On May 5, 1904, Cy Young, pitching for the Boston Americans, threw the first perfect game of the World Series era, mowing down 27 straight batters in front of over 10,000 fans at the Huntington Avenue Grounds in Boston. The Americans, who later became the Red Sox, defeated the Philadelphia Athletics 3-0. Perfect games are incredibly rare in baseball, occurring less than 1 in every 10,000 games. Young, who played 22 seasons in the major leagues and won 511 games, remains one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history. He was also the ace of the Boston team that won the first World Series in 1903.
Young considered his perfect game on May 5, 1904, as his greatest day in baseball. This performance was part of an impressive streak of dominance by Young, including a no-hit streak of over 25 innings and a scoreless streak of 45 innings. His 45 consecutive scoreless innings, equivalent to five complete games without yielding a run, has only been matched seven times since. No player has matched Young’s streak of more than 25 innings without giving up a hit in the 119 years since he achieved it.
Young’s nickname, “Cyclone,” reflected his powerful fastball early in his career. His perfect game in 1904 was the first of only 21 in the World Series era. Major League Baseball recognizes two earlier perfect games in 1880, when the mound was closer to home plate than the standard distance of 60 feet, 6 inches that was in place for Young’s game in 1904. Baseball has seen a total of 23 perfect games over the span of 236,000 games played since 1876 – an average of one perfect game every 10,260 games.
Although Young’s historic perfect game was over a century ago, his record of 511 wins remains unmatched and un-approximated in baseball history. The National Baseball Hall of Fame notes that Young left a lasting legacy as a pitcher that is unlikely to ever be equaled. Baseball has not seen a perfect game in over a decade, with the most recent pitched by Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners in 2012. Walter Johnson is a distant second to Young in career wins, with 417. Young’s achievements on May 5, 1904, and throughout his career solidified his place among the all-time greats in baseball history.
In the long history of baseball, Cy Young’s perfect game on May 5, 1904, stands as a rare and remarkable achievement. Young’s dominance on the mound, including his impressive streaks of no-hit and scoreless innings, set him apart as one of the greatest pitchers in the sport’s history. His record of 511 wins remains unparalleled, and his legacy as a pitcher is celebrated by the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Young’s perfect game remains a milestone in the annals of baseball, demonstrating his skill, talent, and lasting impact on the game.
