Baseball's 15th Perfect Game
| Baseball's 15th Perfect Game
Wasn't this supposed to be the year of the home run? Then how is it that Major League Baseball has seen a 20-strikeout game and a perfect game pitched in the same month? New York Yankees pitcher David Wells' 27 up, 27 down performance Sunday came just 11 days after Kerry Wood's strikeout masterpiece in Chicago, and gives the American League a 9-6 advantage over the National League in perfect games. The Yankees also become the second organization to have two perfect games recorded in front of its home crowd. Who can forget the Yankees Don Larsen, and his perfect World Series game at Yankee Stadium in 1956? But did you know the Cleveland Indians have done it twice as well? Seventy-three years separated Addie Joss' perfect game in 1908 and Len Barker's in 1981. Wells' masterpiece comes after his last start against Kansas City where he retired the last 10 batters he faced, which combined with Sunday's game, gives him an AL-record 37 in a row. To break the major-league record set by Jim Barr of San Francisco, Wells must retire the first five batters he faces this weekend against Boston. Take a look at the other 14 official perfect games in baseball history, as well as the two unofficial games and their unusual stories inside the Information Please Sports Almanac. |
