baseball
Pitcher (left) of the reacting to the completion of his perfect game with catcher on , . Not one opposing batter reached even a three-ball count against Cone.

Pitcher David Cone (left) of the New York Yankees reacting to the completion of his perfect game with catcher Joe Girardi on July 18, 1999. Not one opposing batter reached even a three-ball count against Cone.

Since 1991, a perfect game has been defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher pitches a complete game victory that lasts a minimum of nine innings and in which no opposition player reaches first base. Thus, the pitcher cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any other reason—in short, "27 up, 27 down." By definition, a perfect game must be both a no-hitter and a shutout. Since the pitcher cannot control whether or not his teammates commit any errors, the pitcher must be backed up by solid fielding to pitch a perfect game. An error that does not allow a baserunner, such as a misplayed foul ball, does not spoil a perfect game. Several pitching performances regarded popularly as perfect games do not qualify as official under the present definition, among them weather-shortened games that featured no baserunners by one team and games in which a team reached first base only in extra innings.

Over the past 130 years of Major League Baseball history, there have been only 21 official perfect games by the current definition (approximately one every seven years); the status of the two that took place in the 19th century is debated by baseball aficionados, as the rules and playing conditions were markedly different from those of the so-called modern era beginning in 1900. In sum, a perfect game is thrown once in about every 20,000 major league contests.[1] For comparison, more people have orbited the moon than have pitched a perfect game.

As of August 14, 2012, a record three Major League Baseball pitchers have thrown a perfect game in the 2012 season, Philip Humber, Matt Cain and Felix Hernandez.

Major League Baseball perfect games

19th century

Pitcher Date Game
John Lee Richmond (Wor)
   LHP, 23
   5 K		 June 12, 1880
Monte Ward (Prov)
   RHP, 20
   5 K		 June 17, 1880

Modern era

Pitcher Date Game
Cy Young (BOS)
   RHP, 37
   3 K		 May 5, 1904
Addie Joss (CLE)
   RHP, 28
   74 pitches, 3 K		 October 2, 1908
Charlie Robertson (CHW)
   RHP, 26
   90 pitches, 6 K		 April 30, 1922
Don Larsen (NYY)
   RHP, 27
   97 pitches, 7 K		 October 8, 1956
Jim Bunning (PHI)
   RHP, 32
   90 pitches, 10 K		 June 21 , 1964
Sandy Koufax (LAD)
   LHP, 29
   113 pitches, 14 K		 September 9, 1965
Catfish Hunter (OAK)
   RHP, 22
   107 pitches, 11 K		 May 8, 1968
Len Barker (CLE)
   RHP, 25
   103 pitches, 11 K		 May 15, 1981
Mike Witt (CAL)
   RHP, 24
   94 pitches, 10 K		 September 30, 1984
Tom Browning (CIN)
   LHP, 28
   102 pitches, 7 K		 September 16, 1988
Dennis Martínez (MON)
   RHP, 36
   95 pitches, 5 K		 July 28, 1991
Kenny Rogers (TEX)
   LHP, 29
   98 pitches, 8 K		 July 28, 1994
David Wells (NYY)
   LHP, 34
   120 pitches, 11 K		 May 17, 1998
David Cone (NYY)
   RHP, 36
   88 pitches, 10 K		 July 18, 1999
Randy Johnson (ARI)
   LHP, 40
   117 pitches, 13 K		 May 18, 2004
Mark Buehrle (CHW)
   LHP, 30
   116 pitches, 6 K		 July 23, 2009

Game notes

Individual notes

General notes

llowing a baserunner in the 13th was never officially perfect. The 1991 redefinition did unofficially remove the credit he had once received for throwing a no-hitter in the game.

Unofficial perfect games

The current official Major League Baseball definition of a perfect game requires that a pitcher allow no baserunners over the course of an entire game lasting at least nine innings, and that the pitcher pitch a complete game victory. There have been three instances in which a pitcher retired every player he faced over nine innings without allowing a baserunner, but, by the current definition, is not credited with a perfect game, either because he did not pitch a complete game victory and/or because the game went into extra innings and an opposing player eventually reached base:

of the pitching on , . He threw nine perfect innings, but the Expos didn't score until the top of the tenth. Martínez surrendered a hit to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the inning

Pedro Martínez of the Montreal Expos pitching on June 3, 1995. He threw nine perfect innings, but the Expos didn't score until the top of the tenth. Martínez surrendered a hit to the first batter he faced in the bottom of the inning. (Mike Poche/AP)

Four other "perfect games" are unofficial because the games were called off before nine innings were played:

On March 14, 2000, in a spring training game—by definition unofficial—the Red Sox used six pitchers to retire all 27 Toronto Blue Jays batters in a 5-0 victory.[6] The starting pitcher for the Red Sox was Pedro Martínez, who lost a perfect game in extra innings in 1995 (see above).

