Fun facts about the Humber game. We were flying back from Florida, my wife and I (I'm starting to get Facebook feed reminders from the beginning of this trip), and drove by Safeco and realized a game was going on. We were listening on the radio and it was clear Humber was untouched through however many innings and I said to my wife, "why don't we just stop in and catch the game until the perfect game is spoiled?" She told me no and we went home and caught the last couple innings or so. The final out was Brendan Ryan and watching it in real time, he checked his swing on the 3-2 pitch that Bryan Runge called out. Given Humber's subsequent career, I stand by my call.
I am torn on this one. As a fan, I of course want to see big moments because the big moments are the things that you remember and keep you going. (Same is true in life) I don't like baseball taking away those big moments and being a slave to pitch counts. The completely risk averse philosophy bugs me and takes the exciting moments away. On purpose.
On the other hand, Kershaw was making his first start of the season, and it was the first time he had reached even 80 pitches in about 10 months. (Yeah, he only made 5 more starts after that last year, but 10 months is still 10 months, with a rehab and an off season in there.) Also the fact that Kershaw seemed OK with it, and even (allegedly) gave Roberts his pitch cap before he came out. A pitcher knows when he is done.
These things happen in April in baseball. It is more likely they happen this year, with the shortened spring training. I believe another pitcher this month was pulled with a no hitter, but it wasn't perfect, and it wasn't Kershaw, so it went by with little notice.
Even with full spring trainings, I have seen this happen in April many times before (No hit games, not perfect, which I think is the thing that makes people crazy. I think the first one I really remember was 30 years ago, when Kevin Appier was pulled after 8 no hit innings. (Of course, he was at 108 pitches, but only 24 years old) I was livid at the time, feeling robbed as a fan, but as I have gotten older, I do realize that sometimes the guy can't go, and it can be bad long term strategy - especially in April, to try and stretch it just for a chance at that moment.
Not entirely related but I think Anabel Sanchez deserves a mention. I remember his try for perfection better than any perfect game.
Hopefully Roberts gave Kershaw A LOT of input into the decision. I bet some of us are wired such that we would want to go for the perfect game, and some of us are wired such that we would feel like being healthy for the rest of the season is more important. To each his own. That’s why Kershaw’s opinion matters to me a lot. I would probably go out for the 8th and go from there
I know I used to as a kid, but does anyone really score from home anymore? That’s how much baseball has changed even for the fan over the last 30 years.
With a decent lead, have Kershaw go back out there and pitch underhand until he gives up a hit/walk/error. No risk to his arm, and fans get to root for a perfect game.
I've been reading Joe for more than a decade. He is absolutely my favorite sportswriter, and really the only sportswriter I read nowadays.
Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but the only thing that bugs me about Joe's writing is when he finishes his quiz answer with a sentence like "But I’m betting you already knew that." Sometimes it's more direct: "You already knew that...". It seems so small, but I always get this twinge of invalidation whenever he writes it, like the article is not "for" me if I'm not the type of person who would always know the answer. For today's quiz, I knew 5 out of 6, which I thought was pretty good, but I would say I only get about 25% of quizzes completely right. It's like a math teacher saying "this problem is easy". It's meant as a descriptive statement, but the students take it as a value judgement. Implying that something is easy has the inadvertent side effect of diminishing the value of a correct answer and increasing the "shame" of not knowing the answer. I know this feels like a really small point, but it's been getting me for years, and, well, there's nothing else to criticize!
I know Joe is intending these sentences to be actively *validating* for readers, sort of a "we're buddies, I know how knowledgeable you are, and I respect your knowledge". If others take it that way, then of course there's no need for change. Joe will remain my favorite sportswriter even if he ends every quiz by saying "wow, you're stupid if you even need to check your answer" :)
Interesting. I've been reading Joe for many years also and I had a very different take to his comment about the quiz. I think of him writing "But I'm betting you already knew that" with a wink, as in, of course you didn't know that because many of the six pitchers on the list who have thrown perfect games were less well known than the ones who didn't. Len Barker, Philip Humber, Dallas Braden? Only die-hard fans would know those guys threw perfect games, so I didn't take Joe's comment about the quiz as a value judgment at all.
