By Soxman
No hits, no walks, no runs- and I’m not talking about the White Sox offense earlier this year either. Without a doubt, the most underrated pitcher in major league baseball, Mark Buehrle just pitched the first perfect game in the major leagues in five years.
One word to describe number 56: PERFECT. One much more important word to describe what this means for the southsiders: MOMENTUM.
Yes there sure are some things money can’t buy and this is it. The rarest of all baseball feats, the most special of special moments, from a guy who outside of Chicago, does not get a lot of fanfare, whose childlike love of the game just makes you feel good inside. Mark Buehrle does not have an overpowering fastball, or even an insane contract behind him. Yet he ranks among the game’s best, and has always done it like a true gamer…never making it about him.
So perhaps it is fitting that he needed a spectacular play from a most unlikely fellow teammate to get the job done.
Those who argued Brian Anderson should still be in the major leagues were instantly silenced as DeWayne Wise validated his existence for the entire 2009 season, robbing Gabe Kapler of a homerun, and becoming the hero of the day’s super hero.
Even more fitting on the credit Buehrle gives to others: Josh Fields, who many argued also has no place on the Sox active roster, belted a grand slam to put the Sox ahead in the second inning. Fields had entered the game hitless in his last 12 at bats, posting a .221 average on the season.
“I don’t know if it’s really sunk in yet. We have a short flight to Detroit. I’m sure it will be a little hectic later,” Buehrle said after the game.
Buehrle pitched his second no-hitter. In a 6-0 win over Texas on April 18, 2007, he also faced the minimum 27 batters.
Superman needed 116 pitches (76 were strikes) to mow down 27 straight Rays hitters. He posted six Ks in hurling his second no hitter, becoming just the 24th player in Major League history with multiple no-nos.
It was the 18th perfect game in major league history and the first since Arizona’s Randy Johnson, another lefty, against Atlanta on May 18, 2004.
Those who think that Buehrle does not deserve the label of being one of baseballs best should think again.
On December 18, 2008, C.C. Sabathia, praised by most sports writers as the best left handed pitcher in the game, signed a seven-year, $161 million contract with the New York Yankees. It is the largest contract for a pitcher in MLB history.
C.C. Sabathia’s career numbers? 126-79, 3.65 ERA, and a 1.24 WHIP in 1656 inning pitched. No hitters? ZERO. Perfect Games? Zero. World Championships? Zero.
Mark Buehrle’s career numbers? 132-90, 3.76 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP, in 1974 innings pitched. No hitters? Two. Perfect Games? One. World Championships? One.
Any questions?
What does this mean to the Sox 2009 season? Well, there’s a freight train coming Detroit Tigers, so you might want to step off the tracks. We are now in first place!