Larsen was signed by the Browns in 1947. He made his
major league debut in a start against the
Detroit Tigers in April 1953. He
pitched five innings, giving up three earned runs, while striking out three in
a no decision, an 8-7 Browns win. He had his first career win a little less
than a month later, on May 12, 1953 against the Philadelphia Athletics.
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His 1956 season was the best of Larsen's career. He
posted an 11–5 record, with a career best 107 strikeouts and a 3.26 ERA. Larsen
was used in between the bullpen and the starting rotation for most of the
season, participating in 38 games, starting 20.
At the end of his rookie season, Larsen finished with n
7-12 record, 4.16 ERA and 96 strikeouts in 38 games, 22 of them starts. He
finished first on the team in innings pitched (192 2⁄3)
and complete games (7) and second on the team in strikeouts. He also
allowed the most hits with 202, and earned runs (89) on the squad. He
also broke a Major League record for pitchers by having seven consecutive hits
at one point.
After the Browns relocated to Baltimore for the 1954
season, Larsen went 3–21 with a 4.37 earned run average and 80 strikeouts in 29
games. He led the league in losses and finished third in the league in earned
runs (98). The Orioles only won 54 games that season, while having 100 losses,
and finished the season in seventh place.
Larsen was part of a 17 player trade to the New York
Yankees during the 1954 season. As a member of the New York Yankees from 1955
through 1959, Larsen was used by manager Casey Stengel as a backup starter and
occasional reliever. He went 45–24 during his five seasons in New York, making
90 starts in 128 appearances.
During the 1955 season, Larsen participated in nineteen
games, starting 13 of them. He had a 9-2 record with a 3.07 ERA and 44 strikeouts
in 97 innings pitched
Larsen had a rough start to the season, and by the end of
May he had a 5.64 ERA. He gradually improved and by the beginning of
August, Larsen lowered his ERA below 4.00. In a seven start stretch to finish
the season, Larsen had five complete games, and pitched 10 innings in another.
He finished the season with a 7-3 victory against the Boston Red Sox on
September 28.
Larsen's most notable accomplishment was pitching the
only perfect game in the history of the World Series; it is one of only 23
perfect games in MLB history. He was pitching for the New York Yankees in Game
5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers on October 8, 1956. His
perfect game remained the only no-hitter of any type ever pitched in postseason
play until Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay threw a no-hitter against
the Cincinnati Reds on October 6, 2010, in Game 1 of the National League
Division Series.
Larsen started Game 5 for the Yankees. Larsen's opponent
in the game was Brooklyn's Sal Maglie. Larsen needed just 97 pitches to
complete the game, and only one Dodger batter, (Pee Wee Reese in the first
inning), was able to get a 3-ball count.
Throwing fastballs, Larsen got ahead in the count at 1–2.
On his 97th pitch, a called strike, Larsen caught Dale Mitchell looking for the
27th and last out. Larsen's unparalleled game earned him the World Series Most
Valuable Player Award and Babe Ruth Award.
