David Cone
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David Brian Cone (born January 2, 1963) is an American former
Major League Baseball Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball league composed of 30 teams, divided equally between the National League (baseball), National League (NL) and the American League (AL), with 29 in the United States and 1 in Canada. MLB i ...
(MLB)
pitcher In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("Pitch (baseball), pitches") the Baseball (ball), baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of out (baseball), retiring a batter (baseball), batter, ...
, and current
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for the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
on the YES Network and Amazon Prime as well as for
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on
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.Profile
yesnetwork.com; accessed February 14, 2015.
A third round draft pick of the
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
in the 1981 MLB draft, he made his MLB debut in 1986 and continued playing until 2003, pitching for five different teams. Cone batted left-handed and threw right-handed. On the final game of the 1991 regular season, Cone struck out 19 batters, tied for second-most ever in a game. Renowned for his split-finger fastball, Cone won the 1994 American League
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
, was a five-time
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
and led the major leagues in strikeouts each season from 1990 to 1992. He was a two-time 20 game-winner, setting the MLB record for most years between 20-win seasons with 10. Cone pitched the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history in 1999. He was a member of five
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this sys ...
teams: with the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
and , , and with the
New York Yankees The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) Am ...
. His 8–3 career postseason record came over 21 games and 111
innings pitched In baseball, the statistic innings pitched (IP) is the number of innings a pitcher has completed, measured by the number of Batter (baseball), batters and baserunners that have been put out while the pitcher is on the Baseball field#Pitcher's mou ...
, with an
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
(ERA) of 3.80; in World Series play, his ERA was 2.12. Cone is the subject of the book ''A Pitcher's Story: Innings With David Cone'', by Roger Angell. Cone and Jack Curry co-wrote the autobiography ''Full Count: The Education of a Pitcher'', which was released in May 2019 and made ''The New York Times'' Best Seller list shortly after its release.


Early years

Cone was born in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City, Missouri, abbreviated KC or KCMO, is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri by List of cities in Missouri, population and area. The city lies within Jackson County, Missouri, Jackson, Clay County, Missouri, Clay, and Pl ...
, the son of Joan (née Curran; 1936–2016) and Edwin Cone (1934–2022). He attended Rockhurst High School, a
Jesuit The Society of Jesus (; abbreviation: S.J. or SJ), also known as the Jesuit Order or the Jesuits ( ; ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...
school, where he played
quarterback The quarterback (QB) is a position in gridiron football who are members of the offensive side of the ball and mostly line up directly behind the Lineman (football), offensive line. In modern American football, the quarterback is usually consider ...
on the
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
team, leading them to the district championship. He was also a
point guard The point guard (PG), also called the one or the point, is one of the Basketball positions, five positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position and is usually the shortest player ...
on the basketball team. Because Rockhurst did not have a baseball team, Cone instead played summer ball in the
Ban Johnson Byron Bancroft "Ban" Johnson (January 5, 1864 – March 28, 1931) was an American executive in professional baseball who served as the founder and first president of the American League (AL). Johnson developed the AL—a descendant of th ...
League, a college summer league in Kansas City. At 16, he reported to an invitation-only tryout at Royals Stadium and an open tryout for the
St. Louis Cardinals The St. Louis Cardinals are an American professional baseball team based in St. Louis. The Cardinals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Centra ...
. He was also recruited to play
college football College football is gridiron football that is played by teams of amateur Student athlete, student-athletes at universities and colleges. It was through collegiate competition that gridiron football American football in the United States, firs ...
and
baseball Baseball is a bat-and-ball games, bat-and-ball sport played between two team sport, teams of nine players each, taking turns batting (baseball), batting and Fielding (baseball), fielding. The game occurs over the course of several Pitch ...
. Upon graduation, he enrolled at the
University of Missouri The University of Missouri (Mizzou or MU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Columbia, Missouri, United States. It is Missouri's largest university and the flagship of the four-campus Univers ...
and was drafted by his hometown
Kansas City Royals The Kansas City Royals are an American professional baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League Central, Central Division. The team ...
in the third round of the 1981 Major League Baseball draft.


