This Day in Red Wings History: Robson throws club’s first perfecto

By CHUCKIE MAGGIO

Every perfect game contains a dazzling defensive play that the pitcher remembers long after the final out. An outcome that improbable requires a dash of baseball heroism from one of the eight fielders around the untouchable hurler.

On Aug. 16, 1974, Red Wings pitcher Gary Robson received a lift from catcher Don Hickey. Not only did Hickey call a successful game behind the plate, he slid on his knees into the screen behind home plate to snag Charleston batter Chuck Brinkman’s popup leading off the sixth inning.

Robson cruised, striking out 11 and allowing just two balls out of the infield in the seven-inning contest, game two of a doubleheader. It was the first perfect game in the 90-year history of the Red Wings, as they won 2-0 alongside 10,272 witnesses at Silver Stadium.

The 23-year-old Robson nearly was sent down to Double-A Asheville a week earlier as a result of Dave Johnson’s arrival from Baltimore. He stayed in Rochester, threw strikes on all but three pitches and improved his record to 3-2.

“I’ve never been so thrilled,” Robson told the Democrat and Chronicle. “It was the biggest crowd I’ve ever pitched before, and when you do something, well, like when I struck out the side in the fifth inning, emotionally it helps you a lot.

“I’ve come close to a no-hitter in college (UCLA), but this is my first.”

Among Robson’s notable victims: 2014 Baseball Hall of Fame inductee Tony LaRussa (0-for-2) and “We Are Family” Pirates catcher Ed Ott (0-for-2).

Kent Tekulve was the game’s hard-luck loser, surrendering just five hits, a walk and two runs in five innings.

“(Tekulve) only gave me three pitches I could have hit,” said Tom Shopay, who hit the two-run home run that made the difference. “I could see from center field that Robson was throwing well. He was keeping his slider away from the lefthanders, putting the ball where he wanted to.”

The performance remains Rochester’s lone perfect game in team history and was the International League’s first since Joe Niekro accomplished the feat in 1972.

Quick to credit his teammates, Robson reflected on his battery mate as he analyzed the historic moment. He and Hickey navigated the game well considering Robson was not a regular starter.

“Hickey called a super game,” Robson commented, “and he probably made the best defensive play.”

Red Wings 2, Charlies 0
Charleston	AB	R	H	BI		Rochester	AB	R	H	BI
Flowers cf	3	0	0	0		Shopay cf	3	1	1	2
Bushman lf	3	0	0	0		Andrews 2b	3	0	0	0
Augustine 3b	3	0	0	0		Stillman lf	2	0	1	0
Ott rf	2	0	0	0		Fiore 1b	3	0	0	0
Campanis 1b	2	0	0	0		Reinbach rf	3	0	0	0
LaRussa 2b	2	0	0	0		DeCinces 3b	3	0	3	0
Brinkman c	2	0	0	0		Hickey c	3	0	0	0
Hernandez ss	2	0	0	0		Nordbrook ss	2	1	1	0
Tekulve p	1	0	0	0		Robson p	0	0	0	0
Thomas ph	1	0	0	0
Totals	21	0	0	0		Totals	22	2	6	2
Charleston			0 0 0   0 0 0   0– 0
Rochester			0 0 0   0 2 0   X– 2
E – Hernandez, Campanis. LOB – Rochester 5. 2B – DeCinces. HR – Shopay (8).  S – Robson 2.Charleston pitching Player IP H R ER BB SO Tekulve (L, 4-2) 5 5 2 2 1 2 Minshall 1 1 0 0 0 1 Rochester pitching Player IP H R ER BB SO Robson (W, 3-2) 7 0 0 0 0 11 Time- 1:33  Attendance- 10,272