FROM WIKIPEDIA COMMONS
On Sunday, June 21, 1964, Jim Bunning of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched the seventh perfect game in Major League Baseball history, defeating the New York Mets 6-0 in the first game of a doubleheader at Shea Stadium. A father of seven children at the time, Bunning pitched his perfect game on Father’s Day. One of Bunning’s daughters, Barbara, was in attendance, as was his wife, Mary. Needing only 90 pitches to complete his masterpiece, Bunning struck out 10 batters, including six of the last nine he faced; the last two strikeouts were of the last two batters he faced: George Altman and John Stephenson.
The perfect game was the first regular season perfect game since Charlie Robertson’s perfect game in 1922 (Don Larsen had pitched a perfect game in between, in the 1956 World Series), as well as the first in modern-day National League history (two perfect games had been pitched in 1880). It was also the first no-hitter by a Phillies pitcher since Johnny Lush no-hit the Brooklyn Superbas on May 1, 1906.
As the perfect game developed, Bunning defied the baseball superstition that no one should talk about a no-hitter in progress, speaking to his teammates about the perfect game to keep himself relaxed and loosen up his teammates. Bunning had abided by the tradition during a near-no hitter a few weeks before, determining afterwards that keeping quiet didn’t help.
Gus Triandos, Bunning’s catcher, had also caught Hoyt Wilhelm‘s no-hitter on September 20, 1958 while with the Baltimore Orioles, becoming the first catcher to catch no-hitters in both leagues.
With the win, Bunning went to 7-2 for the Phillies, who were 37-23 at the time. He beat Tracy Stallard, who dropped to 4-9 for the Mets , who dropped to 20-46.
| Gene Mauch (Philadelphia Phillies) Casey Stengel (New York Mets) were the Managers | |
| Umpires | HP: Ed Sudol 1B: Paul Pryor 2B: Frank Secory 3B: Ken Burkhart |
TODAY’S ALMANAC
Every Year
- IN SWEDEN, PEOPLE CELEBRATE THE SUMMER SOLSTICE BY EATING THE FIRST STRAWBERRIES OF THE SEASON
- NATIONAL INDIGENOUS PEOPLES DAY (CANADA)
1370s
1760s
1780s
1830s
1890s
- 1893: THE FERRIS WHEEL DEBUTED AT THE WORLD’S COLUMBIAN EXPOSITION IN CHICAGO
- BORN 1896: CHARLES BOWERS MOMSEN (AMERICAN VICE ADMIRAL, INVENTOR)
1900s
1920s
- BORN 1921: JANE RUSSELL (ACTRESS)
- BORN 1921: JUDY HOLLIDAY (ACTRESS)
- BORN 1925: MAUREEN STAPLETON (ACTRESS)
1940s
- 1940: FRANCE SURRENDERED TO GERMANY (WW II)
- 1940: RICHARD M. NIXON MARRIED THELMA CATHERINE “PAT” RYAN
1950s
- 1955: SESQUICENTENNIAL U.S. POSTAGE STAMP “THE OLD MAN OF THE MOUNTAINS” DEBUTED
- 1959: FIRST 999 EMERGENCY PHONE SERVICE IN NORTH AMERICA BEGAN, IN WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
1960s
- 1961: THE ORIGINAL WALT DISNEY MOVIE THE PARENT TRAP DEBUTED
- BORN 1964: DOUG SAVANT (ACTOR)
- 1964: JIM BUNNING OF THE PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES PITCHED A PERFECT BASEBALL GAME
1980s
- BORN 1982: PRINCE WILLIAM OF WALES (OLDEST SON OF PRINCE CHARLES AND PRINCESS DIANA)
- 1984: THE FIRST AMENDMENT TO CANADA’S CONSTITUTION ACT OF 1982, WHICH GUARANTEED THE CONSTITUTIONAL RIGHTS OF INDIANS AND INUITS, TOOK EFFECT
2000s
- DIED 2001: CARROLL O’CONNOR (ACTOR)
- 2004: SPACESHIPONE LEFT THE EARTH BEHIND AND MADE ITS INDELIBLE ENTRY IN THE HISTORY BOOKS AS THE FIRST PRIVATE SPACECRAFT TO CARRY HUMANS INTO SPACE
- 2005: A 25-FOOT-TALL, 17.5-TON TREAT OF FROZEN SNAPPLE JUICE MELTED, FLOODING UNION SQUARE IN DOWNTOWN MANHATTAN WITH KIWI-STRAWBERRY-FLAVORED FLUID
- DIED 2008: KERMIT LOVE (COSTUME DESIGNER)
2010s
- 2015: TALLEST STRUCTURE BUILT WITH LEGOS (114 FEET 11 INCHES) SET GUINNESS WORLD RECORD, MILAN, ITALY
- DIED 2018: CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER (PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING COLUMNIST)
2020s
COURTESY www.almanac.com
Hey, you used to write magnificent, but the last few posts have been kinda boring?K I miss your great writings. Past several posts are just a little out of track! come on!