Don Larsen, Yankees legend who threw only World Series perfect game, dead at 90

Don Larsen had one shining moment in a major league uniform that he professed years later to think about every day of his life.

The only pitcher in World Series history to throw a perfect game, the former Yankees right-hander died Wednesday at age 90, according to reports.

Larsen’s agent, Andrew Levy, told the Associated Press the former pitcher died of esophageal cancer in Hayden, Idaho. Levy said Larsen’s son, Scott, confirmed the death.

Over a 14-year big league career with seven organizations, Larsen went 81-91 with a 3.78 ERA and appeared in five World Series. After his retirement, he became a fixture at Yankees Old Timers’ Day, where he often relived one of the greatest pitching performances in baseball history.

Given the starting assignment against the Dodgers in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, Larsen (who didn’t know until hours before the game he would be pitching) held a lineup that included Hall of Famers Duke Snider, Roy Campanella, Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson without a hit. Larsen, with his no windup delivery, retired all 27 batters he faced in what was then just the sixth perfect game in major league history. The black and white images of catcher Yogi Berra leaping into Larsen’s arms have long endured to capture the moment.

“Where was Don the night before he pitched the perfect game? I haven’t the slightest idea, but you could smell liquor on his breath all day,” Mickey Mantle wrote in his autobiography. “I’ll tell you this: He came to the ballpark feeling pretty good. In fact, to Don, the whole game was a joke. After each inning, guys left him alone, not because of the smell, but because they didn’t want to jinx him, and he’d say with a smile and a laugh, ‘You think I’m gonna do it?’ ”

Larsen became linked to the ensuing perfect games in Yankees history. In 1998, David Wells threw a perfecto against the Twins at Yankee Stadium; Wells and Larsen both graduated from the same high school, Point Loma, in San Diego. The following year, Larsen was in attendance — as part of Yogi Berra Day festivities — when David Cone pitched a perfect game against the Expos.

“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 statement.

“Don’s perfect game is a defining moment for our franchise, encapsulating a storied era of Yankees success and ranking among the greatest single-game performances in Major League Baseball history. The unmitigated joy reflected in his embrace with Yogi Berra after the game’s final out will forever hold a secure place in Yankees lore. It was the pinnacle of baseball success and a reminder of the incredible, unforgettable things that can take place on a baseball field.”

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