Professional baseball career


Minor leagues and MLB debut: Kansas City Royals (1981–1986)

Cone went 22–7 with a 2.21
earned run average In baseball statistics, earned run average (ERA) is the average of earned runs allowed by a pitcher per nine innings pitched (i.e. the traditional length of a game). It is determined by dividing the number of earned runs allowed by the number ...
in his first two professional seasons. He sat out 1983 with an injury, and went 8–12 with a 4.28 ERA for the Double-A Memphis Chicks when he returned in 1984. During his second season with the
Class AAA Triple-A (officially Class AAA) has been the highest level of play in Minor League Baseball in the United States since 1946. Currently, two leagues operate at the Triple-A level, the International League (IL) and the Pacific Coast League (PCL). ...
Omaha Royals Omaha ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nebraska. It is located in the Midwestern United States along the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 41st-most-populous city, Omaha had a popu ...
(1986), Cone was converted to a
relief pitcher In baseball and softball, a relief pitcher or reliever is a pitcher who pitches in the game after the starting pitcher or another relief pitcher has been removed from the game due to fatigue (medical), fatigue, injury, ineffectiveness, ejection ...
, and he made his Major League debut on June 8, 1986, in relief of reigning
Cy Young Award The Cy Young Award is given annually to the best pitchers in Major League Baseball (MLB), one each for the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). The award was introduced in 1956 by Commissioner of Baseball ( ...
winner Bret Saberhagen. He made three more appearances out of the Royals'
bullpen In baseball, the bullpen (or simply the pen) is the area where relief pitchers warm up before entering a game. A team's roster of relief pitchers is also metonymically referred to as "the bullpen". These pitchers usually wait in the bullpen if ...
before returning to Omaha, where he went 8–4 with a 2.79 ERA. He returned to Kansas City when rosters expanded that September.


New York Mets (1987–1992)

