Pointer varsity baseball coach David Wells was recently honored by the New York Yankees for something he accomplished 20 years ago.
On May 17, 1998 Wells took the mound in Yankee Stadium in front of a crowd of 49,820 to pitch against the Minnesota Twins. Wells retired all 27 batters he faced for a rare “perfect game.”
On April 23, nearing the 20th anniversary of that feat, the Yankees honored Wells’ feat by giving away bobbleheads of him and having him throw out the game’s first pitch.
Coincidentally, the Twins were in town for the event as the Yankees clobbered them 14-1 before 39,249 fans who cheered as videos of Wells’ perfect game were shown on the scoreboard.
“It’s a great honor and very humbling,” Wells said. “The Yankees are very good at honoring their players and ex-players and bringing excitement to the stadium. It’s a milestone and to go back, have a bobblehead given out and throw out the first pitch… I’ll take that any day.”
The Yankees provided Wells a suite for 80 people and several celebrities reportedly stopped by during the game.
Point Loma High remains the only school in the U.S. with two alumni who have thrown perfect games in major league history. Don Larsen, class of 1947, threw his in the 1956 World Series. Wells is a 1982 alum of the school.