-
James Gandolfini, R.I.P.
June 19, 2013 | 1 comment
-
Let Pitchers Throw Complete Games
June 19, 2013 | 16 comments
-
Thoughts on New U.S.-Taliban Peace Talks
June 18, 2013 | 8 comments
-
Do Beyonce & Jay-Z Understand The “Complexities” of Syria?
June 18, 2013 | 2 comments
-
What’s So Moderate About Iran’s New President?
June 15, 2013 | 9 comments
The Spectacle Blog
Wow!!! Seattle Mariners pitcher Felix Hernandez threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon. The Mariners won the game 1-0.
It is the third perfect game of the 2012 season. It is the first time in MLB history there have been three perfect games thrown in a single season although one could argue there should have been three perfect games in 2010 if not for Jim Joyce’s safe call which marred Armando Galarraga’s masterpiece. In April, the Mariners were on the receiving end of a perfect game by Philip Humber of the Chicago White Sox. Then Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants attained perfection against the Houston Astros in June.
It is also the second no-hitter for the Mariners this season. Kevin Millwood and most of the Mariners bullpen threw a combined no-hitter in an interleague game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on June 8th. In all, King Felix’s regal performance marks the sixth no-hitter of the 2012 season. Jered Weaver of the Los Angeles Angels and Johan Santana of the New York Mets have also thrown no-hitters this season.
The Tampa Bay Rays now have the distinction of being on the wrong end of three perfect games. In 2009, then White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle tossed a perfecto against the Rays with a little help from DeWayne Wise. In 2010, Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics threw a perfect game against the Rays. It should be noted that Rays fans have been spared the indignity of witnessing these perfect game. Today’s loss also snapped an eight game winning streak by the Rays who have surged into the lead of the AL Wild Card.
Hernandez made his big league debut with the Mariners in 2005 at the age of 19. In 2010, King Felix won the AL Cy Young Award despite a 13-12 record. His perfect game marked the 96th win of his big league career. At 26, Hernandez has yet to reach the peak of his career. He is signed with the Mariners through the 2014 season.
View all comments (9) | Leave a comment
More Blog Posts by Aaron Goldstein
http://spectator.org/blog/2012/08/15/king-felixs-perfect-reign
Follow us:
ADVERTISEMENT
Current Issue
- Behind a Quilt of Mist
- Confessions of a Soft-Drinking Newspaperman
- Yes, It Can!—Maybe
SPONSORED LINKS
FLASHBACK TO: 1995
-
Pope Culture
A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
-
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck
Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
-
Dames at Sea
-
In the Absence of Guns
In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
-
The Metaphysical Martini
-
Counting the Costs of Clintonism
The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
-
Chuck McHagel
It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
-
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted
-
It’s the Best Time of the Year
The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
-
The Bush Crack-Up
Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?
Clip of the Day
ADVERTISEMENT
Occam's Tool| 8.15.12 @ 7:42PM
Always good to see a great pitcher in action, although with pitchers, you never really know til its over...
Bob Grant| 8.15.12 @ 9:19PM
Can anyone tell me why ESPN wont air the Rangers/Yankees game to people in the Rangers home market?
Makes no friggin' sense.
I tune in and get Olympic repeats. Can anyone tell the geniuses over at ESPN that the Olympics are over and no one cares anymore?
Bob K| 8.16.12 @ 12:06AM
Perfect games have become common. I can remember Don Larson's in the 1956 World Series when I was in high school and it was a subject of conversation for months. It was the 6th one in Major League history and 2 of them had been pitched before 1900 so 4 were thrown between 1900 and 1956. It is now 2012, 56 years later, and 17 more have been thrown. That works out to almost 1 every 3 years since Larsons.
It is still a remarkable achievement both individually and as a team effort.
What has become cheapened is the Cy Young award. How it could be awarded to a pitcher with a 13-12 record defies common sense and says more about the ignorance of the people who give the award than the pitcher who only won 13 games for his team in a 162 game season. If he had not won any games at all that year other pitchers would have picked up part of those 13 wins! Really, what difference did he make?
Bob K| 8.16.12 @ 12:26AM
Incidentally, Bert Blyleven also was in the Majors when he was 19 years old and he had 105 wins by the time he was 26. He got 184 more wins in the next 14 years and still had a hell of a time getting into the Hall of Fame despite also having 60 shutouts, 3500 K's and 242 complete games.
Aaron Goldstein| 8.16.12 @ 12:49PM
Yes, King Felix had a mediocre 13-12 record with the 2010 Seattle Mariners. But this team arguably had the worst offensive output in MLB history. The team scored a grand total of 513 runs the entire season. That's an average of 3.26 runs a game. So King Felix had little margin for error. It's a miracle that he had a winning record on a club which lost 101 games. If Hernandez had pitched on a club like the Yankees or Rangers that season his record would have been in the neighborhood of 18-7 or 20-5.
Keep in mind that King Felix struck out 232 batters in 249 and two thirds innings pitched and also had an ERA of 2.27 which led the AL. Hernandez received 21 of the 28 first place votes by the BBWAA. David Price of the Rays and C.C. Sabathia of the Yankees received four and three first place votes, respectively. Price went 15-4 with a 2.50 ERA with 218 strikeouts in 224 and a third innings while Sabathia went 21-7 with a 3.18 ERA with 197 strikeouts in 237 and two thirds innings. While I think you can make a case that Price and Sabathia might have been more deserving, King Felix's performance was worthy of Cy Young consideration despite a so-so won-loss record.
CJW| 8.16.12 @ 2:34PM
Harvey Haddix, a lefty, pitched twelve (12) perfect innings against the the Milwakee Braves, for the Pgh Pirates, in 1959. Then lost in the 13th on an error and a double. Remeber listening to the game on a transistor radio, remeber them?
Bob S| 8.16.12 @ 12:18AM
Right, it's the second season with three perfect games.
happy777 | 8.16.12 @ 4:47AM
w w wshoestimberlandstorecom
bgbgbg | 8.16.12 @ 5:49AM
lanvin bag are basically preferred by the stylish working woman who needs a lanvin purse to store all her necessities. The good news remains to be such fashion tote bags are now available in a variety of styles and shapes to match your outfit. Besides, they fit in everything you need for a long working day. These tote bags are also popular because they provide the convenience without compromising on the style factor! So ladies, get ready to splurge on Lanvin Bag lanvin handbag, Even though there are many designers with many different views regarding handbag fashion.