New York – His lifetime major league pitching record reads 81 wins and 91 losses. He was a journeyman righthanded pitcher who hurled for seven different franchises from 1953-1967, and his only 10-win seasons came in 1956 and 1957 for the New York Yankees..

But the man who once lost 21 games in a season and was involved in a 17-player trade that brought him to his new home, Yankee Stadium, following the 1954 season, found a new lease on life with the Bronx Bombers under manager Casey Stengel. Yes, Don Larsen went 45-24 during five years in New York and in 1956 posted an 11-5 mark with a career best 107 strikeouts and a 3.26 ERA.

It wasn’t good enough to earn him a shot in that year’s All-Star Game, but what he did in the post-season against the Brooklyn Dodgers is something that is still talked about 52 years later. As Yankee Stadium hosts its final All-Star Game on July 15, one of the ballpark’s most historic moments is being recalled and celebrated. The contest took place on October 8, 1956, and for one afternoon Don Larsen was perfect. Twenty-seven Dodgers came to the plate and 27 of them went down without a hit or a walk. To this day, it is the only perfect game in World Series history, and one of just 17 perfect games overall.

To honor the final All-Star Game in Yankee Stadium history, in a park that opened on April 18, 1923 and has seen the likes of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, and Mickey Mantle, Nikco Sports is offering a very unique 2-ball baseball set to raise additional funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America. In recent years, Nikco Sports has raised almost $1.7 million for children’s charities and the goal for this program is to generate another $10,000.

The 2-ball set will include a commemorative All-Star Game baseball licensed by MLB that will contain the printed names of the starting lineups for both the American and National League teams, along with the official All-Star Game logo made specifically to celebrate the final mid-summer classic at Yankee Stadium. It will also have the date and final score and MVP printed on one of the panels.

The second item in this historic piece of sports memorabilia is an official Rawlings All-Star Game autographed by Larsen, now 78 years old, with a special inscription of his Perfect Game that reads PG 10-8-56. This very unique baseball promises to become a rare collectible and family heirloom. Only 2,008 sets, priced at $129.95, will be produced and each set comes with a handsome acrylic display. Larsen will receive No. 18, his old Yankees uniform number. Fans can order by calling toll-free 1-800-345-2868 or visiting www.nikcosports.com.

Larsen’s performance in Game 2 of the ’56 Series gave fans no clue about what was to happen in Game 6 against the Dodgers. In the earlier game, despite being staked to a 6-0 lead, Larsen lasted less than two innings, allowed four runs and four walks. Years later, Larsen maintains he did not know Stengel would call on him to start Game 6 until he arrived at Yankee Stadium that day and found a baseball tucked inside his baseball spikes. Moose Skowron, a Yankees teammate, says “I couldn’t believe he was pitching that day. I still can’t believe the look he had on his face when he saw that baseball in his shoe. . .it was shock or something.”

But Larsen needed just 97 pitches to close out the Dodgers and win a 2-0 game. Only one Dodger batter, Pee Wee Reese, was able to get a three-ball count. Larsen recalled years later that “I had great control. I never had that kind of control in my life.” Added his catcher Yogi Berra, “His stuff was good, good, good. Anything I put down he put over.”

With the closing of Yankee Stadium later this season, Nikco Sports CEO Craig Bidner wanted to put together a collectible that will enable Yankee fans—and any baseball fan—to reflect back on one of the greatest games ever played in the House That Ruth Built.

“I was recently on-line and saw where some of Don’s autographed baseballs were selling for well over $100, even $180, for just one baseball,” said Bidner, whose company has continued to give back to the community since its inception in 1992. “We wanted to make our product for the final All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium very different, and something affordably priced. By having this special autographed baseball signed by Don Larsen, with his Perfect Game inscription, well, I think we’ve raised the bar on this commemorative.

“At the same time, we are very honored to be a small part of this historic finale at Yankee Stadium, and we’re very pleased that we’ll be able to continue to raise even more funds for the Boys & Girls Clubs of America, a group that we have enjoyed working with over the years.”

During the past several years, Nikco Sports has raised almost $1.7 million for charitable organizations across the nation with the issue of limited-edition sports memorabilia that has honored amateur and professional teams, as well as athletes such as Dan Marino, Brett Favre, Jerome Bettis, Ben Roethlisberger, Peyton Manning, Jim Kelly, Carson Palmer, Steve Young, John Elway, David Robinson, John Stockton, Magic Johnson, Roger Clemens, Ryne Sandberg, Paul Molitor, Kirby Puckett, Edgar Martinez, Ichiro, Ozzie Smith, Mark McGwire, Ken Griffey Jr., Nolan Ryan, Tony Gwynn, Craig Biggio and Cal Ripken Jr.

About the Boys & Girls Clubs of America
In every community, boys and girls are left to find their own recreation and companionship in the streets. An increasing number of children are at home with no adult care or supervision. Young people need to know that someone cares about them. Boys & Girls Clubs offer that and more. Club programs and services promote and enhance the development of boys and girls by instilling a sense of competence, usefulness, belonging and influence. Boys & Girls Clubs are a safe place to learn and grow—all while having fun. They are truly The Positive Place for Kids. Boys & Girls Clubs programs have taken members from the Clubhouse to the White House; from the games room to the corporate boardroom; from the high school orchestra to Carnegie Hall. Boys & Girls Clubs of America has a lineup of tested and proven nationally recognized programs that address today’s most pressing youth issues, teaching young people the skills they need to succeed in life. More than 25 national programs are available in the areas of education, the environment, health, the arts, careers, alcohol/drug and pregnancy prevention, gang prevention, leadership development and athletics.