Nobody is Perfect

In baseball this year there have been two, almost three, perfect games. And that last one’s imperfection came at what would have been the last out. So it was near perfect.

A perfect game is a game that goes at least nine innings in which no player from the other team reaches base. It can be pitched by one or more pitchers, but there can be no hits, walks, or errors. Basically 27 batters come to the plate and all are called out in one way or another.

The pitcher, or pitchers, get credit for the perfect game, but that seems a little unfair. After all, it’s not inconceivable that a perfect game could be completed without the pitcher having struck out a single batter. Maybe perfect games should be awarded to a team instead of a pitcher.

If a pitcher does happen to strikeout all 27 batters that too would be called a perfect game, it has yet to happen, but that is a much more impressive feat than if there were 13 groundouts, 13 fly outs, and one strikeout, or some combination thereof. Maybe 27 strikeouts should be a perfect game and a game with 27 straight outs could have another name, like a real good game, or maybe a 27’er. Okay, so 27 outs in a row will be called a 27’er (it’s growing on me) and 27 strikeouts will be a perfect game.

But what if a pitcher strikes out all 27 batters with 81 pitches? Three each. That would be more impressive still, more perfect-er if you please, so maybe that should be a perfect game. Okay, 27 up and 27 down will be a 27’er (it rings now doesn’t it?), and 27 strikeouts will be a strike-o-rama or something and 27 strikeouts on 81 pitches will be from now on known as a perfect game.


I guess the word perfect is just a name and does not denote perfection. Besides, aside for Abbot and Costello’s “Who’s on First” and 90 feet between bases, there is not much perfection in baseball as it is. So let perfect not mean perfection and let’s get back to the game.

Now what if all 27 batters fly out to the centerfielder on their first pitch…?