Perfect games lost to the 27th batter

On at least nine occasions in Major League Baseball history, a perfect game has been spoiled when the batter representing what would have been the third and final out in the ninth inning reached base. Unless otherwise noted, the pitcher in question finished and won the game without allowing any more baserunners:[7]

Note: *On July 9, 1969, Tom Seaver of the Mets gave up a single to rookie researve outfielder Jimmy Qualls of the Chicago Cubs with one man out after retiring the first 25 consecutive batters in a game played at Shea Stadium. Seaver then retired the last 2 batters to complete the 4-0 victory.

Other notable near-perfect games

Nine or more consecutive innings of perfection

There have been twelve occasions in Major League Baseball history when a pitcher, after allowing one or more runners to reach base, recorded at least 27 consecutive outs. In two cases, the game went into extra innings, and the pitcher recorded more than 27 consecutive outs:

In the ten other instances, the leadoff batter (or batters) reached base in the first inning, followed by 27 consecutive batters (or batters and baserunners) being retired through the end of a nine-inning game. In two cases, the leadoff baserunner was retired, meaning the pitcher faced the minimum:

The remaining eight instances in which a pitcher retired 27 consecutive players in a game, noting how the opponent's leadoff batter (or batters) reached base:

Ward and Young are thus the only two men in baseball history to retire 27 consecutive men in a game on two separate occasions.

No-hit, no-walk, no–hit batsman games

In the early years of major league play, certain rules clearly made it easier than in the modern era to approach perfection—hit batsmen were not awarded first base and more than four balls were required to work out a walk. On the other hand, because baseball fields were not rigorously maintained and gloves (when worn at all) were significantly inferior to later equipment, it was not rare for otherwise perfect games to be marred solely by fielding errors, often more than one. Records in this area have not been authoritatively compiled; the most comprehensive online survey lists six such games during the 1880s.[8]

Though the modern era of Major League Baseball officially begins in 1900, the essential rules of the modern game were all in place by the 1893 season. That year the pitching distance was moved back to 60 feet, 6 inches, where it remains, and the pitcher's box allowing for a short runup was replaced by a rubber slab against which the pitcher was required to keep his rear foot. Particularly relevant to the present discussion, two other crucial rules changes had been made in recent years: In 1888, the rule awarding a hit batsman first base was instituted. In 1889, the number of balls required for a walk was reduced to four.[9] Thus, from 1893 on, pitchers sought perfection in a game whose most important rules—the DH aside—are the same as today. In Major League Baseball play since 1893, there have been eight instances when a pitcher performed his (primary) job to perfection over a complete game of at least nine innings, but was not awarded a perfect game because of fielding errors:

On , , of the achieved a unique feat: he became the only pitcher in major league history to throw a complete game shutout victory, not give up a single hit, walk, or hit batsman, and retire every opposing player he faced...and still not be given credit for a perfect game

On August 15, 1990, Terry Mulholland of the Philadelphia Phillies achieved a unique feat: he became the only pitcher in major league history to throw a complete game shutout victory, not give up a single hit, walk, or hit batsman, and retire every opposing player he faced...and still not be given credit for a perfect game. (Mark Lennihan/AP)

Young is thus the only man in baseball history to throw two no-hit, no-walk, no–hit batsman games under modern rules. Note that no otherwise perfect game in major league history has ever been spoiled solely due to a third-strike passed ball, third-strike wild pitch, or interference (or, for that matter, an outfield error). Note also that more than one online survey erroneously lists the game pitched by the Los Angeles Dodgers' Bill Singer against the Phillies on July 20, 1970, as perfect aside from two throwing errors by Singer; in fact, he also hit batter Oscar Gamble in the first inning.[10]