Prior to the 1987 season, Cone was traded with Chris Jelic to the
New York Mets The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National ...
for Ed Hearn, Rick Anderson and Mauro Gozzo. Cone went 5–6 with a 3.71 ERA and 68
strikeouts In baseball or softball, a strikeout (or strike-out) occurs when a batter accumulates three strikes during a time at bat. It means the batter is out, unless the third strike is not caught by the catcher and the batter reaches first base safe ...
in 21 appearances (13 starts) his first season in
New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...
. Cone began the 1988 season in the bullpen, but was added to the starting rotation by the first week of May. His first start was a
complete game In baseball, a complete game (CG) is the act of a pitcher pitching an entire game without the benefit of a relief pitcher. A pitcher who meets this criterion will be credited with a complete game regardless of the number of innings played—pitche ...
shutout In team sports, a shutout (North American English, US) or clean sheet (Commonwealth English, UK) is a game in which the losing team fails to score. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketba ...
over the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
, and he went on to post a 9–2 record with a 2.52 ERA in the first half of the season to earn his first
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
nod. For the season, Cone went 20–3 with a 2.22 ERA to finish third in
National League National League often refers to: *National League (baseball), one of the two baseball leagues constituting Major League Baseball in the United States and Canada *National League (division), the fifth division of the English football (soccer) system ...
Cy Young Award balloting. The Mets ran away with the
National League East The National League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. Along with the American League Central, it is one of two divisions to have every member win at least one World Series title. After having internal, informal divisions for ...
by fifteen games over the
Pittsburgh Pirates The Pittsburgh Pirates are an American professional baseball team based in Pittsburgh. The Pirates compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central ...
, and were heavy favorites over the
Los Angeles Dodgers The Los Angeles Dodgers are an American professional baseball team based in Los Angeles. The Dodgers compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Div ...
, against whom they had a 10–1 record during the regular season, in the 1988 National League Championship Series. Cone became a newspaper commentator on the playoffs for the ''
New York Daily News The ''Daily News'' is an American newspaper based in Jersey City, New Jersey. It was founded in 1919 by Joseph Medill Patterson in New York City as the ''Illustrated Daily News''. It was the first U.S. daily printed in Tabloid (newspaper format ...
'', and incited controversy after the Mets' 3–2 victory in game one by saying Dodgers game one starter
Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV (born September 16, 1958) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000. He later became a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and a br ...
"was lucky for eight innings", and ripping closer Jay Howell: After Cone provided the Dodgers with bulletin board material, Los Angeles jumped on Cone for five runs in two innings in the second game of the playoffs to tie the series at a game apiece. The Mets persuaded Cone to stop writing the column, and he came back with a scoreless ninth inning in a Game 3 Mets win and a complete-game victory in Game 6; however, series MVP and 1988 Cy Young Award winner
Orel Hershiser Orel Leonard Hershiser IV (born September 16, 1958) is an American former baseball pitcher who played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1983 to 2000. He later became a pitching coach for the Texas Rangers from 2002 to 2005 and a br ...
came back in game seven with the complete game shutout to lead the Dodgers to the
1988 World Series The 1988 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1988 season. The 85th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the ...
against the
Oakland Athletics The Oakland Athletics (frequently referred to as the Oakland A's) were an American Major League Baseball (MLB) team based in Oakland, California from 1968 to 2024. The Athletics were a member club of the American League (AL) American League We ...
. In a well-known incident on April 30, 1990, against the
Atlanta Braves The Atlanta Braves are an American professional baseball team based in the Atlanta metropolitan area. The Braves compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Eas ...
, Cone covered first base on a throw from second baseman Gregg Jefferies, which should have retired batter Mark Lemke. Umpire Charlie Williams mistakenly ruled Lemke safe. Arguing with Williams, and thinking time had been called, Cone held the ball while two Braves runners ( Dale Murphy and Ernie Whitt) scored. Cone spent over five seasons in his first stint with the New York Mets, most of the time serving as the team's co-ace alongside Dwight Gooden while leading the National League in strikeouts in 1990 and 1991. In 1991, Cone switched from uniform number 44 to 17 in honor of former teammate
Keith Hernandez Keith Hernandez (born October 20, 1953) is an American former professional baseball first baseman. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the St. Louis Cardinals, New York Mets, and Cleveland Indians. Hernandez was a five-time Major League ...
. On August 30, he struck out all three batters on nine total pitches in the fifth inning of a 3–2 win over the
Cincinnati Reds The Cincinnati Reds are an American professional baseball team based in Cincinnati. The Reds compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League Central, Central Divisi ...
, becoming the 16th National League pitcher and the 25th pitcher in major-league history to accomplish an immaculate inning. Cone tied a National League record on October 6, in the season finale, by striking out 19
rival A rivalry is the state of two people or Social group, groups engaging in a lasting competitive relationship. Rivalry is the "against each other" spirit between two competing sides. The relationship itself may also be called "a rivalry", and each ...
Philadelphia Phillies The Philadelphia Phillies are an American professional baseball team based in Philadelphia. The Phillies compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (NL) East Division. Since 2004, the team's home stadium has ...
batters in a 7–0, three-hit shutout at
Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...
. His 19 strikeouts was the second-highest total ever recorded in a nine-inning game just behind the 20-strikeout games recorded by Kerry Wood, Roger Clemens (twice),
Randy Johnson Randall David Johnson (born September 10, 1963), nicknamed, "the Big Unit," is an American former professional baseball pitcher who played 22 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2009) for six teams, primarily the Seattle Mariners and Arizo ...
and Max Scherzer, and tying
Tom Seaver George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cin ...
's single-game club record, making the Mets the only team with two pitchers to achieve the feat. Cone was the lone Mets representative at the 1992 Major League Baseball All-Star Game, going 9–4 with a 2.56 ERA at the All-Star break. With a 56–67 record, and fourteen games behind the first place Pirates, the infamous "worst team money could buy" traded Cone to the
Toronto Blue Jays The Toronto Blue Jays are a Canadian professional baseball team based in Toronto. The Blue Jays compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Since 1989, the team has p ...
for Jeff Kent and Ryan Thompson on August 27, 1992, after the non-waiver trading deadline.


