YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Indians announcer Matt Underwood produces Addie Joss documentary (video), Indians exec recalls citys moments in Split Season 1981. This is, unfortunately, the second amazing Wine & Gold announcer to pass away in recent times. Meanwhile, Butler and Jacoby went on to become All-Stars. The other challenge was a technical one: Only a few machines were available for Underwood to view the 3/4-inch tape. It was cold in Cleveland on the night of Friday May 15, 1981 49 degrees and drizzling at first pitch but Barker was riding one of his hot streaks. I could throw anything, anywhere I wanted. He ended up only needing 103 pitches in the entire game. 30 Jan 2023 21:37:00 Select from premium Cleveland Indians Len Barker of the highest quality. On Friday, May 15, 1981, Len Barker of the Cleveland Indians threw a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Stadium, the 10th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. @indians (Bruce Drennan in dugout by then.) This was the second perfect game in the Cleveland teams history. Shortstop Tom Veryzer charged, gloved, and threw to nip him at first base. Cleveland hasnt had a no-hitter since Len Barker threw a perfect game against Toronto on May 15, 1981. My curve was the best pitch that night, he recalled. Only 7,290 fans paid to get in to see the Tribe take on the visiting Blue Jays that evening and many of them were disguised as empty seats. The Indians haven't completed a no-hitter since Len Barker's perfect game in 1981, the longest current drought in the majors. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. cleveland.com. He is the most down-to-earth guy youd meet.. During an 11-year baseball career, Barker compiled 74 wins, 975 The 24-year Barker was selected for the 1981 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, held in Cleveland on August 9. [1] The Indians defeated the Blue Jays 30, as Barker did not allow a baserunner. 43, May 15, 1981. My body was breaking down.. Free shipping for many products! Ron Hassey, Barker's catcher, would catch Dennis Martnez's perfect game in 1991, thus becoming the only catcher, to date, to catch two perfect games. Im going for journalism just like my grandpa, hopefully to be a play-by-play announcer one day. Barker, who was 25 at the time, was tall 64 and had consistent mid-90s gas, which was fairly rare in baseball in those days. When you have a no-hitter going, guys stop sitting by you, said Barker. In the fifth inning third baseman Toby Harrah drifted over in foul ground in pursuit of a pop fly off the bat of Willie Upshaw. The final out of the game was a flyout caught by Rick Manning in short center field. Source: Yahoo! 9 Terry Pluto, Barkers Night, Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 16, 1981: 6-C. 13 Associated Press, Son Makes History, but Mrs. Barker Loses Game in 9th, Cleveland Plain Dealer, May 17, 1981: 8-B. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Luis Leal started for Toronto. He just didn't do basketball. Barker would get a smooch from Morganna the kissing bandit. He has been head coach since 2012.The Plain Dealer. Barker never once reached ball three against any Blue Jay hitter. Lenny didnt want to come to the park, said his wife, Bonnie. Butler would go on to star for the Indians, Giants, and Dodgers over the course of a 17-year career that would not end until 1997. A perfect game for Lenny Barker! Guerrero was seen walking toward the clubhouse with an athletic trainer in the second inning and was replaced defensively by Rainer Nunez to start the third. "Everyone says, 'You're probably tired of talking about it.' Barker was a big league pitcher for 11 seasons. 2010. He also handled Len Barkers perfect game in 1981. I had both of them replaced. Mar 28, 2021, 6:00am PST Len Kasper, shown in 2012 with former broadcast partner Jim Deshaies, surprised fans on both sides of town by switching from Cubs television to White Sox radio. There are no excuses for stopping the game we love while squabbling how to divvy it up, he said. 1981 LEN BARKER PERFECT GAME (DOWNLOADED with Black Border 7/10. In that abbreviated season, Mike Hargrove hit .317. On a cold, damp night in Cleveland, Barker pitched the tenth official perfect game in baseball history, defeating the Toronto Blue Jays, 3-0 (the game was originally reported as the ninth perfect game in major league baseball history until the league later changed the criteria for recognizing . Barker struck out 11 Blue Jays in the 3-0 win. Hernndez was the third pitcher to throw a perfect game that season but still stands as the last man to complete the feat. The first was thrown by Addie Joss on October 2, 1908, against Chicago. Leonard Harold Barker III (born July 7, 1955) is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher.He pitched the tenth perfect game in baseball history. There's great footage here, including announcer Bruce Drennan interviewing Barker as a team rejoices. Nick Chubbs contract extension: Browns fans gotta love it! Barker had tossed the first perfect game since Oakland's Jim "Catfish'' Hunter on May 8, 1968. The team boasted Joe Charboneau in his sophomore season after winning Rookie of the Year honors. In December 2010, both Kuiper and Krukow signed six-year extensions to continue as Giants announcers. . His Cleveland Indians. Barker, who was 25 at the time, was tall 6'4 and had consistent mid-90s gas, which was fairly rare in baseball in those days. After debuting with the Rangers in September 1976, Barker spend the next three seasons only intermittently sticking in rotations with Texas and Cleveland before going 19-12 with a gaudy 4.17 ERA and a league-high 187 strikeouts for the Indians in 1980. mariah carey and michael jackson relationship len barker perfect game announcers. All rights reserved (About Us). He scored on a single by George Bell to make the final score 4-1. TOM HAMILTON, the Voice of the Guardians, will enter his 31st season of calling Cleveland Guardians baseball games on the radio in 2020. len barker perfect game announcers. "It was sort of a coming-of-age time for me, the first time I recognized baseball was actually a business and not just a game.". 