If Kershaw was ok with being removed from the game, then there really isn't much to say. It will be interesting to see if, upon reflection, he regrets not being given the opportunity. He is too much of a pro, and seems to be a genuinely good guy, to publicly take issue with Roberts.
But, if the competitor in Kershaw wanted to continue, it is difficult to accept pulling him from the game. He is a veteran pitcher who had only thrown 80 pitches. The decision after seven innings wasn't about letting Kershaw complete the game or not. That's a false narrative. It was about giving him the opportunity to pitch a perfect game. He could have been immediately pulled if he gave up a hit or walk.
While baseball is a team game, it is largely a game of individual competition and accomplishment. Sure people vaguely remember the '27 Yankees, '69 Mets, '75 Reds and '98 Yankees. But it more like an Etch a Sketch image that is burned into the screen's background. It just exists there, without dimension or color.
But people clearly remember players, accomplishments, and moments in a very distinct manner. The '98 season is remembered more for McGwire and Sosa and not the Yankees dominance. '41 is remembered for Williams hitting .406 and DiMaggio's 56 game streak. '68 is the year of Yaz and pitching with emphasis on Gibson's 1.12. The list goes on and on. This is baseball's more than century old legacy.
How have we gotten to the point when Freddie's Freeman's contract is discussed more passionately than Kershaw's opportunity to throw a perfect game? Baseball is becoming a joyless enterprise. What were the chances of the Sox beating the Yankees in 2004, being down 3-0 in games, having given up 32 runs in the 1st three games. Game four was Derek Lowe vs. El Duque. The Yankees were winning 4-3 after 8 and Mariano was pitching the 9th. Why continue? Just let everyone go home and beat the traffic. But Millar walks and Dave Roberts (yes...Dave Roberts) pinch runs and steals 2nd. Everyone knows the rest of the song.
So where is Dave Roberts' sense of drama, sense of history? This wasn't Edwin Jackson throwing 149 pitches and walking eight guys throwing a no hitter. This was a 1st ballot HOF pitcher, throwing an incredibly efficient perfect game, 7 IP, 13 K'S, 80 pitches. Baseball, at its best, is an artistic game. There is a time for calculation and following your head rather than your heart. An April game with a HOF pitcher pitching gloriously was not a time for manager intervention. It was a time when 99+ % of fans were Clayton Kershaw fans. Not a time for actuarial decision making.
I'm curious. Are the ones most upset about this also the same who get most upset when unwritten rules are broken? (Since this is probably an unwritten rule).
Think I understand where you are going with this but don't believe the two are related. Unwritten rules are largely existential events that generally don't affect outcomes, legacies or history. The have only been 23 perfect games in the history of MLB. This would have been a tremendous punctuation during the (perhaps) twilight of Kershaw's storied career.
Joe typically frames stories extremely well and presents both a logical and passionate point of view. Don't believe he is accurate with this one as it was not about pitching a complete game. It was about the opportunity to pitch a perfect game. It's not really a subtle difference.
Joe is a wonderful writer and reliable narrator with a poet's touch. But this one seemed to fall on the side of decision justification rather than sorting out issues.
It's not something to be upset over but this was a HOF pitcher who was in full command. 21 consecutive outs, 13 by strikeout, while only throwing 80 pitches. So it just doesn't feel right. Ultimately, Kershaw is the only guy who has any right to express any legitimate frustration.
