>>>What a game in San Francisco last night, no? Matt Cain has quietly become maybe the best pitcher in baseball but you never expect a perfect game. 27 up, 27 down. He threw 125 pitches, the most in the dozen or so perfect games in baseball history.
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>>>As always seems to be the case even in "ordinary" no hitters, you have to be a little lucky. There were two sensational catches by his outfielders. One of them said I didn't think I could make that catch but I sure was going to try. Not saying they don't try all the time but I bet if your teammate has a no hitter going you try a little harder. You don't want to be on ESPN with the ball bouncing off your glove.
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>>I've only seen a little about this so far, since it happened after we went to sleep. Yeah, there always seems to be one play in a no-hitter or perfect that's remarkable.
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>>I also heard that R.A. Dickey pitched a one-hitter for the Mets last night, in which the one hit was questionable, could have been an error. That would have been something--two no-hitters for the Mets like 10 days apart after never having any in over 50 years.
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>>Oh, and the Phils broadcasters were joking last night about Dickey being likely to be the All-Star starter and the mixed blessing that would be for whoever ends up the starting catcher. <g>
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>>>That's 5 no hitters already this season. And that's with aces like Verlander, Halladay, and Lincecum either banged up or getting knocked around.
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>>Yeah, and 5 perfect games in the last 2.5 seasons out of 23(?) ever. Weird.
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>You made me look it up. Cain's was #22. That's more than I thought. It did get my attention a few weeks ago when Josh Hamilton hit 4 homers and I read that a 4 homer game is rarer than a perfect game. His fifth at-bat that game was a double that almost went out, which would have made it the first time a major leaguer has ever hit five in a game.
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>One of the oddities when my dad died was that the day after was when Mariano Rivera suffered an apparently career ending injury. (Shagging fly balls in the outfield during batting practice!) Allie and I were staying with Rachel and her husband Richie. Richie is a huge sports fan, much bigger than me. We agreed it was good Dad wasn't around for it.
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>A tip of the hat to Rivera while we're talking about pitchers. I don't think there is any question he is the best closer the game has yet seen. When he came in in the 9th it was lights out, see you later. What I really liked was his always calm demeanor. He did exactly the same thing every time and you still couldn't hit him. He said he got his attitude from his father, who was a Panamanian fisherman. He said his father taught him that you show up every day, you do your job, and you never stop doing it.
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>Here is a good one from Sports Illustrated. My highest tribute to any writer is "I wish I had written that." Wouldn't you like to have been there for that lunch?
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http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/tom_verducci/04/27/yankees.core.four/index.html>
>At the polar extreme of relief pitchers from Mariano was Mitch Williams, who I am pretty sure afflicted the Phillies as well as the Cubs. He could bring the heat, no question about it, but there was never a dull moment with Mitch on the mound. The prototypical Mitch Williams appearance was to come in for the 9th with a one run lead, walk the bases loaded, and strike out the side. They played "Wild Thing" on the PA when he came in.
UPDATE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ikaNc0DGg8M
