired the first 26 Montreal Expos he faced. But he couldn’t get Wallace Johnson for the 27th, and thus settled for a near-miss instead of the 14th major league perfect game.

Jim Bunning, now a U.S. Representative from Kentucky, is one of the 13 men who got that final out. From his office on Capitol Hill, Bunning told UPI he knew he was flirting with perfection on June 21, 1964.

“Absolutely,” he said. “I was totally aware of it. “That’s what made it so much fun.”

Bunning, then 32, was spending his first season in the National League. He had already thrown a no-hitter for the 1958 Tigers. Now he was pitching for the Philadelphia Phillies in the opener of a Father’s Day doubleheader against the Mets. As the game went on, he says, the experience of that first no-hitter helped him.

“I was pretty confident, not real nervous,” Bunning said. “If I was nervous it came out in talking and in encouraging my teammates to do things. Which is, in my opinion, a good way to alleviate the pressure. That way, if you don’t make it (perfect game), you’re not buried for two weeks.

“I was determined I was going to get there. If I didn’t get there I wasn’t going to be devastated. I attacked it. I went after it.”

The Mets, destined to finish with a 53-109 record that year, sent up rookie Johnny Stephenson as their last hope. There they were, two Kentuckians facing each other with a piece of baseball history at stake.

“I had pitched to him one prior time,” Bunning recalled. “It was the first game I started in the NL. Gene Mauch was managing and he told me, ‘This guy can’t spell curve. That’s what I remembered when he walked to the plate. Five curveballs later we were over with.”

Don Larsen, 81-91 on his career, pitched for the 1956 Yankees. On Oct. 8, 1956, he beat the Brooklyn Dodgers for the only perfect games in World Series history. He said on the 27th out, his legs felt like rubber and he wondered how he would get through the experience. Umpire Babe Pinelli helped, calling out Dale Mitchell on a pitch that seemed high and outside.

Here is a list of all major-league perfect games, with a note about the last batter. The information comes from Hall of Fame researcher Bill Deane, who used Rich Coberly’s “No-Hit Hall of Fame” as a reference:

“I think the fact there were no errors was more significant than that there were no hits because the defense was more emphasized than the pitching,” Deane said of these first two perfect games. “The pitchers were restricted in their delivery and there were few who could dominate the way they did today.”

J. Lee Richmond, Worcester, Mass., over Cleveland, 1-0, June 12, 1880. Outfielder Ned Hanlon, who later gained fame as manager of the Baltimore Orioles, made the last out. He was playing the outfield. Pitcher Jim McCormick was batting sixth.

John Ward, Providence over Buffalo, 5-0, June 17, 1880. Pud Galvin, in the second year of a Hall of Fame pitching career, was the last victim.

Cy Young, Boston over Philadelphia, 3-0, May 5, 1904. Rube Waddell, another pitching Hall of Famer, flied to center fielder Chick Stahl to end this one.

Addie Joss, Cleveland over the White Sox, 1-0, Oct. 2, 1908. John Anderson grounded to third baseman Bill Bradley, whose throw to first went into the dirt. First baseman George Stovall dug it out, dropped it, then retrieved it in time to end the game.

Ernie Shore, Boston over Washington, 4-0, June 23, 1917. Shore relieved Babe Ruth, who was ejected after walking leadoff batter Ray Morgan. Morgan was caught trying to steal, and Shore retired 26 men in a row. Mike Menosky was the last victim.

Charles Robertson, White Sox over Detroit, 2-0, April 30, 1922. Johnny Bassler flied out to Johnny Mostil in left. It was the last perfect game until Larsen’s in the 1956 World Series.

Harvey Haddix, Pittsburgh over the Milwaukee Braves, a 13-inning, 1-0 loss May 26, 1959. Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings before Felix Mantilla led off the 13th by reaching first base on third baseman Don Hoak’s throwing error. Ed Mathews sacrificed, Hank Aaron was walked intentionally and Joe Adcock doubled home the winning run.

Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles over the Cubs, 1-0, Sept. 9, 1965. Harvey Kuenn struck out.

Catfish Hunter, Oakland over Minnesota, 4-0, May 8, 1968. Rich Reese struck out.

Len Barker, Cleveland over Toronto, 3-0, May 15, 1981. Ernie Whitt flied out to Rick Manning in short center.

Mike Witt, California over Texas, 1-0, Sept. 30, 1984. Marv Foley grounded out to second baseman Rob Wilfong.

“A perfect game in the major leagues,” Bunning said. “They’ll never erase it.”