David Cone's perfect game
Encyclopedia
David Cone's perfect game occurred on July 18, 1999 against the Montreal Expos
at Yankee Stadium
in the Bronx
.
, who himself had thrown a perfect game in the 1956 World Series
, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Yogi Berra
, who caught that game. It was Yogi Berra Day at the stadium, as he had recently reconciled with owner George Steinbrenner
. To date, it is the only perfect game achieved in regular season interleague play.
saved the game with a diving catch in right field. The last batter, Orlando Cabrera
, popped up to third baseman Scott Brosius
to end the game. Immediately afterwards, David leaped into the arms of catcher Joe Girardi
. This has become one of the most enduring images in baseball history.
, he posted a career-worst 4-14 record with a 6.91 ERA. In the 2000 World Series
, he faced one batter, Mike Piazza
in Game 4, to whom he induced a pop-up to end the fifth inning.
Montreal Expos
The Montreal Expos were a Major League Baseball team located in Montreal, Quebec from 1969 through 2004, holding the first MLB franchise awarded outside the United States. After the 2004 season, MLB moved the Expos to Washington, D.C. and renamed them the Nationals.Named after the Expo 67 World's...
at Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium
Yankee Stadium was a stadium located in The Bronx in New York City, New York. It was the home ballpark of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1973 and from 1976 to 2008. The stadium hosted 6,581 Yankees regular season home games during its 85-year history. It was also the former home of the New York...
in the Bronx
The Bronx
The Bronx is the northernmost of the five boroughs of New York City. It is also known as Bronx County, the last of the 62 counties of New York State to be incorporated...
.
Background
Before the game began, Don LarsenDon Larsen
Donald James Larsen is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 15-year baseball career, he pitched from 1953-67 for seven different teams. Larsen is best known for pitching the sixth perfect game in baseball history, doing so in game 5 of the 1956 World Series...
, who himself had thrown a perfect game in the 1956 World Series
1956 World Series
The 1956 World Series of Major League Baseball was played between the New York Yankees and the defending champion Brooklyn Dodgers during the month of October 1956. The Series was a rematch of the 1955 World Series...
, threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Yogi Berra
Yogi Berra
Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra is a former American Major League Baseball catcher, outfielder, and manager. He played almost his entire 19-year baseball career for the New York Yankees...
, who caught that game. It was Yogi Berra Day at the stadium, as he had recently reconciled with owner George Steinbrenner
George Steinbrenner
George Michael Steinbrenner III was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees. During Steinbrenner's 37-year ownership from 1973 to his death in July 2010, the longest in club history, the Yankees earned seven World Series...
. To date, it is the only perfect game achieved in regular season interleague play.
The Game
David Cone never worked a count more than 2-0. A 33-minute rain delay interrupted the game in the third inning. In the third inning, Paul O'NeillPaul O'Neill
Paul Henry O'Neill served as the 72nd United States Secretary of the Treasury for part of President George W. Bush's first term. He was fired in December 2002 for his public disagreement with the administration and became a harsh critic...
saved the game with a diving catch in right field. The last batter, Orlando Cabrera
Orlando Cabrera
Orlando Luis Cabrera, nicknamed "O-Cab" and "The OC", is a Colombian-American baseball infielder.He won a World Series championship in 2004 with the Boston Red Sox. He has played for the Montreal Expos, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Chicago White Sox, Oakland Athletics, Minnesota Twins,...
, popped up to third baseman Scott Brosius
Scott Brosius
Scott David Brosius is a former Major League Baseball third baseman for the Oakland Athletics and the New York Yankees . Brosius is currently the head baseball coach at Linfield College, his alma mater....
to end the game. Immediately afterwards, David leaped into the arms of catcher Joe Girardi
Joe Girardi
Joseph Elliott Girardi is a former Major League Baseball catcher and current manager of the New York Yankees. During a 15-year playing career, he played from 1989–2003 for the Chicago Cubs, the Colorado Rockies, the New York Yankees, and St. Louis Cardinals...
. This has become one of the most enduring images in baseball history.
Aftermath
After his perfect game, Cone seemed to decline rapidly. He never threw another shutout in his career. In 20002000 New York Yankees season
The New York Yankees' 2000 season was the 98th season for the Yankees in New York, and their 100th overall going back to their origins in Baltimore. New York was managed by Joe Torre. The team finished 1st in the AL East with a record of 87–74, 2.5 games ahead of the Boston Red Sox, after...
, he posted a career-worst 4-14 record with a 6.91 ERA. In the 2000 World Series
2000 World Series
-Game 1:Saturday, October 21, 2000 at Yankee Stadium in Bronx, New YorkThe opener fell on two anniversaries. Twenty-five years prior, Boston Red Sox's catcher Carlton Fisk ended Game 6 of the 1975 World Series with his famous home run off the left field foul pole in Fenway Park in Boston to beat...
, he faced one batter, Mike Piazza
Mike Piazza
Michael Joseph "Mike" Piazza ; born September 4, 1968) is an American former Major League Baseball catcher. He played in his career with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Florida Marlins, New York Mets, San Diego Padres and the Oakland Athletics....
in Game 4, to whom he induced a pop-up to end the fifth inning.