The Oakland Athletics might be on the brink of an uprooting, but not before a little more history is laid to rest on Coliseum Way. On June 28, 2023, New York Yankees starting pitcher Domingo Germán Polanco drew a line in the sand as the 24th pitcher, the first since 2012, and the first Dominican Republic-native to record a perfect game in Major League Baseball’s 147 years of existence.
Germán is the fourth New York Yankee to accomplish this feat joining Don Larsen (1956), who tossed his perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers, David Wells (1998), and David Cone (1999), who all, coincidentally, start with the letter D. Henceforth, I’m referring to them as the “Dominant D4”.
Germán’s return to the mound from his controversial use of the legal substance, rosin, that landed him a two-week suspension, was rough to say the least. In his first five games back, he allowed 23 runs across 23.4 innings pitched. Winless in six previous starts against the A’s, fans weren’t exactly thrilled to see Germán making another start prior to Wednesday’s game.
Unbeknownst to fans, a determined Domingo had special motives in mind that pushed him to go out and toss 72 of 99 pitches for strikes, mixing four different pitches with 51 of them being curveballs and 30 fastballs to reach the biggest feat of his career yet.
In his postgame interview, Germán told reporters via his translator,
Unfortunately, two days ago an uncle of mine passed away and I cried a lot yesterday in the clubhouse, so I had him with me throughout the whole game. This game is a tribute to him. - Domingo Germán
Teammates embraced both Domingo Germán and Yankees’ catcher, Kyle Higashioka, who called both this perfect game and Corey Kluber’s no-hitter in 2021.
Honestly, I just felt like I was a passenger for this one. Don't miss the ball and don't mess it up. Domingo was definitely driving the ship. He had a plan — we both had a plan, but he had ultimate confidence in his stuff. - Kyle Higashioka
The 24th Perfect Game in Major League History! 👏 pic.twitter.com/g7USJsiw5k
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) June 29, 2023
As for the Yankees, who sit in third place of the AL East Division with a record of 44-36, they will hope to ride on the waves of this historical moment in the same way that they did in 1998 after David Wells’ perfect game was a turning point for that championship season.
- Yankees off to the hottest start since 2003, sweep Astros 4-0 in season opener - April 1, 2024
- Yankees' full-squad Spring Training officially underway - February 20, 2024
- Why the Yankees’ rotation may not be complete just yet - February 17, 2024