In 2001, I went to a game with my wife (who, although not a diehard baseball fan, knows how to keep score!). I told her to watch the opposing pitcher when a man gets on first because he bends over in a funny way when pitching from the stretch. And then that pitcher proceeded to retire the first 26 batters without anyone reaching first, so no opportunity to see his stretch. And then crazy Carl Everett broke up Mike Mussina's perfect game. I am a diehard Red Sox fan, but I was crushed. To see a perfect game in person would have been amazing. Epilogue: I saw Derek Lowe's no-hitter the next year.
Kershaw has won Cy Youngs. Redeemed himself in post season and is a HOF lock if he quit today. The Dodgers dont even need him. A perfect game was of the few things left to put a stamp on his career. Absolute idiocy he got pulled. No justification for it.
I think one of the reasons it doesn't bother me as much is because of all that Kershaw has done. Perfect game would be amazing. But he doesn't need it. Looking at that list in the column, at least half are only remembered by most people for their perfect game. Kershaw will long be remembered even if his plaque doesn't refer to being perfect.
I agree that Kershaw, in a large sample size, HAS underperformed in the post-season. That is undeniable statistically. A choker? That’s a stretch.
I do think this is symbolic of LAD under Roberts to over-react, over-manage his loaded roster in big situations, typically to their overall detriment.
There is no doubt that it was bad for The Game that he was not even allowed to take the mound for the 8th. If his slider was really going flat like hospital ginger ale,he probably gives up a double and that’s that.
I also agree that Kershaw is highly likely to be a first-ballot HOFer who deserves all the accolades.
I remember kershaw’s playoff struggles as him still being in the game when he maybe should have been pulled already. So, if he had been pulled when he was out of gas, like he was in this perfect game, maybe you wouldn’t associate him with poor playoff performances. Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS always sticks out as being an unfair “he choked” because he should have already been pulled by the time he got lit up in the 7th.
Respectfully, if you look at Kershaw's career and what stands out for you are his poor playoff performances, perhaps that speaks more to your less than charitable perspective than Kershaw's legacy.
Kershaw has sucked in the post season and its widley known and accepted. I know things like clutch and choking and being a man dont exist in baseball anymore, especially on the internet, but he had an opportunity to show some guts last night and passed.
Matters to some, doesnt matter to others. Looking at him as a combination of numbers it doesnt matter. Looking at him as a player it does. When on the biggest stage hes a 4th starter. Given an opportunity to do something special laat night he passed.
Despite his career nobody would list him in the top 50 alltime of a pitcher youd send to the mound in a must win game.
I had thought that the narrative that “Kershaw sucks in the playoffs” is “widely known and accepted” to have been overdone, especially since he was perceived to have redeemed himself when the Dodgers won a title. But maybe I am subscribed to a different mailing list.
Related to Koufax's perfect game, there's a very good book you should check out called "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy" by Jane Leavy - between each chapter, there's an interlude where she breaks down his perfect game inning by inning.
Vin Scully's radio call of the 9th inning of Koufax's perfect game is often considered as the peak of Scully's career as well as of Koufax's. Pretty sure the transcription has even been published in books. I'm sure you can find the audio online without much trouble, and it's well worth doing.
Tidbits: It was the 4th straight year Sandy had thrown a no-hitter, it came in September of a close pennant race, and the Dodgers themselves only got one hit.
Realistically, what are the odds Kershaw makes it through the season anyway?
How many starts does he have left not only this season, but in his career?
How likely is it the Dodgers make the playoffs anyway if you give Kershaw a couple of weeks off to rest after going to the perfect game?
I think it is unlikely he makes it through the season unscathed anyway. He almost retired last off-season. He's already won a World Series... unless he specifically asked to be taken out, I think you leave him out there for his last chance to put his name on the perfect game roll.
Actually, thinking that the fans' (you, I, and the guy in the corner) opinions don't matter is one of the biggest problems with the modern game. I mean, who is the game for anyway?
