Armed with confidence and help from above, Larsen took the mound. High above in the left field stands was a 16-year-old Brooklyn boy by the name of Joe Torre, a Dodgers fan who expected big things from his favorites. He was certain that Dodger stars Pee Wee Reese, Jackie Robinson, Gil Hodges, Roy Campanella and Duke Snider would be too much for Larsen.
But by the ninth inning Torre couldn’t believe what he was seeing and started rooting for Larsen. The future manager of the Yankees was just one of many in the crowd of nearly 65,000 who were now rooting for history rather than their favorite team from the other side of the river.
Whether you saw the game in person or on television, or, like me, just heard part of it on radio, the memories surrounding the event haven’t dimmed over the course of half a century.