12/21/24
May 18, 2004
Randy Johnson throws a perfect game.:
posted by jerseygirl to baseball at 08:52 PM - 22 comments
What a performance! Great job by the fielders early on to make some key outs. Some weren't too far from being a hit. Bautista, Tracy, Cintron being the most useful. 1 vs. 27 men and he owns them all.
posted by brent at 09:02 PM on May 18, 2004
way to go randy.
posted by goddam at 09:13 PM on May 18, 2004
with 13Ks too! Well done!
posted by jasonspaceman at 09:25 PM on May 18, 2004
From Yahoo's recap:
The crowd of 23,381 at Turner Field gave Johnson a standing ovation as he walked slowly toward the dugout.Very classy. I have new respect for Braves fans. Of course, now I'm kicking myself for not watching this on TBS.
posted by Jugwine at 09:27 PM on May 18, 2004
Very cool. Though I hate the jerk that has him on their Yahoo fantasy team. Great night for sports. A real barn burner of a game down in Tampa and Randy Johnson throws a perfect game. Kinda wish I would've flipped between the games instead of fiddling around with Battlefield Vietnam while watching the hockey game.
posted by NoMich at 09:28 PM on May 18, 2004
Heard the last 3 innings in the car on my way home. Another impressive fact was he was still throwing 97 and 98mph heat in the ninth.
posted by pivo at 09:41 PM on May 18, 2004
I've always respected the Big Unit from afar. I just saw the final pitch on the local news, and I loved the fact that while the catcher was jumping up and down, Johnson was (relatively) just kind of standing there, soaking in the moment calmly. Classy guy.
posted by Ufez Jones at 10:31 PM on May 18, 2004
Props to the catcher. He must have caught a whale of a game.
posted by vito90 at 10:32 PM on May 18, 2004
That's amazing - 40 years old and 100 years after Cy Young did it (formerly the oldest to throw a perfect game at 37). I love how baseball has that kind of historic symmetry. Boring ol' Tuesday night - and then this gem.
posted by WeedyMcSmokey at 12:52 AM on May 19, 2004
Fucker. This was on TBS? I kept clicking around the various ESPNs and Fox Sports after the Sox broadcasters started giving reports, but no one ever broke in. Probably because it WAS ON TBS.
posted by yerfatma at 06:37 AM on May 19, 2004
I was at the game. Pretty cool scene afterwards since people were still hanging around well after it finished. Which is in complete contrast to the normal scene. There were some confused Arizona fans wondering why the Braves fans seemed excited. I had to clue them in that this is one of the most transient cities in America (I'm from Boston) and people just want to see a good game. I think a lot of ticketholders stayed home because we had some serious thundershowers all afternoon. And Hampton pitched a decent complete game as well, so it was a classic pitchers duel.
posted by usfbull at 07:03 AM on May 19, 2004
It's funny you guys mention this being on TBS, because I turned on TBS at 7:30 to watch Friends, and when I saw that the Braves were on, I switched channels...dammit...
posted by MeatSaber at 07:15 AM on May 19, 2004
Wow, congrats on being there, usfbull. Very cool.
posted by Ufez Jones at 07:35 AM on May 19, 2004
My favorite bit of perfect game trivia from the Wikipedia entry:
On June 23, 1917, Babe Ruth walked the first batter in a game against the Washington Senators. Ruth was so enraged with the calls made by umpire Brick Owens, that Ruth punched Owens in the face and was ejected. Ernie Shore came in to replace Ruth. The runner on first was caught stealing, and Shore proceeded to retire the next 26 batters. All 27 outs were made while Shore was on the mound.Sort of lost in all this is how the Braves are looking amazingly bad right now. First Ben Sheets humilitates them on Sunday, and now this. Plus, Hampton is now 0-5. What happened to him?
posted by Jugwine at 08:06 AM on May 19, 2004
Hampton is pitching well, but he's not getting any run support from the Atlanta RichmondGreenville Braves playing behind him. I saw last four innings of this at a bar in Atlanta. We even switched from the hockey playoffs (in a bar noted locally for it's hockey crowd) to see history being made. Every one was pulling for Johnson to do it (hey, we need something to pull for in Atlanta, this team is dreadful).
posted by trox at 09:30 AM on May 19, 2004
Here's what the Red Sox aces think. Pedro comments on his own 9 perfect innings pitched back in 1995. He gave up a hit in the 10th to Bip Roberts of the Padres. "He had absolute control of the game, an experienced pitcher. Mine was just a coincidence. I was a young buck with good stuff who threw over [the plate]. Mine was thrown. His was pitched."
posted by usfbull at 09:39 AM on May 19, 2004
Bip Roberts used to be the no-hitter killer. And then it was . . . Joe Girardi, maybe? I want to say Rusty Greer, but I think that's 'cause he preserved Kenny Rodgers perfect0.
posted by yerfatma at 11:59 AM on May 19, 2004
trox: You don't by any chance hit up The Local do you? My brother and his season-ticket hockey buddies have made that their local.
posted by jmd82 at 01:30 PM on May 19, 2004
I live 500-ft from the Local, so I'm there quite a bit (far more than my liver would like). I'm even pictured on the menu.
posted by trox at 02:55 PM on May 19, 2004
way to go randy. i can't help but crack up reading that as if you're scolding someone for their libido.
posted by garfield at 03:05 PM on May 19, 2004
Damn, it's a small world! My brother is actually dating the owner (manager?) of that place.
posted by jmd82 at 07:25 PM on May 19, 2004
117 pitches 87 strikes 2nd no-hitter of career.