In this case, I don't think I'm missing anything. Kershaw being 'ok' with the decision is not the same as wanting to be taken out. As I said, if he asked to be taken out, then there is no problem. Maybe that's the case. I don't have any idea what Roberts and Kershaw discussed in the dugout. If he wanted to go for it, then I think he should have been left in. This isn't a 20 year old with a long career in front of him. The playoffs aren't starting next week.
If you read my comment and you think I am saying Roberts should have put Kershaw back out against his wishes, then I totally failed to convey my thoughts.
All I am saying is that if Kershaw wanted to go back out, Roberts should have sent him out.
Let's combine the last 2 baseball columns and ask this question: is there a legitimate unwritten rule about not bunting for a base hit to break up a no-hitter/perfect game? I say "no," because a bunt is an attempt to reach base, which might lead to scoring a run, which furthers the goal of winning the game.
Anyway, I'd say context matters there. If it's a 1-0 or 2-0 game, then obviously the trailing team should do anything possible to get on the board. If it's 6-0 in the 9th, you're basically only doing it to spoil an achievement. And part of the whole culture of baseball is that you can recognize when an opponent does something larger than the game at hand—the catcher killing time while a legend takes his last PA in a city, players sending the ball from a rookie's first hit back to his bench, hometown fans cheering an amazing grab by the visitor.
So spoiling a perfecto for no reason other than spoiling it? Might not be a beanball-level infraction, but it's definitely not cool.
For a lot of people, their only association with Jose Tabata is that he leaned his elbow into a pitch in the 9th to break up a Scherzer perfect game*. I don't think it's a positive one.
*when you type in "jose tabata", the #6 autosuggestion is "jose tabata max scherzer". And #1 is just "jose tabata".
But one that's basically never called—I'm a Pirates fan, I would never argue Tabata made an effort to avoid the pitch, which is actually the requirement. Same deal last year when Conforto took a pitch *in the strike zone* off his elbow to drive in the winning run. That's how limp that rule is.
And now we're in to the whole stupid "gamesmanship" discussion—does it break an unwritten rule to steal signs to break up a no-hitter, or just a written rule?
"I mean, when that game started, if someone had asked you, “What are the chances that Clayton Kershaw throws a nine-inning complete game today?” you would have said: Zero percent.
Not 1%. Not 0.5%. No: 0.000000000000000%."
This is the wrong question. If you had asked us "What are the chances Kershaw throws 100 pitches?" I guarantee you the answer would have been greater than 0%. If you would have asked us if Kershaw would like to have a perfect game on his resume in addition to his Covid Tournament win in 2020? I can guarantee he would have said yes to that as well.
Why is the 2020 WS less valid than any other WS? As far as I can tell, the playoffs themselves were pretty similar to a standard season. Is it because there were no fans? A neutral site? The extra round of playoffs? What about the shortened season changed the legitimacy of the WS win?
The last two legitimate season Champions would not have even qualified for that 2020 tournament. How can we have a discussion about pulling a legend after 7 innings to preserve him for the grind of a full baseball season, but grant full credit to anything that happened in 2020?
I think that line of thinking would make sense if the '20 WS champion were a fluke team that happened to play above their heads for 60 games. But the Dodgers were the favorites coming into the season, dominated the regular season, then won the WS.
"It Was Time" would make a helluva title for this post
Fun facts about the Humber game. We were flying back from Florida, my wife and I (I'm starting to get Facebook feed reminders from the beginning of this trip), and drove by Safeco and realized a game was going on. We were listening on the radio and it was clear Humber was untouched through however many innings and I said to my wife, "why don't we just stop in and catch the game until the perfect game is spoiled?" She told me no and we went home and caught the last couple innings or so. The final out was Brendan Ryan and watching it in real time, he checked his swing on the 3-2 pitch that Bryan Runge called out. Given Humber's subsequent career, I stand by my call.
I am torn on this one. As a fan, I of course want to see big moments because the big moments are the things that you remember and keep you going. (Same is true in life) I don't like baseball taking away those big moments and being a slave to pitch counts. The completely risk averse philosophy bugs me and takes the exciting moments away. On purpose.
