Chas – thanks for the reminder. I just ordered The Baseball Project.

May 26, 1959 in Milwaukee on the mound
Harvey Haddix of the Pirates was mowing ‘em down
27 up, 27 gone
9 innings in the book and not a man had gotten on

Now, in history only 17 have thrown a perfect game
A most exclusive club, a most exalted fame
But after 9, the Pirates hadn’t scored
A perfect game and still old Harvey had to pitch some more

David Wells, David Cone
Sandy Koufax, Cy Young
Jim Bunning, Tom Browning
Charlie Robertson
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list

10th inning down, 11th inning down, he moved on to the 12th
3 straight outs and the fans were pinching themselves
The best game ever pitched and still a scoreless tie
Poor Harvey had to carry on and give it one more try

13′s never lucky so you can guess the rest
Harv gave up a hit and then he lost the whole contest
I wonder how he slept that night knowing how close he came
To a most exclusive club that should include his name

David Wells, David Cone
Randy Johnson, Addie Joss
Kenny Rogers, Mike Witt
Dennis Martinez
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list

The search for perfection is a funny thing, at least as I’ve been told
It drives you nuts, it makes you curse and eats away at your soul
Sometimes better ain’t better, sometimes justice just ain’t served
Sometimes legend isn’t laid where it’s most deserved

But humanity is flawed as the losers will attest
We’re drawn to tragic stories, the ones that suit us best
But for 12 innings on that fateful day, old Harvey was a God
A perfect game if nothing else because perfection’s always flawed

David Wells, David Cone
Lee Richmond, Monte Ward
Len Barker against the Jays
And Catfish for the A’s
Don Larsen in the series in 1956
Why don’t we add old Harvey to that list

Wally – great story!

On May 12, 1959, Pirate starter Harvey Haddix tied up with Lew Burdette of the then Milwaukee Braves in a monumental pitching duel in what baseball historians argumentatively proclaim was “the greatest game ever pitched in major league history,” perhaps THE greatest game ever played.

Through the innings of the game, the goose-eggs on scoreboard mounted up. After the regulation 9 innings, the score was 0-0. Burdette was pitching well, it was just that Haddix was pitching better. Through 9, Haddix was 27 up, 27 down. Through the 10th, the 11th and the 12th, the goose-eggs continued, for Haddix it was 36 up, 36 down. Burdette also carried a shutout through 13 innings but had given up 12 scattered hits to the Pirates, and was the beneficiary of 3 double-plays to preserve the Pirate goose-eggs.

In the Milwaukee 13th, Felix Mantilla opened by reaching first base on a Pitsburgh error by normally sure-handed 3rd baseman Don Hoak. Then after Haddix issued an intentional walk to Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock followed with a home run to right-center field for an apparent 3-0 win.

But wait, as described by Baseball Library, Aaron does a “Merkle,” (for Frank Merkle of the NY Giants famous for his bonehead play on September 23, 1908) leaving the field as Adcock passed him on the basepaths. As a result, Mantilla scored, both Aaron and Adcock were ruled out, Adcock was awarded a double instead of a home run and the game ended in a Braves 1-0 victory on one hit. Lew Burdette, of course, was the winning pitcher giving up 12 Pirate hits while Harvey Haddix took the loss going the route and giving up but 1 hit, the homer turned double to Joe Adcock.

BC was overwhelmed and retreated back to Beantown.

Unfortunately, it looks like the loss took the steam out of Boston College,as they were eliminated the next day 4-3 by Army.

“We take chances on kids who have poor academic histories, who have disciplinary problems both on the court and off the court,” Rohrssen said Tuesday. “We give opportunities to players who don’t appreciate them, who take them for granted. For all the right reasons, Kevin deserves this chance, and he should make the most of this opportunity.”

“Some coaches may say, ‘We need a shooter,’ ” he said. “My feeling was our team needed a stronger work ethic.”

Kudos to this coach. You can see the article here:

http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/news/story?id=4207158