The memory of the exchange prompted David Cone to wince, two decades after achieving perfection between the lines at the original Yankee Stadium. As Don Larsen visited the mound to lob a ceremonial first pitch on that summer afternoon, Cone wondered aloud if the old-timer planned to leap into the arms of catcher Yogi Berra, paying homage to their perfect game celebration in 1956.
“He said, ‘Kid, you got it wrong. He jumped in my arms,’” Cone said, mimicking Larsen’s gravelly voice. “I messed that one up. I thought I was pretty good at history. Apparently not.”
On what would have been Berra’s 95th birthday, MLB Network viewers have the opportunity to relive a full slate of Yankees perfection on Tuesday. The last six no-hitters in franchise history will be aired, including the perfect games authored by Larsen, David Wells and Cone.
Jim Abbott’s Sept. 4, 1993 no-hitter against the Indians has been selected for the leadoff spot, to be followed by Dave Righetti’s July 4, 1983 no-hitter against the Red Sox (noon ET), which took place on both Independence Day and the birthday of principal owner George M. Steinbrenner.
Cone’s July 18, 1999 masterpiece against the Expos (2 p.m. ET) will then air, a momentous day that coincided with Berra’s return to Yankee Stadium following a self-imposed 14-year absence.
“People come up and tell me stories about where they were: ‘I was on the Jersey Shore with my grandfather, one of the last games we listened to together,’” Cone said. “That hits home for me, that the moment was much bigger than me throwing a perfect game. It connects the people that shared that moment.”
Next up will be Dwight Gooden’s May 14, 1996 gem against the Mariners (4 p.m. ET), who featured a lineup that included Ken Griffey Jr., Edgar Martinez and Alex Rodriguez. Wells’ May 17, 1998 perfect game against the Twins (6 p.m. ET) is scheduled to air next, setting the table for Larsen’s perfecto.
"It definitely puts you on the map," Wells said in 2018. "New Yorkers, they get it. They understand, and they really embrace you when you do something like that. Regardless of if they like you or they don't like you, they're not going to forget a perfect game."
MLB Network’s Bob Costas and Tom Verducci will look back at all six performances in a new conversation at 8 p.m. ET, serving as the setup for the first and only perfect game in World Series history, which Larsen authored in Game 5 of the 1956 Fall Classic against the Brooklyn Dodgers.