On the other hand, Kershaw was making his first start of the season, and it was the first time he had reached even 80 pitches in about 10 months. (Yeah, he only made 5 more starts after that last year, but 10 months is still 10 months, with a rehab and an off season in there.) Also the fact that Kershaw seemed OK with it, and even (allegedly) gave Roberts his pitch cap before he came out. A pitcher knows when he is done.
These things happen in April in baseball. It is more likely they happen this year, with the shortened spring training. I believe another pitcher this month was pulled with a no hitter, but it wasn't perfect, and it wasn't Kershaw, so it went by with little notice.
Even with full spring trainings, I have seen this happen in April many times before (No hit games, not perfect, which I think is the thing that makes people crazy. I think the first one I really remember was 30 years ago, when Kevin Appier was pulled after 8 no hit innings. (Of course, he was at 108 pitches, but only 24 years old) I was livid at the time, feeling robbed as a fan, but as I have gotten older, I do realize that sometimes the guy can't go, and it can be bad long term strategy - especially in April, to try and stretch it just for a chance at that moment.
Not entirely related but I think Anabel Sanchez deserves a mention. I remember his try for perfection better than any perfect game.
Hopefully Roberts gave Kershaw A LOT of input into the decision. I bet some of us are wired such that we would want to go for the perfect game, and some of us are wired such that we would feel like being healthy for the rest of the season is more important. To each his own. That’s why Kershaw’s opinion matters to me a lot. I would probably go out for the 8th and go from there
I know I used to as a kid, but does anyone really score from home anymore? That’s how much baseball has changed even for the fan over the last 30 years.
With a decent lead, have Kershaw go back out there and pitch underhand until he gives up a hit/walk/error. No risk to his arm, and fans get to root for a perfect game.
I've been reading Joe for more than a decade. He is absolutely my favorite sportswriter, and really the only sportswriter I read nowadays.
Maybe I'm being too sensitive, but the only thing that bugs me about Joe's writing is when he finishes his quiz answer with a sentence like "But I’m betting you already knew that." Sometimes it's more direct: "You already knew that...". It seems so small, but I always get this twinge of invalidation whenever he writes it, like the article is not "for" me if I'm not the type of person who would always know the answer. For today's quiz, I knew 5 out of 6, which I thought was pretty good, but I would say I only get about 25% of quizzes completely right. It's like a math teacher saying "this problem is easy". It's meant as a descriptive statement, but the students take it as a value judgement. Implying that something is easy has the inadvertent side effect of diminishing the value of a correct answer and increasing the "shame" of not knowing the answer. I know this feels like a really small point, but it's been getting me for years, and, well, there's nothing else to criticize!
I know Joe is intending these sentences to be actively *validating* for readers, sort of a "we're buddies, I know how knowledgeable you are, and I respect your knowledge". If others take it that way, then of course there's no need for change. Joe will remain my favorite sportswriter even if he ends every quiz by saying "wow, you're stupid if you even need to check your answer" :)
Interesting. I've been reading Joe for many years also and I had a very different take to his comment about the quiz. I think of him writing "But I'm betting you already knew that" with a wink, as in, of course you didn't know that because many of the six pitchers on the list who have thrown perfect games were less well known than the ones who didn't. Len Barker, Philip Humber, Dallas Braden? Only die-hard fans would know those guys threw perfect games, so I didn't take Joe's comment about the quiz as a value judgment at all.
In fact, looking at the list, I assumed that those guys were the ones with perfect games (though he fooled me with Jose Rijo).
If Kershaw was ok with being removed from the game, then there really isn't much to say. It will be interesting to see if, upon reflection, he regrets not being given the opportunity. He is too much of a pro, and seems to be a genuinely good guy, to publicly take issue with Roberts.
