Does anyone like the current definition of "perfect game"?

[SuperHornet]

Stinking Fay Vincent maliciously destroyed baseball history when he re-defined a perfect game during the mid-'90s. Previously, it was 27 straight batters out over 9 innings. That was sufficient for over 100 years, but Vincent had to meddle. By his redefinition, one now has to START a game to get credit for a perfecto, AND he applied that retroactively.

The problem with his meddling was that it cost Yankees reliever Ernie Shore of the only reliever's perfect game in history. Starter George Ruth opened the game with three straight balls, and thought he was getting robbed. So he threatened to knock the plate ump's block off if he called the next pitch a ball. It was a ball. Ruth slugged the ump, and got tossed. Shore came in and mowed down everyone he faced over 9 innings, and the guy who walked was caught stealing. Shore was credited with a perfect game -- until the foul Vincent retroactively expunged the books.

Should this game be re-instated? I'm no Yankees fan, as Joe well knows. But I do recognize an injustice when I see one, and this is one. Give Shore his perfect game back!

[93henfan]

Start, 27 up, 27 down, nobody reaches a base, and your team scores during those nine innings to win.

Seems like the only logical definition to me.

I heart dykes.

[BlueHen86]

Start, 27 up, 27 down, nobody reaches a base, and your team scores during those nine innings to win.

Seems like the only logical definition to me.

I heart dykes.

Except the part where your team has to score. That's a gray area to me. Harvey Haddix once retired the first 36 batters he faced, maybe the greatest single game effort ever, and doesn't get credit for a perfect game because he lost in the 13th inning.

[DSUrocks07]

Start, 27 up, 27 down, nobody reaches a base, and your team scores during those nine innings to win.

Seems like the only logical definition to me.

I heart dykes.

Except the part where your team has to score. That's a gray area to me. Harvey Haddix once retired the first 36 batters he faced, maybe the greatest single game effort ever, and doesn't get credit for a perfect game because he lost in the 13th inning.

I agree, what does the TEAM scoring have to do with the pitcher...especially in the American League where tbe pitcher doesn't even bat.

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[Seahawks08]

A perfect game is a team effort, not just the pitcher. If an error occurs, the perfect game is lost even though the pitcher had nothing to do with it (unless he made it).

[BlueHen86]

A perfect game is a team effort, not just the pitcher. If an error occurs, the perfect game is lost even though the pitcher had nothing to do with it (unless he made it).

Agreed. I don't think anyone here is disputing that.

[Seahawks08]

people seem to think that if the team doesn't score any runs for the pitcher, then the pitcher should still get the perfect game. I don't agree with that assessment, that's all.

[BlueHen86]

people seem to think that if the team doesn't score any runs for the pitcher, then the pitcher should still get the perfect game. I don't agree with that assessment, that's all.

As I mentioned elsewhere, that is a gray area for me. I can see reasonable arguments on both sides. I'm inclined to give the pitcher a perfect game if he starts and retires the first 27 batters, especially in light of having a DH.

Pitchers get the credit for a perfect game, but you are right, it's team game and it often takes great defense to preserve a perfect game. Losing a perfect game to bad defense in not the same as losing one to lack of offense. The pitcher is part of the defense, but in half the games the pitcher has no say on offense.

[SuperHornet]

86 makes a good point about current AL/interleague games in which the DH rule (in its current stupid format) is used. Of course, that's not a factor in the Haddix game because a) it was a NL-NL game, and b) even if the AL were involved somehow, it was about 15 years BEFORE the AL enacted the bogus DH rule.

[andy7171]

The DH is awesome you guys are fucking idiots.

[93henfan]

The DH is awesome you guys are fucking idiots.

Wow. Nice language.

[SuperHornet]

The DH is awesome you guys are fucking idiots.

Wow. Nice language.

Nice runon sentence, too.

[ASUMountaineer]

Start, 27 up, 27 down, nobody reaches a base, and your team scores during those nine innings to win.

Seems like the only logical definition to me.

I heart dykes.

I agree with this.