Toronto Blue Jays (1992)

With Toronto, Cone was 4–3 with a 2.55 ERA and 47 strikeouts. Combined with the 214 strikeouts he had with the Mets, his 261 strikeouts led the major leagues and were career-highs. Cone headed to the postseason for the second time in his career as the Blue Jays won the
American League East The American League East is one of Major League Baseball's six divisions. MLB consists of an East, Central, and West division for each of its two 15-team leagues, the American League (AL) and National League (baseball), National League (NL). T ...
. The Jays defeated the Oakland Athletics in the 1992 American League Championship Series, and the Atlanta Braves in the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
, to give Cone his first World Series ring, and become the first Canadian team to win the World Series. For his part, Cone went 1–1 with a 3.22 ERA in the postseason.


Cy Young Award: Return to Kansas City Royals (1993–1994)

Cone returned to his hometown Kansas City Royals as a
free agent In professional sports, a free agent is a player or manager who is eligible to sign with other clubs or franchises; i.e., not under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in reference to a player who is under a contract at present ...
for the 1993 season. Despite an 11–14 record, Cone had an impressive 1993, pitching 254 innings with a 3.33 ERA, and a 138 ERA+. He improved to go 16–5 with a 2.94 ERA (171 ERA+) in the strike-shortened 1994 season to win the
American League The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, known simply as the American League (AL), is the younger of two sports leagues, leagues constituting Major League Baseball (MLB) in the United States and Canada. It developed from the Western L ...
Cy Young Award, and finish ninth in
MVP MVP most commonly refers to: * Most valuable player, an award, typically for the best performing player in a sport or competition * Minimum viable product, a concept for feature estimating used in business and engineering MVP may also refer to: ...
voting. Cone was a
Major League Baseball Players Association The Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) is the labor union representing all current Major League Baseball (MLB) and Minor League Baseball (MiLB) players. All players, managers, coaches, and athletic trainers who hold or have held ...
representative in negotiations with Major League Baseball in events that surrounded the
1994 baseball strike The year 1994 was designated as the "International Year of the Family" and the "International Year of Sport and the Olympic Charter, Olympic Ideal" by the United Nations. In the Line Islands and Phoenix Islands of Kiribati, 1994 had only 364 ...
.


Toronto Blue Jays, second stint (1995)

Four days after the strike ended, the Royals traded Cone back to the Blue Jays, in exchange for
Chris Stynes Christopher Desmond Stynes (born January 19, 1973) is an American former Major League Baseball utility player.Pete Palmer; Gary Gillette; Stuart Shea. The ESPN Baseball Encyclopedia'. Sterling Publishing Company; 1 February 2006. . p. 680. Early ...
, David Sinnes and Tony Medrano. Cone was 9–6 with a 3.38 ERA for Toronto, however, the Jays were 35–47 and in fifth place when they struck a deal with the second-place New York Yankees. On July 28, 1995, the Blue Jays sent Cone to the Yankees for Marty Janzen, Jason Jarvis and Mike Gordon.


New York Yankees (1995–2000)

