The last Yankee anyone ever expects to be perfect is David Wells. Leave it to him to provide the first regular-season display of perfection in the franchise’s storied history.
On Sunday, Wells improbably joined Don Larsen–the other “Imperfect Man,” whose perfect gem came in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series–as the only New York Yankees ever to record 27 consecutive outs from all 27 batters they faced in a single game.
And all those fun little “extras” that go along with the Yankees’ hefty lefty–the free-spirit persona, the beer-guzzling, the scale-crunching, the head-banging–suddenly seem acceptable again. That is, as long as Wells understands he is capable of being this dominant a major-league pitcher when he wants to be.
“This is a dream come true for me,” Wells said after becoming only the 15th pitcher in baseball history (Larsen included) to throw a perfect game in what was–almost as an afterthought–a 4-0 Yankees victory over the Minnesota Twins at a rocking Yankee Stadium.
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“You just go out and try to do the best you can every outing, but you never expect something like this. . . . You just have to cherish it,” Wells said. “There will always be a special place in my heart for what we accomplished today.”
Wells has more in common than Larsen than a perfect game and a style of enjoying life away from the mound. They attended the same high school–Point Loma in San Diego.
After the game, Larsen was on the phone in the Yankee clubhouse and the two pitchers could only laugh at the incredible coincidence of baseball history.
“I’m honored to share this with you, Don,” Wells said. “I mean, two guys from the same high school doing this? What were the odds? Who would ever believe it?”
Before the game, pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre apparently noticed that the ever-pumped lefty was on the verge of something special, even before the opening pitch left Wells’ hand.
“Mel came out of the bullpen and I asked him how it went. All he said was `Wow,’ ” Yankees manager Joe Torre said. “That doesn’t normally mean a perfect game or even a win. But it did today. . . . The Boomer was outstanding. That’s something he can take with him wherever he goes.”
Wells was lustily criticized by Torre just last week for being “out of shape” and “a little overweight” after nearly blowing all of a nine-run lead without getting out of the third inning in an eventual 15-13 victory in Texas.
After a heart-to-heart sitdown with his manager, however, Wells (5-1) emerged to hurl eight strong innings against Kansas City on Tuesday, retiring the final 10 batters he faced and 17 of 18. Thus, over the last two games, he has retired a miraculous 37 straight batters, an AL record.
Staked to the four-run lead by the seventh, Wells struck out 11 and reached a three-ball count on only three batters. The only at-bat that came close to resulting in a base hit was Ron Coomer’s hard one-hopper to second baseman Chuck Knoblauch in the eighth. But the ex-Twin knocked it down and threw out the runner in plenty of time to heighten the mounting anticipation.
As Pat Meares’ routine fly ball nestled safely into right-fielder Paul O’Neill’s glove to conclude the masterpiece, Wells even let the other side of his emotionally charged personality shine through.
He let out a hearty bellow of relief as a crowd of 49,820, swelled by a Beanie Baby giveaway, roared in appreciation. He jumped around like a schoolkid and pumped his left fist twice before his teammates mobbed him.
And several minutes later, he fought back tears as he finally etched his place in the Yankees’ baseball lore he so reveres, even if the most important people in his life were not present to witness the remarkable feat.
“Nobody can take this away from me. Ever. No matter what happens,” Wells said. “I just wish a few other people were here to see it.”
Those people are literally etched on Wells. His mother, Eugenia Ann, died more than a year ago and he has a tattoo of her on one arm. His 6-year-old son, Brandon–who was in town this week but left Sunday morning with Wells’ father–is on the other. He has several more family members depicted across his back.
“It’s easy to dedicate a game when something goes good, but I dedicate every game to my mom,” Wells said. “My family is always with me in heart, mind and soul.”
PLAY-BY-PLAY
Twins first: Matt Lawton flied out to left-fielder Chad Curtis. Brent Gates flied out to center-fielder Bernie Williams. Paul Molitor grounded out, second baseman Chuck Knoblauch to first baseman Tino Martinez.
Twins second: Marty Cordova grounded out, pitcher David Wells to first baseman Martinez. Ron Coomer struck out. Alex Ochoa fouled out to catcher Jorge Posada.
Twins third: Jon Shave struck out. Javier Valentin struck out. Pat Meares struck out.
Twins fourth: Lawton popped out to shortstop Derek Jeter. Gates struck out. Molitor flied out to Curtis.
Twins fifth: Cordova struck out. Coomer struck out. Ochoa grounded out, Knoblauch to Martinez.
Twins sixth: Shave struck out. Valentin struck out. Meares flied out to Williams.
Twins seventh: Lawton flied out to Williams. Gates grounded out, Martinez unassisted. Molitor struck out.
Twins eighth: Cordova grounded out, Jeter to Martinez. Coomer grounded out, Knoblauch to Martinez. Ochoa popped out to Martinez.
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Twins ninth: Shave flied out to right-fielder Paul O’Neill. Valentin struck out. Meares flied out to O’Neill.
PERFECT GAMES
John Richmond, Worcester vs. Cleveland (NL), 1-0, June 12, 1880. John Ward, Providence vs. Buffalo (NL), 5-0, June 17, 1880. Cy Young, Boston vs. Philadelphia (AL), 3-0, May 5, 1904. Addie Joss, Cleveland vs. WHITE SOX, 1-0, Oct. 2, 1908. Charles Robertson, WHITE SOX vs. Detroit (AL), 2-0, April 30, 1922. Don Larsen, New York (AL) vs. Brooklyn (NL), 2-0, Oct. 8, 1956 (World Series). Jim Bunning, Philadelphia vs. New York (NL), 6-0, June 21, 1964. Sandy Koufax, Los Angeles vs. CUBS, 1-0, Sept. 9, 1965. Catfish Hunter, Oakland vs. Minnesota (AL), 4-0, May 8, 1968. Len Barker, Cleveland vs. Toronto (AL), 3-0, May 15, 1981. Mike Witt, California vs. Texas (AL), 1-0, Sept. 30, 1984. Tom Browning, Cincinnati vs. Los Angeles (NL), 1-0, Sept. 16, 1988. Dennis Martinez, Montreal vs. Los Angeles (NL), 2-0, July 28, 1991. Kenny Rogers, Texas vs. California (AL), 4-0, July 28, 1994. David Wells, New York (AL) vs. Minnesota, 4-0, May 17, 1998.
– Special mention (unofficial perfect games)
Ernie Shore, Boston vs. Washington (AL), 4-0, June 23, 1917. (Entered game after starter Babe Ruth walked Ray Morgan and then was ejected after quarreling with umpire Brick Owens. Morgan was caught stealing and Shore retired the remaining 26 batters.) Harvey Haddix, Pittsburgh vs. Milwaukee (NL), 0-1, 13 innings, May 26, 1959. (Pitched 12 perfect innings, lost in 13th on an error, sacrifice, walk and double.) Pedro Martinez, Montreal at San Diego, June 3, 1995, 1-0, 10 innings. (Pitched 9 perfect innings, allowed leadoff double in 10th and was replaced by Mel Rojas, who finished one-hitter in 1-0 win.)