Japanese Professional Baseball perfect games

Date Pitcher (Club) Score Opponent Ballpark
June 28, 1950 Hideo Fujimoto (Yomiuri Giants) 4-0 Nishi-Nippon Pirates Aomori Stadium
June 19, 1955 Fumio Takechi (Kintetsu Pearls) 1-0 Daiei Stars Õsaka Stadium
September 19, 1956 Yoshitomo Miyaji (Kokutetsu Swallows) 6-0 Hiroshima Carp Kanazawa Stadium
August 21, 1957 Masaichi Kaneda (Kokutetsu Swallows) 1-0 Chunichi Dragons Chunichi Stadium
July 19, 1958 Sadao Nishimura (Nishitetsu Lions) 1-0 Toei Flyers Komazawa Stadium
August 11, 1960 Gentaro Shimada (Taiyō Whales) 1-0 Ōsaka Tigers Kawasaki Stadium
June 20, 1961 Yoshimi Moritaki (Kokutetsu Swallows) 1-0 Chunichi Dragons Korakuen Stadium
May 1, 1966 Yoshiro Sasaki (Taiyō Whales) 1-0 Hiroshima Carp Hiroshima Municipal Stadium
May 12, 1966 Tsutomu Tanaka (Nishitetsu Lions) 2-0 Nankai Hawks Heiwadai Stadium
September 14, 1968 Yoshiro Sotokoba (Hiroshima Toyo Carp) 2-0 Taiyō Whales Hiroshima Municipal Stadium
October 6, 1970 Koichiro Sasaki (Kintetsu Buffaloes) 3-0 Nankai Hawks Õsaka Stadium
August 21, 1971 Yoshimasa Takahashi (Toei Flyers) 4-0 Nishitetsu Lions Korakuen Stadium
October 10, 1973 Soroku Yagisawa (Lotte Orions) 1-0 Taiheiyo Club Lions Sendai Miyagi Stadium
August 31, 1978 Yutaro Imai (Hankyu Braves) 5-0 Lotte Orions Sendai Miyagi Stadium
May 18, 1994 Hiromi Makihara (Yomiuri Giants) 6-0 Hiroshima Toyo Carp Fukuoka Dome

Fiction

In The Scout (20th Century-Fox, 1994), protagonist Steve Nebraska (Brendan Fraser) throws a perfect game in the first contest of the World Series, which is also his major-league debut. Nebraska—wearing uniform number 18, Don Larsen's number—strikes out all 27 batters on three pitches each, making it an 81-pitch "super-perfect" game.

In For Love of the Game (Universal Pictures, 1999), hero Billy Chapel (Kevin Costner) pitches a perfect game at Yankee Stadium. One of the game's commentators, Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, playing himself, refers to his broadcast of Larsen's perfect World Series game, also played at Yankee Stadium. The movie is based on a short novel of the same name by author Michael Shaara.

Notes

  1. ↑ Holtzman (2003), writing in June 2003, before Johnson's perfect game, references Buckley (2002) and estimates that "[a] perfecto surfaces once in approximately 22,000 games or .00005 percent."
  2. ↑ Okrent and Wulf (1989), pp. 14–15. BaseballLibrary.com claims that a similar sequence of events preceded not Richmond's perfect game, but a game he pitched against the Chicago White Stockings on June 16.
  3. ↑ Anderson (2000), pp. 185–186. BaseballLibrary.com claims it was a passed ball.
  4. ↑ Coffey (2004), p. 50. Also, see p. 43 for Coffey's analysis of Detroit's relatively desultory hitting at the point in the season when the game was played.
  5. ↑ Ralph (2004).
  6. ↑ Play-by-play available online.
  7. ↑ Note that Coffey (2004) gives incorrect years for the near-perfect games of Wiltse, Stieb, Holman, and Mussina (p. 279).
  8. ↑ According to Baseball Fever contributor treant985, the six no-hit, no-walk, yet imperfect games of the 1880s were:
    • 8/19/1880 Larry Corcoran, Chicago vs. Boston (4 men reached on errors)
    • 8/20/1880 Pud Galvin, Buffalo vs. Worcester (6 men reached on errors)
    • 7/25/1883 Charles Radbourn, Providence vs. Cleveland (1 man reached on an error)
    • 8/4/1884 Pud Galvin, Buffalo vs. Detroit (1 man reached on an error)
    • 8/9/1884 Charlie Buffinton, Boston vs. Providence (5 men reached on errors)
    • 7/27/1885 John Clarkson, Chicago vs. Providence (3 men reached on errors)
    Again, please note that this data has not been verified with authoritative sources.
  9. ↑ Baseball Rules Chronology 1845–1899 part of BaseballLibrary.com.
  10. ↑ Lewis (2002). One of the mistaken websites is HickokSports.com, which contains numerous errors.

Sources

Published

Online

External links