When the Yankees acquired Cone, they were on a six-game winning streak, though still trailing the
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
for the division lead.The David Cone Years
Riveraveblues.com; accessed February 14, 2015.
Cone instantly became the team's ace and would post a 9–2 record as the Yankees won the wild card in the first season of the new three division, wild card format. In his third postseason, Cone won the first game of the 1995 American League Division Series against the
Seattle Mariners The Seattle Mariners are an American professional baseball team based in Seattle. The Mariners compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League West, West Division. The team joined the American ...
, and left game five with the score tied at four. The Mariners won the game in extra innings to eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs. The Yankees re-signed Cone in the offseason to a three-year contract worth $19.5 million. Cone was 4–1 with a 2.02 ERA when he was diagnosed with an
aneurysm An aneurysm is an outward :wikt:bulge, bulging, likened to a bubble or balloon, caused by a localized, abnormal, weak spot on a blood vessel wall. Aneurysms may be a result of a hereditary condition or an acquired disease. Aneurysms can also b ...
in his arm in 1996 and went on the
disabled list In Major League Baseball (MLB), the injured list (IL) is a method for teams to remove their injured players from the roster in order to summon healthy players. Before the 2019 Major League Baseball season, 2019 season, it was known as the disabl ...
for the majority of the year. In his comeback start that September against the Oakland Athletics, Cone pitched a no-hitter through seven innings before he had to leave due to
pitch count In baseball statistics, pitch count is the number of pitches thrown by a pitcher in a game. Pitch counts are especially a concern for young pitchers, pitchers recovering from injury, or pitchers who have a history of injuries. The pitcher wants ...
restrictions.
Mariano Rivera Mariano Rivera (born November 29, 1969) is a Panamanian Americans, Panamanian-American former professional baseball pitcher who played 19 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees, from 1995 to 2013. Nicknamed "Mo" and " ...
allowed an infield single, ending the no-hit bid. The Yankees returned to the postseason for the second consecutive season. After losing to the Texas Rangers in game one of the 1996 American League Division Series, and a no decision in the 1996 American League Championship Series, Cone came back in game three of the
World Series The World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball (MLB). It has been contested since between the champion teams of the American League (AL) and the National League (NL). The winning team, determined through a best- ...
against the Atlanta Braves with a six inning, one run performance to give the Yankees their first win of the Series on their way to their first World Championship in eighteen years. Cone went 20–7 in 1998, setting a Major League record for the longest span between twenty-win seasons at 11, surpassing the record of 8 set by
Jim Kaat James Lee Kaat (; born November 7, 1938), nicknamed "Kitty", is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. A left-handed pitcher, he played Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Washington Senators / Minnes ...
in 1974. Cone won the 1998 American League Division Series clinching game against the Rangers, the 1998 American League Championship Series clinching game against the Indians, and Game Three of the
1998 World Series The 1998 World Series was the championship series of Major League Baseball's (MLB) 1998 season. The 94th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff between the American League (AL) champion New York Yankees and the National ...
against the
San Diego Padres The San Diego Padres are an American professional baseball team based in San Diego. The Padres compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the National League (baseball), National League (NL) National League West, West Division. ...
. Cone finished fourth in the AL Cy Young voting. He re-signed with the Yankees for the 1999 season for $8 million. He went 12–9 in 1999, pitching the sixteenth perfect game in baseball history on July 18 against the
Montreal Expos The Montreal Expos () were a Canadian professional baseball team based in Montreal. The Expos were the first Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise located outside the United States. They played in the National League (baseball), National League ...
. It was the last no-hitter by a Yankee until 2021, and also the first in a regular season interleague perfect game. Making the game even more remarkable was that it was "
Yogi Berra Lawrence Peter "Yogi" Berra (born Lorenzo Pietro Berra; May 12, 1925 – September 22, 2015) was an American professional baseball catcher who later took on the roles of Manager (baseball), manager and Coach (baseball), coach. He played 19 seas ...
Day" at
Yankee Stadium Yankee Stadium is a baseball stadium located in the Bronx in New York City. It is the home field of Major League Baseball’s New York Yankees and New York City FC of Major League Soccer. The stadium opened in April 2009, replacing the Yankee S ...
. After a long feud with owner
George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...
, Berra agreed to return to the stadium that day. Yogi caught the ceremonial first pitch from Don Larsen, who threw a perfect game for the Yankees in the 1956 World Series; that game had been caught by Yogi Berra. Larsen could be seen smiling in the press box after the final out of Cone's perfect game was recorded. After the game, Cone was met at his clubhouse locker by Larsen and Berra, who together wrapped him in a bear hug. After the perfect game, he seemed to suddenly lose effectiveness. It was the last shutout he would throw in his career. In 2000, he posted the worst record of his career, 4–14, while seeing his ERA balloon to 6.91, more than double his mark the previous year. In spite of his ineffectiveness, Cone was brought in during game four of the 2000 World Series to face the Mets' Mike Piazza, a controversial decision at the time— Denny Neagle had given up a home run to Piazza in his previous at-bat, but was pitching with a lead and only needed to retire Piazza to go the minimum five innings to be eligible for a win. Cone induced a pop-up to end the inning. It was the only batter he faced in the entire Series.