But, if the competitor in Kershaw wanted to continue, it is difficult to accept pulling him from the game. He is a veteran pitcher who had only thrown 80 pitches. The decision after seven innings wasn't about letting Kershaw complete the game or not. That's a false narrative. It was about giving him the opportunity to pitch a perfect game. He could have been immediately pulled if he gave up a hit or walk.
While baseball is a team game, it is largely a game of individual competition and accomplishment. Sure people vaguely remember the '27 Yankees, '69 Mets, '75 Reds and '98 Yankees. But it more like an Etch a Sketch image that is burned into the screen's background. It just exists there, without dimension or color.
But people clearly remember players, accomplishments, and moments in a very distinct manner. The '98 season is remembered more for McGwire and Sosa and not the Yankees dominance. '41 is remembered for Williams hitting .406 and DiMaggio's 56 game streak. '68 is the year of Yaz and pitching with emphasis on Gibson's 1.12. The list goes on and on. This is baseball's more than century old legacy.
How have we gotten to the point when Freddie's Freeman's contract is discussed more passionately than Kershaw's opportunity to throw a perfect game? Baseball is becoming a joyless enterprise. What were the chances of the Sox beating the Yankees in 2004, being down 3-0 in games, having given up 32 runs in the 1st three games. Game four was Derek Lowe vs. El Duque. The Yankees were winning 4-3 after 8 and Mariano was pitching the 9th. Why continue? Just let everyone go home and beat the traffic. But Millar walks and Dave Roberts (yes...Dave Roberts) pinch runs and steals 2nd. Everyone knows the rest of the song.
So where is Dave Roberts' sense of drama, sense of history? This wasn't Edwin Jackson throwing 149 pitches and walking eight guys throwing a no hitter. This was a 1st ballot HOF pitcher, throwing an incredibly efficient perfect game, 7 IP, 13 K'S, 80 pitches. Baseball, at its best, is an artistic game. There is a time for calculation and following your head rather than your heart. An April game with a HOF pitcher pitching gloriously was not a time for manager intervention. It was a time when 99+ % of fans were Clayton Kershaw fans. Not a time for actuarial decision making.
I'm curious. Are the ones most upset about this also the same who get most upset when unwritten rules are broken? (Since this is probably an unwritten rule).
Think I understand where you are going with this but don't believe the two are related. Unwritten rules are largely existential events that generally don't affect outcomes, legacies or history. The have only been 23 perfect games in the history of MLB. This would have been a tremendous punctuation during the (perhaps) twilight of Kershaw's storied career.
Joe typically frames stories extremely well and presents both a logical and passionate point of view. Don't believe he is accurate with this one as it was not about pitching a complete game. It was about the opportunity to pitch a perfect game. It's not really a subtle difference.
But the fact that Kershaw is basically appearing in his first real game since a serious injury- I think Joe balanced it well.
Joe is a wonderful writer and reliable narrator with a poet's touch. But this one seemed to fall on the side of decision justification rather than sorting out issues.
It's not something to be upset over but this was a HOF pitcher who was in full command. 21 consecutive outs, 13 by strikeout, while only throwing 80 pitches. So it just doesn't feel right. Ultimately, Kershaw is the only guy who has any right to express any legitimate frustration.
In 2001, I went to a game with my wife (who, although not a diehard baseball fan, knows how to keep score!). I told her to watch the opposing pitcher when a man gets on first because he bends over in a funny way when pitching from the stretch. And then that pitcher proceeded to retire the first 26 batters without anyone reaching first, so no opportunity to see his stretch. And then crazy Carl Everett broke up Mike Mussina's perfect game. I am a diehard Red Sox fan, but I was crushed. To see a perfect game in person would have been amazing. Epilogue: I saw Derek Lowe's no-hitter the next year.
Kershaw has won Cy Youngs. Redeemed himself in post season and is a HOF lock if he quit today. The Dodgers dont even need him. A perfect game was of the few things left to put a stamp on his career. Absolute idiocy he got pulled. No justification for it.
