The Perfect Game....May 19, 1967
Larry's perfect game was, of course, the highlight of his 16-2 season for Fresno State (which also included a playoff game victory against a much-favored Stanford). His achievement was headline news in all of the regional newspapers -- and has never been forgotten by his college.
There were only 30 fans in the Cal Poly stands; no radio or TV coverage. The Fresno team bus had a flat tire on the way to the game. The starting right fielder has an asthma attack and couldn't play. A huge swarm of bees enveloped the stadium in the 7th inning. And after the last out, the Fresno catcher embraced Larry too hard and gave him a bloody nose. But, as Paul Loeffler concluded,
"Gonsalves still has the ball that ended up in his glove that day, and he plans to donate it to Fresno State someday. There’s nothing written on it, but close examination reveals several discolored spots – faded reminders that the story of the only perfect game in Fresno State baseball history is much more than 67 pitches producing 27 outs. For Larry Gonsalves, a few faint stains on a fraying old baseball prove that sometimes perfection is worth bleeding."
Fresno State broadcaster and sports historian Paul Loeffler documented Larry's historic feat in his 2010 Fresno State alumni magazine article, "Imperfect Perfection Stands Test of Time":