Letters

Hard-Luck Harvey

Albert Chen's heartwarming look back at Harvey Haddix's masterpiece of 50 years ago (The Greatest Game Ever Pitched, June 1) brought back memories of three little boys (my younger brothers and me) who, like Harvey's wife, Marcia, were camped around a crackling, static-filled radio, listening to KDKA in the dark. As I recall, it was one of the few nights my father failed to check to make sure my brothers and I were asleep. The next morning he said, somewhat boastfully, that we had missed "the greatest game ever pitched" (his words exactly). We never told him the truth.
Sheldon M. Markowitz
Richmond

On May 26, 1959, the same night that Haddix pitched, I also lost a no-hitter, for our Little League team in Staten Island, N.Y. That coincidence got me some local press and the joy (and terror) of appearing live on the TV show I've Got a Secret. When the contestants failed to guess the secret, I was presented with an autographed picture and a handwritten note from Mr. Haddix that said, "I heard about your pitching fate. Don't feel too bad about losing, it could happen to anyone. Better luck in your future games and best wishes always." That he would take the time to consider the feelings of a 12-year-old told me all I needed to know about his character.
Gary L. Senese
Leonardtown, Md.

In an age in which baseball has been boiled down to a science—tracking everything from pitch counts to a player's body fat—it's nice to know that on the day Haddix pitched the greatest game ever, he had a burger and a shake before the game and a meal at a greasy spoon after.
Jim Shearer, New York City

Isn't it amazing that as the game entered the 13th inning, it was only approaching three hours?
Bob Adams, Rustburg, Va.

Thirty-two years after Haddix's history-making gem, baseball's "committee on statistical accuracy" wronged his right and removed it from the list of perfect games. I can't wait to see how long the powers at MLB take to reconvene said committee to examine the single-season and career home run lists.
Sean McCowan, Toronto

Hanging Tough

The best part about the LEADING OFF photo (June 1) of LeBron James about to launch his game-winning shot in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals in Cleveland is that no one in the crowd is smiling. I wish you had printed the picture taken 0.6 of a second later [showing the reaction to the basket]. When Cleveland finally wins a title of any sort, the celebration will be unbelievable. In the meantime the city will just dust itself off and try again. Cleveland is tough—you can see it in every fan's face.
Robert Kula
Middleburg Heights, Ohio

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