Boston Red Sox (2001)

Cone recognized after the 2000 season that his tenure with the Yankees was over. In 2001 Cone pitched for the rival
Boston Red Sox The Boston Red Sox are an American professional baseball team based in Boston. The Red Sox compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) American League East, East Division. Founded in as one of the Ameri ...
, performing with mixed but mostly positive results, including a 9–7 win–loss record and a 4.31 ERA. His 2001 season included a suspenseful 1–0 loss against Yankees ace Mike Mussina wherein Cone pitched innings giving up one unearned run, keeping the game close even as Mike Mussina came within one strike of completing a perfect game, which would have made Cone the first pitcher to pitch a perfect game and be the losing pitcher in another.


Comeback with New York Mets (2003)

Cone sat out the 2002 season, but attempted a comeback with the Mets in 2003. Cone went 1–3 in four starts for the Mets with a 6.50 ERA. He announced his retirement soon after his last appearance for the Mets on May 28, citing a chronic hip problem.


Pitching style

Cone modeled his pitching after
Luis Tiant Luis Clemente Tiant Vega () (November 23, 1940 – October 8, 2024), nicknamed "El Tiante", was a Cuban professional baseball pitcher who played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for 19 years, primarily for the Cleveland Indians and the Boston R ...
. By emulating Tiant's pitching style, it helped him conserve his arm. The drawback is that it put much wear and tear on his hips.


Career statistics

Cone's .606 won-lost percentage ranks 95th on MLB all-time list; 7.77 hits allowed per nine innings pitched ranks 60th on MLB's all-time list; 8.28 strikeouts per nine innings pitched ranks 17th; 2,668 strikeouts ranks 21st, and 419 games started ranks 97th on the MLB all-time list. Cone: *Is the New York Yankees' all-time leader in strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (8.67). *Holds the New York Yankees' single-season record for most strikeouts per 9 innings pitched (10.25 in 1997). *Struck out 19 batters in one game, October 6, 1991. *Is the only pitcher to have a 20-win season with both the Mets (1988) and the Yankees (1998).


Post-playing career

Upon retiring from baseball in 2001, Cone became a color commentator on the
YES Network The Yankee Entertainment and Sports Network (YES) is an American pay television regional sports network owned by Yankee Global Enterprises (the largest shareholder with 26%), Main Street Sports Group (which owns 20%), Amazon (which owns 15% ...
during its inaugural season. However, his comeback attempt with the crosstown rival Mets in 2003 annoyed Yankees owner
George Steinbrenner George Michael Steinbrenner III (July 4, 1930July 13, 2010) was an American businessman who was the principal owner and managing partner of Major League Baseball's New York Yankees from 1973 until his death in 2010. He was the longest-serving own ...
and Cone was told he would not be welcomed back. After his second retirement from baseball, Cone was offered a broadcasting position with the Mets, but declined. In 2008, Cone rejoined the YES Network as an analyst and host of ''Yankees on Deck''. He left the YES Network during the 2009–10 offseason in order to "spend more time with my family". He was replaced by former Yankees first baseman Tino Martinez. On April 19, 2011, Cone returned to the Yankees broadcast booth in Toronto, working as analyst for a Yankees-Blue Jays series along with
Ken Singleton Kenneth Wayne Singleton (born June 10, 1947) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as an outfielder and designated hitter from to , most prominently as a member ...
. As an announcer, he is known for making references to
sabermetric Sabermetrics (originally SABRmetrics) is the original or blanket term for sports analytics in the US, the empirical analysis of baseball, especially the development of advanced metrics based on baseball statistics that measure in-game activity. ...
statistics, referencing some websites such as Fangraphs.com. Cone is currently the Yankees' lead color commentator, alongside former teammate Paul O'Neill. The two are paired with Michael Kay as the Yankees' regular broadcast team. After the 2021 season, Cone began co-hosting the podcast "Toeing the Slab" with Justin Shackil for Jomboy Media. In 2022, Cone was announced to be part of the ''
Sunday Night Baseball ''Sunday Night Baseball'' is an exclusive weekly telecast of a Major League Baseball game that airs Sundays at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on ESPN during the regular season. The games are preceded most weeks by the studio show '' Baseball Tonight: Sun ...
'' broadcast team on
ESPN ESPN (an initialism of their original name, which was the Entertainment and Sports Programming Network) is an American international basic cable sports channel owned by the Walt Disney Company (80% and operational control) and Hearst Commu ...
along with Karl Ravech, Eduardo Pérez, and Buster Olney. On July 17, 2009, Cone testified as a witness (representing the Democratic Party) before the
Senate Judiciary Committee The United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary, informally known as the Senate Judiciary Committee, is a Standing committee (United States Congress), standing committee of 22 U.S. senators whose role is to oversee the United States Departm ...
during the
Supreme Court In most legal jurisdictions, a supreme court, also known as a court of last resort, apex court, high (or final) court of appeal, and court of final appeal, is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
nomination hearings for Judge
Sonia Sotomayor Sonia Maria Sotomayor (, ; born June 25, 1954) is an American lawyer and jurist who serves as an associate justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. She was nominated by President Barack Obama on May 26, 2009, and has served since ...
. Cone read a prepared statement in support of Sotomayor's nomination which chronicled Major League Baseball's labor dispute of 1994 and the impact of the judge's decision which forced the disputants back to the bargaining table. Cone said, "It can be a good thing to have a judge in district court or a justice on the United States Supreme Court who recognizes that the law cannot always be separated from the realities involved in the disputes being decided."