I think one of the reasons it doesn't bother me as much is because of all that Kershaw has done. Perfect game would be amazing. But he doesn't need it. Looking at that list in the column, at least half are only remembered by most people for their perfect game. Kershaw will long be remembered even if his plaque doesn't refer to being perfect.
I agree that Kershaw, in a large sample size, HAS underperformed in the post-season. That is undeniable statistically. A choker? That’s a stretch.
I do think this is symbolic of LAD under Roberts to over-react, over-manage his loaded roster in big situations, typically to their overall detriment.
There is no doubt that it was bad for The Game that he was not even allowed to take the mound for the 8th. If his slider was really going flat like hospital ginger ale,he probably gives up a double and that’s that.
I also agree that Kershaw is highly likely to be a first-ballot HOFer who deserves all the accolades.
I remember Kershaw for largely sucking in playoffs. Willingly coming out of a perfect game diminishes him in my eyes.
I remember kershaw’s playoff struggles as him still being in the game when he maybe should have been pulled already. So, if he had been pulled when he was out of gas, like he was in this perfect game, maybe you wouldn’t associate him with poor playoff performances. Game 1 of the 2014 NLDS always sticks out as being an unfair “he choked” because he should have already been pulled by the time he got lit up in the 7th.
Respectfully, if you look at Kershaw's career and what stands out for you are his poor playoff performances, perhaps that speaks more to your less than charitable perspective than Kershaw's legacy.
Kershaw has sucked in the post season and its widley known and accepted. I know things like clutch and choking and being a man dont exist in baseball anymore, especially on the internet, but he had an opportunity to show some guts last night and passed.
Matters to some, doesnt matter to others. Looking at him as a combination of numbers it doesnt matter. Looking at him as a player it does. When on the biggest stage hes a 4th starter. Given an opportunity to do something special laat night he passed.
Despite his career nobody would list him in the top 50 alltime of a pitcher youd send to the mound in a must win game.
I had thought that the narrative that “Kershaw sucks in the playoffs” is “widely known and accepted” to have been overdone, especially since he was perceived to have redeemed himself when the Dodgers won a title. But maybe I am subscribed to a different mailing list.
Hes still 13 and 12 with an ERA over 4 despite winning a "title".
He could have failed in 25 straight post season games and I'd still send him to the mound for a 26th chance!
And right on cue. And look how angry he gets click clacking away.
I got 5 of the 6 perfect games. Only didn’t get Koufax because I couldn’t figure out which of those pitchers had one.
Related to Koufax's perfect game, there's a very good book you should check out called "Sandy Koufax: A Lefty's Legacy" by Jane Leavy - between each chapter, there's an interlude where she breaks down his perfect game inning by inning.
Vin Scully's radio call of the 9th inning of Koufax's perfect game is often considered as the peak of Scully's career as well as of Koufax's. Pretty sure the transcription has even been published in books. I'm sure you can find the audio online without much trouble, and it's well worth doing.
Tidbits: It was the 4th straight year Sandy had thrown a no-hitter, it came in September of a close pennant race, and the Dodgers themselves only got one hit.
The questions I would be asking:
Realistically, what are the odds Kershaw makes it through the season anyway?
How many starts does he have left not only this season, but in his career?
How likely is it the Dodgers make the playoffs anyway if you give Kershaw a couple of weeks off to rest after going to the perfect game?
I think it is unlikely he makes it through the season unscathed anyway. He almost retired last off-season. He's already won a World Series... unless he specifically asked to be taken out, I think you leave him out there for his last chance to put his name on the perfect game roll.
Actually, thinking that the fans' (you, I, and the guy in the corner) opinions don't matter is one of the biggest problems with the modern game. I mean, who is the game for anyway?
