![]() ![]() If you re-watch Cone’s perfect game - as I did a couple years ago for a story on its 25th anniversary - you will notice two things right away: One, the strike zone used to be A LOT wider. David Cone, New York Yankees, July 18, 1999, vs. Maybe he realized he was better off on the hardwood. Danny Ainge was in the lineup for the Blue Jays in what would be his final MLB season before becoming a full-time basketball player. It’s also possible that the Boston Celtics (and the NBA community as a whole) should thank Barker. ![]() (He had 11 K’s overall.) And his catcher was Ron Hassey, who a decade later would become the first catcher to catch two perfect games when he was behind the plate for Dennis Martinez. He seemed to become more dominant as the game progressed, striking out seven of the last 11 hitters. Toronto Blue Jaysīarker’s performance is memorable for a few reasons. Len Barker, Cleveland Indians, May 15, 1981, vs. The 1964 Mets lost 109 games and were notoriously bad. This was the first regular season perfect game since 1922. Which is funny because Bunning is also famous for his lack of superstition: He kept talking to his teammates all game. Jim Bunning, Philadelphia Phillies, June 21, 1964, at New York MetsĪ father of seven, Bunning pitched the seventh perfect game in history on Father’s Day, 1964. The list included David Cone (spoiler alert) and seemed plenty relevant … until Johan Santana threw a no-hitter later that year, the first in Mets history. At the time, Humber was the seventh former Met to throw a no-hitter. And Humber needed only 96 pitches to be perfect. Once a top prospect and first-round pick, Humber made 51 career starts and finished his career with a 5.31 ERA. Philip Humber, Chicago White Sox, April 21, 2012, at Seattle Mariners California Angelsĭare we say that Rogers was truly gambling against the Angels, going to three-ball counts seven different times? And then there was the ninth, when Rex Hudler hit a liner into shallow center field and Rusty Greer made a splendid diving catch.ġ9. Kenny Rogers, Texas Rangers, July 28, 1994, vs. The A’s dropped to 21-61, shades of the 1880 Buffalo Bisons. He struck out nine hitters and did so in 99 pitches, pulling off a “Maddux” as the Yankees piled on the runs in an 11-0 victory. German came into the game with a 5.10 ERA. Domingo Germán, New York Yankees, June 28, 2023, at Oakland A’s Witt had 11 strikeouts, the Angels finished 81-81 and Reggie Jackson was a participant in his second perfect game (the first coming behind Catfish Hunter in 1968). But do not say it was a baseball game that did not matter. It was the final day of the regular season and both teams had been eliminated. He also did something that would be seemingly impossible today, even in the era of the pitch clock: He helped a game end in a reported one hour, 26 minutes. He will also always be the first, beating Ward by five days. Richmond collected a hit himself, which is impressive, and he survived a brief, seven-minute rain delay, which was presumably stressful. Lee Richmond, Worcester Worcesters, June 12, 1880, vs. It was not out of character for the local nine from Buffalo, which bumbled its way to a 24-58-3 record. ![]() The last perfect game in the National League until 1964, Ward outdueled Buffalo’s Pud Galvin, whose team made a cringeworthy seven errors. But the standard for perfection was simple enough. The rules of baseball - at least some - were somewhat unrecognizable in 1880. ![]()
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