By BRIAN COSTELLO
Last updated: 12:57 pm
July 7, 2008
Posted: 3:44 am
July 6, 2008
As both New York baseball stadiums prepare to close, The Post looks back at the 25 most memorable moments in the history of Shea. This week: No. 12.
June 21, 1964
Shea Stadium was two months old when it played host to its first truly historic moment. The Phillies' Jim Bunning pitched a perfect game on Father's Day, the first perfect game in the National League in 84 years.
It was the first game of a doubleheader and Philadelphia would win 6-0, but all anyone talked about was the pitching performance from the lanky right-hander.
The 32,904 fans at the game became Bunning fans in the final inning as he became the eighth man in the history of Major League Baseball to achieve perfection. He also became the first pitcher in the modern era to throw a no-hitter in both leagues. He had no-hit the Red Sox in 1958 as a member of the Tigers. That day he walked two and hit one.
Against the Mets, he was flawless. It took him only 90 pitches and the 32-year-old struck out Mets rookie John Stephenson to complete his 27 up, 27 down masterpiece. The fans gave him a long standing ovation.
Bunning was the first NL pitcher since John Ward to pitch a perfect game. Ward did it for Providence on June 17, 1880.
The Tigers traded Bunning the winter before to Philadelphia. He would play a role in Philly's pennant chase that season. He struck out 10 Mets with a baffling curveball and a slider he mixed in.
Just three Mets even came close to getting a hit. Jesse Gonder hit a hard shot between first and second that second baseman Tony Taylor knocked down, then threw to first for the out. In the third inning, Amado Samuel lined a ball over the head of shortstop Cookie Rojas, but Rojas made a leaping grab.
Ron Hunt came close to ending the perfection in the fourth with a pop fly along the right-field line that was out of the reach of outfielder Johnny Callison. The ball fell just a few feet foul, though, and Bunning then struck Hunt out.
Bunning would be elected to the Hall of Fame in 1996 and is now a Senator from Kentucky.
For previous greatest moments and special stadium pages, visit nypost.com.
