I know this is a music group but every now and then I like to send an inspirational message. Hey, the world can be a hard, ugly, and crazy place sometimes so a ray of sunshine story can always help.
Today’s birthday person is the poster child to never giving up. No matter how bad things are, or you are, there is always that spark of hope to achieve greatness or joy or whatever you dream of. Don Larsen was born on this date 95 years ago. How bad was he?
In his rookie year, 1953, Don went 7–12. For any non-baseball readers, that is seven wins and twelve losses. In his second year, he was worse. Not just worse but, historically, record-making, horrid. Loser Larsen’s record in 1954 was 3-21. No pitcher has won fewer games and lost twenty in the past 108 years. Over a century.
Then, as improbable an event as any in sports occurred. Two years removed from the worst record of the past 108 years, Don Larsen pitched not just a no-hitter but a perfect game. In the World Series. He is still the only pitcher ever to pitch a perfect game in the World Series. Heck, he’s the only one to pitch a solo no-hitter in the Fall Classic.
There is always hope, folks.
