His gem became history-making for so many reasons. It was Yankees-Red Sox. New York hadn't had a no-hitter in nearly three decades. It happened on the Fourth of July and owner George Steinbrenner's birthday to boot. Richard Nixon was there, watching from the Boss' box, and later sent Righetti a letter of congratulations.
Friday marks the 25th anniversary since Righetti no-hit Boston for the Yankees in 1983. He struck out Wade Boggs to end the 4-0 game in front of 41,077 on a 94-degree scorcher in the Bronx with humidity.
"It's almost like it never goes away. Almost every day I'm involved in the game I get asked about it or someone brings it up,” Righetti said. "I'm sure the people around me have to hear about it all the time from the fans. To me it's special. Obviously I covet it even more now because I thought I was going to go back and start. I thought maybe I'd have another shot at it.”
Instead, he got moved to the bullpen the very next year and started only 18 career games after that no-hitter.
Righetti, now 49 and in his ninth season as pitching coach for the San Francisco Giants, pitched the Yankees' first no-hitter since Don Larsen's perfect game in the 1956 World Series. It was the first in the regular season since Allie Reynolds threw two in 1951.
"Dave had overpowering stuff that day,” said Chicago Cubs manager Lou Piniella, Righetti's teammate at the time and later his manager. "Just an overpowering performance at Yankee Stadium. I was playing left field. I was concerned because it's a sun field, and I didn't want a fly ball coming my way and having a tough play to make to preserve a no-hitter.
"What a competitor he was and what a game he pitched. What a good teammate. What a nice young man.”
In 1984, Righetti became New York's closer and recorded 31 saves in 40 opportunities, then had a career-best 46 saves two years later.
Righetti still laughs when he recalls Piniella's at-bat that made for a crazy ending to the eighth inning of his no-hitter.
Home plate umpire Steve Palermo seriously injured his knee — later needing surgery after working the World Series that year — on Piniella's foul popup that catcher Jeff Newman caught in "the first row of the stands,” as Righetti remembers it. Well, apparently Piniella didn't think the injured Palermo had a great view of the play and thought the ball dropped.
"It's like someone took a boat oar and knocked it out from underneath me,” Palermo said. "I'm laying there and Lou comes over and says, ‘When you get up and we're ready to play again, Newman d
