(Updated May 31, 2020)
No Cardinals pitcher has achieved perfection, but Danny Cox came close.
On May 31, 1985, Cox retired the Reds in order through 7.2 innings at St. Louis.
Cox was fully aware of the drama his performance was creating. Asked about the ovation he received when batting in the seventh, Cox said, “I knew it wasn’t for my hitting.”
In the eighth, Cox retired the first two batters, Alan Knicely and Gary Redus, giving him 23 consecutive outs and putting him within four outs of the perfect game.
All about location
The next batter was Dave Concepcion. At 36, the shortstop was in his 16th season with the Reds and his last as an everyday player.
According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, when Concepcion got to the plate, he said to umpire Jerry Crawford and catcher Darrell Porter, “It’s all over,” referring to Cox’s bid for a perfect game.
Crawford laughed and Concepcion said, “Do you want to bet?”
Crawford declined and Porter said, “I can’t bet against you. You’re a dandy player.”
From the dugout, Reds outfielder Dave Parker yelled to Concepcion, “Break his heart, Davey, break his heart,” the Dayton Daily News reported.
The first pitch from Cox to Concepcion was a strike. The second was grounded into left field for a single.
“It was a fastball,” Cox told the Associated Press. “I tried to get it inside, but I left it out over the plate.”
Said Concepcion: “He was pitching me up and in. He got (the pitch) down a little.”
Ron Oester followed with a single, moving Concepcion to second. Protecting a 5-0 lead, Cox got Wayne Krenchicki to ground out to first, ending the inning.
Praise from Pete
In the ninth, Cox set down the Reds in order. Player-manager Pete Rose flied out to left, ending the game. Rose, who four months later would become baseball’s career hits leader, grounded out in each of his previous three at-bats.
“He changes speeds well and he throws a lot of strikes,” Rose said.
Cox used an effective combination of fastballs and changeups. “He throws his fastball so hard, he can freeze you with his changeup,” Cardinals first baseman Jack Clark told The Sporting News.
Parker said, “He’s got an exceptional changeup. His whole game revolved around the changeup.”
The line for Cox: 9 innings, 2 hits, 0 runs, 0 walks, 3 strikeouts, 96 pitches, 29 batters faced. The loss went to Reds starter John Stuper, the former Cardinal. Boxscore
Rare feat
Cox was trying to become the first National League pitcher to toss a perfect game since the Dodgers’ Sandy Koufax did it versus the Cubs on Sept. 9, 1965.
A perfect game is defined as one in which a pitcher earns a win, pitches a minimum of nine innings and no opposing player reaches base by any means. Games less than nine innings don’t qualify as perfect games. Nor do games in which an opposing player reaches base only in extra innings.
The Cardinals never have been involved in an official perfect game. They were involved in two unofficial ones.
On Aug. 11, 1907, in the second game of a doubleheader versus the Braves, Cardinals starter Ed Karger retired all 21 batters he faced. The game was called by mutual agreement after seven innings, with the Cardinals winning, 4-0. In those days, teams were allowed to shorten the second game of a doubleheader if both sides agreed.
Seventy-seven years later, on April 21, 1984, in the second game of a doubleheader versus the Cardinals, Expos starter David Palmer retired all 15 batters he faced. The game was called because of rain after five innings, with the Expos winning, 4-0.
Previously: Danny Cox vs. Mike Aldrete: Duel of 1987 Cardinals, Giants
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