2023 Advance Local Media LLC. He pitched the tenth perfect game in baseball history. He struck out 11 batters all swinging between the fourth and the ninth and didnt go to a single three-ball count. No one wants to jinx you.. The Tribe also had Andre Thornton, Tom Veryzer, Ron Hassey and Jerry Dybzinski, a homegrown product from Cleveland State and Collinwood High School. He had an 8-13 record and 5.11 ERA. Certainly not the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Indians defeated the Blue Jays 30, as Barker did not allow a baserunner. While an Indians broadcaster, he called three no-hitters: Dick Bosmans in 1974, Dennis Eckersleys in 1977, and Len Barkers perfect game in 1981 on Taits birthday! Manning has the longest tenure of any television announcer in team history. That starting staff included Bert Blyleven, John Denny, Rick Waits and Barker. He leapt into the crowd to make the catch, lost his cap, but hung on to the ball. during the first inning of The club was no-hit by Baltimores John Means in its previous home game May 5. Len Barker had a 15-11 record and a 3.90 ERA in 1982.Plain Dealer Historical Collection. Mark Duncan l Associated Press With the 1981 Indians hitting just 39 homers in a 103-game, strike-shortened season, Len Barker Barker pitched his perfect game came on May 15, 1981. If they did, the late Joe Tait and Bruce Drennan called the action on Channel 43. I had just signed that big contract and felt I owed it to the Braves to keep pitching.. Let's break it down a bit further. Pinch-hitter Ernie Whitt ended the game by flying out to center fielder Rick Manning, setting off a celebration and capping the first perfect game in the majors since Catfish Hunter of the As blanked the Twins on May 8, 1968. Cookie Settings/Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Another fastball clanked against the press box during a game in Sacramento. He struck out on three pitches. He was the radio voice from 1973 to "I run into people almost every day who want to talk about it," Barker said in 2006. Moseby was credited with a double. I believe hes likely the only person to have broadcast a perfect game who also played in a perfect game! Im very happy for him.11 Pitcher Dave Stieb said, Im jealous. Barker would later admit that while he was cruising in innings one through eight, he began to feel the pressure in the ninth. Barker's most notable accomplishment occurred on May 15, 1981, as a member of the Cleveland Indians. Register now to join us on March 10-12, 2023, in Phoenix, AZ. After his playing career, Barker returned to the Cleveland area and founded a construction company with a business partner. The first was thrown by Addie Joss on October 2, 1908, against Chicago. Len Barker seals a perfect game. I wish I could have done it. Not only is that the last perfect game in Tribe history, its the last no-hitter by a Cleveland pitcher. He threw 246 1/3 innings, leading the American League with 187 strikeouts and 14 wild pitches. Faces 27 men, retires them all, eleven strikeouts. Cronkite School at ASU My legs were quivering, he admitted Barker, nicknamed Large Lenny for his 6-foot-5, 225-pound frame. The Barker family currently resides in Geauga County east of Cleveland. [1] The Indians defeated the Blue Jays 3-0, as Barker did not allow a baserunner. But my knees went. The Blue Jays were scuffling at the bottom of the division, and riding a 21-inning scoreless streak. 5/15/1981: Len Barker gets the final three outs of his perfect game for the Indians against the Blue Jays. Lennies curveball is better than Ive ever seen. And the National League would win, 5-4. Welcome to spring time in Cleveland. Find Cleveland Indians Len Barker stock photos and editorial news pictures from Getty Images. Barker throwing a no-hitter wasnt a huge surprise. I would have preferred Jalen Suggs, but Mobley is OK, The pain became too much for Terry Francona, The Tribe faces reality with the trade of Cesar Hernandez, What Im hearing about the Guardians trademark status. Len Barker. I had been coaching my kids over the years and helped some in high school. Phoenix, AZ 85004 He also didnt want to sit through rain delay after rain delay.1 Barker was late getting to the park after picking up his brother from the airport. The game kept fading in and out, she said. Which two teams had never been involved in a no-hitter? Free and fast shipping on 100% authentic Len Barker sports memorabilia, collectibles and authentic autographs. He pitched the tenth perfect game in baseball history. That day, May 15, was one of them. The event was notable on two accounts: It was the first game played after a lengthy players' strike and gave Barker the opportunity to pitch two scoreless innings before 72,086 fans in his home stadium. I once threw 197 pitches in a game, said Barker. Shortly after Len Barker pitched his perfect game on May 15, 1981, WUAB Channel 43 in Cleveland ran a shortened replay of the game with then-Indians announce. That also meant it was the first perfect game against a lineup with a DH. The Indians havent completed a no-hitter since Len Barkers [] Wish You Were Here Productions and The Don Larsen Foundation held a "Perfect Evening" supporting The Don Larsen Foundation and celebrating the 50th anniversary of Don's legendary World Series Perfect Game. In 1978, yet a third memorable wild pitch landed halfway up the screen behind Fenway Parks home plate. He had a form of the early Tommy John elbow reconstruction. Barker never made excuses. Elwell ended up at a golf course, hunched over the front seat of the car, listening to the remainder of the game. Len Barker Position: Pitcher Bats: Right Throws: Right 6-5 , 225lb (196cm, 102kg) Born: July 7, 1955 (Age: 67-225d) in Fort Knox, KY us More bio, uniform, draft, salary info 1x All-Star 25 39 39 39 39 Become a Stathead & surf this site ad-free. The Barker family currently resides in Geauga County east of Cleveland. Hes going to have an outstanding game, Duncan told manager Dave Garcia after watching him warm up in the bullpen.2. To read more Games Project stories from this book, click here. Of the eighteen men in major league history who have thrown a perfect game, four have a lifetime losing record: Lee Richmond (75-100), who threw the first-ever major league perfect game in 1880; Charlie Robertson (49-90), the only White Sox player to hurl a perfect game before Mark Buehrles masterpiece yesterday; Don Larsen (81-91), author of the The legendary Cavaliers basketball announcer passed away at the age of 83.