Mark Buehrle is a die hard St. Louis Cardinal fan. These fans respect the game and respect the tradition. He went to Jefferson Junior College, made 3rd team in NJCAA. He was drafted in the 38th round. He was cut from his H.S. baseball team as a sophomore. But no one that was drafted pitched a no hitter in the Major League. No one on his sophomore High School team and no one on the 1st or 2nd team all NJCAA. Yet not only did he pitch a no hitter in 2007, he has also pitched a Perfect Game. Something only 17 other pitchers have done in the Major League. We saw Jonathan Sanchez lose a Perfect Game in the 8th inning when his third baseman committed an error. Buehrle missed a perfect game in 2007 with a walk to Sammy Sosa. Does this need an asterisk??? Would Buehrle have painted the strike zone if Sosa didn't do steroids and had become a feared hitter?? Two pitches after the walk to Sosa Buehrle picked him off at first. He pitched a no hitter and faced the minimum number of hitters
As we watched the highlights and hear all the stats, history and comparison this is truly history. Since 1880 there have only been 18 Perfect Games. One of the most rare events in sports.
Don't worry Rays fans....out of the 18 perfect games 16 have been held during the playoff era. Out of the 16 teams 2 teams on the bad end of the perfect game made the playoffs. 2004 Atlanta Braves vs. Randy Johnson. And the 1988 LA Dodgers vs. Tom Browning.....the Dodgers moved on to beat the Oakland A's in the World Series.
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well written. I am happy for Buehrle, as I am for any pitcher that throws a perfect game for the simple reason it's the hardest thing to accomplish in pro sports. The fact that it was done to your team makes it even better because, 1. Tampa's powerful line-up, 2. it's your team not mine.
ReplyDeleteI take nothing away from Buerhle as he's been in, won, and stayed in the bigs for a while. Although, I don't think he is deserving of pitching a perfect for having fallen through the cracks and having been a Cardinals fan that respects tradition, more fortuitous. The fact that he was passed over makes for a better story, along with that he isn't one of the greats but just a solid pitcher that gets by on an 85mph fastball.
As you tried to comfort your fellow Rays fans with the fact that only 16 perfects were thrown in the playoff era, with 2 making, and 1 of the 2 winning it all, it doesn't really sound comforting. As baseball is held together by stats, it turns out to be 12.5% of the teams that are on the bad end make the playoffs and 6.25% win it after being perfected. You may have wanted to focus on the teams making the playoffs after being perfected have won it all 50 % of the time.
Now, in regards to your email that stated the yankee fans come out of the woodwork because the yankees are in first is an unfounded statement. "Coming out of the woodwork" refers to fans that begin to show support for their team only when their winning. They may have always been fans but are somewhat reclusive in bad times. The woodwork is much different then jumping on the bandwagon as those folks (never fans) proclaim their devotion when championship is within grasp or already attained. Yankees fans never hide the fact that their fans, somewhat reserved during questionable times, but never in 'the woodwork', as we are never afraid of pulling out the 26 championships card.