In this case, I don't think I'm missing anything. Kershaw being 'ok' with the decision is not the same as wanting to be taken out. As I said, if he asked to be taken out, then there is no problem. Maybe that's the case. I don't have any idea what Roberts and Kershaw discussed in the dugout. If he wanted to go for it, then I think he should have been left in. This isn't a 20 year old with a long career in front of him. The playoffs aren't starting next week.
I don't see how my feelings as a fan come into play when we're talking about someone's health.
If you read my comment and you think I am saying Roberts should have put Kershaw back out against his wishes, then I totally failed to convey my thoughts.
All I am saying is that if Kershaw wanted to go back out, Roberts should have sent him out.
From everything I've read, Kershaw did not protest the decision. That was one of the first things I saw so I didn't get too put off by Roberts' call.
Let's combine the last 2 baseball columns and ask this question: is there a legitimate unwritten rule about not bunting for a base hit to break up a no-hitter/perfect game? I say "no," because a bunt is an attempt to reach base, which might lead to scoring a run, which furthers the goal of winning the game.
I don’t have a comment. I just love your screen name.
Simpler question: Are unwritten rules legitimate? I would say 'no'.
Anyway, I'd say context matters there. If it's a 1-0 or 2-0 game, then obviously the trailing team should do anything possible to get on the board. If it's 6-0 in the 9th, you're basically only doing it to spoil an achievement. And part of the whole culture of baseball is that you can recognize when an opponent does something larger than the game at hand—the catcher killing time while a legend takes his last PA in a city, players sending the ball from a rookie's first hit back to his bench, hometown fans cheering an amazing grab by the visitor.
So spoiling a perfecto for no reason other than spoiling it? Might not be a beanball-level infraction, but it's definitely not cool.
For a lot of people, their only association with Jose Tabata is that he leaned his elbow into a pitch in the 9th to break up a Scherzer perfect game*. I don't think it's a positive one.
*when you type in "jose tabata", the #6 autosuggestion is "jose tabata max scherzer". And #1 is just "jose tabata".
Then you get to the part where intentionally leaning your elbow into a pitch is directly against a WRITTEN rule. Do those suddenly not matter either?
But one that's basically never called—I'm a Pirates fan, I would never argue Tabata made an effort to avoid the pitch, which is actually the requirement. Same deal last year when Conforto took a pitch *in the strike zone* off his elbow to drive in the winning run. That's how limp that rule is.
And now we're in to the whole stupid "gamesmanship" discussion—does it break an unwritten rule to steal signs to break up a no-hitter, or just a written rule?
"I mean, when that game started, if someone had asked you, “What are the chances that Clayton Kershaw throws a nine-inning complete game today?” you would have said: Zero percent.
Not 1%. Not 0.5%. No: 0.000000000000000%."
This is the wrong question. If you had asked us "What are the chances Kershaw throws 100 pitches?" I guarantee you the answer would have been greater than 0%. If you would have asked us if Kershaw would like to have a perfect game on his resume in addition to his Covid Tournament win in 2020? I can guarantee he would have said yes to that as well.
Why is the 2020 WS less valid than any other WS? As far as I can tell, the playoffs themselves were pretty similar to a standard season. Is it because there were no fans? A neutral site? The extra round of playoffs? What about the shortened season changed the legitimacy of the WS win?
The last two legitimate season Champions would not have even qualified for that 2020 tournament. How can we have a discussion about pulling a legend after 7 innings to preserve him for the grind of a full baseball season, but grant full credit to anything that happened in 2020?
I think that line of thinking would make sense if the '20 WS champion were a fluke team that happened to play above their heads for 60 games. But the Dodgers were the favorites coming into the season, dominated the regular season, then won the WS.
I don't know, man. If Rob Lowe wants to wear his 2020 World Champs t-shirt and his 2017 Houston Asterisks hat, I won't begrudge him for it.
Kershaw knows the rules, he knows his age, he knows his health. It sounded like he was sincerely OK with it and that is what matters.