Baseball's Don Larsen To Auction Perfect Game Pinstripes

Former New York Yankee Don Larsen pitched a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in the 1956 World Series. Larsen, 82 years old, recently decided to auction the pinstripes he wore during that game to pay for his grandchildren’s college educations.

“I’m not getting any younger, and I want to see my grandchildren get a good education,” Larsen told Bill Littlefield. “That’s probably the biggest reason I did it.”

Even though it's been 56 years, Larsen still has fond memories of his perfect game.

“It’s nice being in the World Series, period. Everybody’s watching. It’s a beautiful day, and we’ve got everybody’s attention around the world. You know, it was nice.”

Larsen certainly got everyone’s attention with his performance that day, but he didn't even know he was going to pitch until he arrived at Yankee Stadium.

“Frank Crosetti, our coach, he put the ball in my shoe in my locker, and that meant that I was going to start. So I looked at that and probably, oh, swallowed pretty hard, because I had messed up the second game and I didn't know if I was going to start again.”

Larsen remains the only player to have pitch a perfect game in the World Series. Until last spring, the uniform he wore that day had been on display in the San Diego Hall of Champions.

“I got inducted down there and I let them put that on loan. We replaced the exhibit with another uniform from a Yankee old-timer game.”

The uniform is expected to fetch at least seven figures, but Larsen said he never considered selling it before now.

“I know there are a lot of things on sale, different stuff, and I’ve watched that a little bit. I’m not familiar with this. All I know is it’s in good hands. I’m sure it’s going to be a good deal. But I just want to make sure the family’s not going to be strapped with education.”

And if there’s anything left over after paying for college?

“Maybe we’ll just take the family for a little fishing trip.”