Personal life

During his career in New York, Cone was known for his embrace of the city's nightlife. He was falsely accused of rape in 1991, but within 72 hours the police found the claim to be without merit. In 1991, three women accused Cone of having threatened their lives at the ballpark. Cone said he had cursed them out for harassing the wife of teammate Sid Fernandez, but never threatened them. The three women later amended their lawsuit against Cone, accusing him of having lured them into the bullpen area at Shea Stadium in 1989 and masturbating in their presence. Two of the women's claims were unsuccessful. One of the women settled her claims out of court based upon Cone calling her a "groupie"; all sexual accusations were dismissed. Cone married Lynn DiGioia, an interior designer, on November 12, 1994. The couple had a son, Brian, on March 23, 2006. David and Lynn Cone divorced in 2011. Cone's partner is real estate broker and investor Taja Abitbol. They have a son, Sammy, who was born on December 15, 2011.David Cone to buy apartment at Greenwich Lane
nypost.com; accessed February 12, 2015.


See also

* Kansas City Royals award winners and league leaders *
List of athletes who came out of retirement In most cases, when a professional athlete announces retirement, he or she retires and then never returns to playing professional sports; however, in rare instances there are some athletes who came out of retirement. The following list shows su ...
* List of Major League Baseball career bases on balls allowed leaders * List of Major League Baseball career hit batsmen leaders *
List of Major League Baseball career strikeout leaders :''This list is for pitchers. For career strikeouts by batters, see List of Major League Baseball career strikeouts by batters leaders'' The following list is of the top 100 pitchers in career strikeouts in Major League Baseball. In baseball, a s ...
*
List of Major League Baseball no-hitters Below is a list of Major League Baseball no-hitters, enumerating every no-hitter pitched in Major League Baseball history. The list also includes no-hit games that were broken up in extra innings or were in shortened games, although they have no ...
* List of Major League Baseball perfect games * List of Major League Baseball single-game strikeout leaders * List of New York Yankees no-hitters * List of people from Kansas City, Missouri *
List of World Series starting pitchers The following is a chronological list of the starting pitchers for each World Series game contested in Major League Baseball. Each pitcher's Win–loss record (pitching), win–loss record for World Series starts, cumulative through the game in q ...


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Cone, David 1963 births Living people Missouri Democrats YES Network ESPN people Cy Young Award winners National League All-Stars National League strikeout champions American League All-Stars American League wins champions Boston Red Sox players Kansas City Royals players New York Mets players New York Yankees announcers New York Yankees players Toronto Blue Jays players American expatriate baseball players in Canada Major League Baseball broadcasters Major League Baseball pitchers Baseball players from Kansas City, Missouri Major League Baseball pitchers who have pitched a perfect game Gulf Coast Royals players Fort Myers Royals players Charleston Royals players Memphis Chicks players Omaha Royals players Tidewater Tides players Norwich Navigators players Sarasota Red Sox players St. Lucie Mets players