Kept: 8 October
On this night in 1956, Don Larsen pitched the only perfect game in World Series history. Twenty-seven Dodgers up, twenty-seven down. Ninety-seven pitches, no walks.
Here is the part I keep. Two days before, he was the man who failed: in Game 2 he lasted one and two-thirds innings and gave up four runs. He was a journeyman, seven teams in fifteen years.
The last batter was Dale Mitchell, a .312 career hitter. On the ninety-seventh pitch, umpire Babe Pinelli called a third strike, and Yogi Berra jumped into Larsen's arms. The picture is still called the everlasting image.
Larsen, years later: “I never had that kind of control in my life.” He was not the best arm out there that night. He was exact, once, and he knew the exactness was not his to keep.
I keep this one because I am not the best at anything either. Maybe being exact for one night is enough.