11/05/24
May 29, 2010
Roy Halladay is Perfect: Philadelphia Phillies ace Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in major league history, delivering the marquee performance of his All-Star career in a 1-0 win over the Florida Marlins on Saturday night.
posted by tommytrump to baseball at 09:53 PM - 13 comments
Unfortunately, I was watching an episode of HBO's Pacific when this went down, but I hear tell that the MLB Network (that I get for free as part of my TW digital cable package) showed the last couple of innings of the game. Dammit! Though, I did get to see the third period of a shootout in Chicago. I was happily surprised to see that the Hawks stuck with Niemi the entire game even though he gave up five goals.
posted by NoMich at 11:10 PM on May 29, 2010
As a Jays fan, I am VERY happy to see Halladay achieve this.
Considering how close he came in his second start of his career, and how dominant he's been since the Jays had him rework his delivery in A-ball in 2000/2001, I always thought this day would come.
Just in a Jays uniform.
*sigh*
posted by grum@work at 11:34 PM on May 29, 2010
Was listening to the sox game and reading along when they mentioned the "thing" in the 7th. Went downstairs and caught it on MLB network. Exciting stuff- he looked a little sloppy in the 9th (and the announcers mentioned that 8 2/3 heartbreaker, but I had no idea that was in his 2nd start!). But he got the job done. Probably the most muted celebration of a no-no I've ever seen- he slapped his mitt but looked non-plussed.
Hard to believe we've has two perfect games in the last month. I've only ever rooted for one perfect game/no-hitter to end, when "Jurassic" Carl Everett broke up Mussina's perfect bid with a no-doubt line drive pinch-hit with two out in the bottom of the 9th in an ESPN Sunday Night Baseball game. I'm not proud, but this was pre-2004 and I was thrilled.
posted by hincandenza at 12:36 AM on May 30, 2010
Amazing - and a player who absolutely deserved to earn this.
posted by Joey Michaels at 05:07 AM on May 30, 2010
Fantastic news. I'm only a little heartbroken.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 08:12 AM on May 30, 2010
Yeah, Doc got a couple of calls, but you usually have to in a perfect game.
Couldn't happen to a better pitcher. He's a goddamn artist and a warrior all in one package. I love me some Roy Halladay.
You know, much like when Cliff Lee won the Cy a couple years ago, and Grienke last year, there always seems to be one guy who puts together a sick aberration of a career year in the majors - but every year, you can count on Halladay to be statistically one of the best five pitchers in the game. The other names may change - he is the constant. Jiminez will be tough to beat for the Cy this year - his numbers are unconscious like Greinke's were last year - but if I had to pick one guy to win a game where my life was on the line - it would be Halladay.
I think that Halladay understands the absolute truth about pitching. The single most important stat for a starting pitcher, the thing that after all else is said and done that separates the true greats from the pretty goods - is INNINGS PITCHED. That's the job at it's most elemental level. Get outs. If you can't get the outs, or you tax yourself getting outs to the point where you can't go more than 6 or 7, you can be good. Hell, you can even be great.
But you won't be Halladay.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 10:21 AM on May 30, 2010
As a Jays fan, I am VERY happy to see Halladay achieve this.
Amazing - and a player who absolutely deserved to earn this.
Fantastic news. I'm only a little heartbroken.
Couldn't happen to a better pitcher.
He's a goddamn artist and a warrior all in one package. I love me some Roy Halladay.
....but if I had to pick one guy to win a game where my life was on the line - it would be Halladay
Uh, what they said.
Simply the best.
posted by tommybiden at 10:36 AM on May 30, 2010
Great pitcher. And I've said it before: I think he's happy as hell to be in the NL.
posted by dyams at 11:38 AM on May 30, 2010
Congrats to Halladay for throwing a perfect game... I just wish that it wasn't in a Phillies uniform.
/Said the Mets fan
posted by BornIcon at 01:06 PM on May 30, 2010
The single most important stat for a starting pitcher, the thing that after all else is said and done that separates the true greats from the pretty goods - is INNINGS PITCHED. That's the job at it's most elemental level. Get outs.
Well put. I think "innings pitched" suffers from a branding issue—if we always looked at it in terms of "outs gotten", we'd have a whole new appreciation for it.
posted by DrJohnEvans at 09:47 AM on May 31, 2010
I think he's happy as hell to be in the NL.
This. I wouldn't be shocked to see another one in the NL. He's a great pitcher, but greater in the NL.
posted by justgary at 09:09 AM on June 01, 2010
Big question is, can he do another?
posted by MKUltra at 02:37 PM on June 01, 2010
....and no one gets to see it.
1) The Marlins have historically bad home attendance. 2) The entire Philadelphia area tuned into Game 1 of the Stanley Cup playoffs at 8:00 PM.
Bummer. But at least I taped the game on DVR and can watch it tomorrow!
By the way, I did watch the beginning of the game and the very first batter (Coghlan) got called out on strikes on a 3-2 pitch that was a pretty generous call by the umpire (Coghlan had started running down to first). Also, in the first inning the 3-1 pitch to Hanley Ramirez was a very generous called strike 2 by the umpire (Hanley had started running down to first).