A perfect video clip
It was 20 years ago yesterday when Mookie Wilson's grounder rolled through Bill Buckner's legs and effectively gave the New York Mets its last World Series title. Enough said.
It was 50 years ago this month -- Oct. 8, 1956 -- when Don Larson tossed the only perfect game in World Series history, Game 5 against the Brooklyn Dodgers.
All we've ever seen is that clip of the final strikeout where Yogi Berra leaps into Larson's arms and the Yankees run off the field.
A story in USA Today on Wednesday tells the story of sports film buff Doak Ewing, who has a companycalled Rare Sportsfilms, Inc., in Naperville, Ill., that sells copies of his collection. It's a company I discovered a few years ago and have bought a few things that I didn't even know existed.
Ewing has what's believed to be the only known telecast of Larson's perfect game. He's had it for the last 15 years but hadn't told anyone about it. He doesn't even sell it on his site. Copies of it from the networks that telecast it were either taped over or thrown away years ago. Read up more about the fascinating history of finding this film.
But the coolest part about the link to the story on USA Today is a three-minute clip from that game where Duke Snider almost breaks up the perfecto with a long drive to right that just hooks foul before he strikes out. it's amazing. Go back to that USA Today link and scroll down to PERFECT GAME PEEK.