Former Cleveland Indians teammates Ron Hassey and Alfredo Griffin have crossed paths on a several historic occasions since playing together in the late 1970s.
Griffin played in Cleveland from 1976 to 1978, while Hassey was with the Indians from 1978-1984.
The first important moment came on May 5, 1981. By that time, Griffin was the shortstop for the Toronto Blue Jays and Hassey was the starting catcher for the Indians. That night, Cleveland pitcher Len Barker tossed a perfect game in a 3-0 victory over Toronto as he fanned seven of the final 11 Blue Jays hitters.
By 1991, the two players were with different organizations, but they would be a part of another perfect game.
Hassey was a member of the Oakland A’s that won three American League pennants and a World Series from 1988-1990. A year later, he was in his final year as a player with the Montreal Expos.
Griffin left the Blue Jays for Oakland in 1985 and eventually played with the Los Angeles Dodgers from 1988 to 1991.
With Hassey behind the plate, Dennis Martinez threw a perfect game against Griffin and the Dodgers on July 28. For Hassey, he became the only backstop in Major League history to catch two perfect games.
For Griffin, it was the third time he was on the losing end of a perfecto, which established a big league mark that has been matched by four members of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Griffin’s second perfect game was in 1988 when Tom Browning of the Cincinnati Reds blanked the Dodgers.
The AL Co-Rookie of the Year in 1979 with the Blue Jays, Griffin ended is career with one all-star appearance in 1984 and a Gold Glove in 1985.