Name the first player to appear in a perfect game in the World Series and the regular season? The answer is Jim Gilliam. The Brooklyn Dodgers infielder appeared in Don Larsen’s perfect game for the New York Yankees in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, then later appeared in Sandy Koufax’s regular-season perfect game for the Dodgers in 1965.
Larsen’s October 8, 1956 performance remains the only perfect game in World Series history. He retired all 27 Dodgers he faced, winning 2–0 at Yankee Stadium. Gilliam was in the Dodgers’ lineup and made three outs during the game.
On September 9, 1965, Koufax threw a perfect game against the Chicago Cubs at Dodger Stadium. Gilliam was a member of that Dodgers team, making him the first player connected with both a World Series perfect game and a regular-season perfect game. The distinction concerns appearing in the games as a player, not pitching them; Larsen and Koufax were the pitchers.