There have played 23 flawless games throughout the history of Major League Baseball.
A perfect game of baseball occurs when a pitcher takes every batter he faces out, with any baserunners reaching during the entire game.
In a 9-inning match, the team receives three outs in an inning, to get a total of outs. If a pitcher completes all 27 of them without a single batter making it to base due to no reason, the pitcher is awarded an award for a “perfect game”.
Who’s played a flawless game?
Through the years of baseball, there have been 23 pitchers who played an absolute game. The first time a perfect game was recorded was played in 1880 when Lee Richmond played Lee Richmond, and the most recent perfect game was played in August 2012.
It was played by Felix Hernandez. There has never been a flawless game since. This is a complete list of the 23 pitchers who have played perfect games during Major League Baseball.
- Lee Richmond
- John Montgomery Ward
- Cy Young
- Addie Joss
- Charlie Robertson
- Don Larsen
- Jim Bunning
- Sandy Koufax
- Catfish Hunter
- Len Barker
- Mike Witt
- Tom Browning
- Dennis Martinez
- Kenny Rogers
- David Wells
- David Cone
- Randy Johnson
- Mark Buehrle
- Dallas Braden
- Roy Halladay
- Philip Humber
- Matt Cain
- Felix Hernandez
Perfect game vs no-hitter
The difference between a non-hitter and an ideal one is the fact that in an ideal game, nobody ever gets to the base, never. It doesn’t matter if it’s due to a hit, an error, a walk, or even if they were struck by the pitch. If a batter can reach the base regardless of any reason it is not perfect.
A no-hitter occurs when no player on the opposing team can reach base without hitting. No-hitters may include batters who get on the base as a result of walks and mistakes, but they cannot be counted as an official base hit.
A perfect game/no-hitter scenario occurred in 2007. In a game between Chicago White Sox and the Texas Rangers, White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle had a perfect game in the 5 fifth innings. In that inning, Buehrle hit Rangers player Sammy Sosa but got him off at first base shortly afterward with a pickoff. But, since Sosa was walked before reaching 1st base, Buehrle could not be declared a winner.
To be clear, although Sosa was thrown out at the first base and Buehrle only had to deal with the minimum of 27 hitters and was able to get them out of the game over 9 innings, since one player got to base the game was declared a no-hitter, and certainly it was not a perfect game. For highlights from that game, visit this link.
Perfect game vs. complete game
The distinction between a perfect game and a complete one is that a full game simply means that the pitcher who initiated the game has pitched through to the final whistle. To be able to throw an ideal game they must finish the entire game but they must not let any baserunners in to be allowed for any reason. A game that is complete is a baseball stat that indicates that the pitcher who started the game has completed the game that they began. A pitcher could win the title of a complete game, but not win. They just need to finish the game they started up to the end.
What is the rare game?
A perfect statistically-based game of baseball has a chance of one in 46,800 for it to occur. But, it isn’t an exact science because of various factors, including weather and the experience of players, and many more. From 1880 until today 23 games have been perfect in baseball. This is one perfect game every six years.
FAQ: What is a Perfect Game in Baseball
Has anyone played an amazing game during a World Series game?
Yes, there is a pitcher who has played an unbeatable game during the World Series. On the 8th of October, the year 1956 Don Larsen of the New York Yankees threw a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers in game 5 of the World Series. The Yankees were able to win the title in just seven games.
Can a pitcher be sacked in a flawless game?
A pitcher can’t lose a perfect 9-inning game. If the game is extended when the ideal game ends in the end, the pitcher does not receive credit for the flawless game that took place during the first nine innings. The pitcher has to complete the entire game to get credit for the perfect score.
One example was in 1959, when Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Harvey Haddix pitched 12 perfect innings, but lost the game completely at the end of the thirteen 13th innings in the 13th inning to Milwaukee Braves.
Has anyone ever played two perfect games?
There is no player in the history of Major League Baseball who has ever thrown two perfect games. Some pitchers who’ve thrown one flawless game have been near to throwing another, however, they each allowed one batter to make it to base on their second chance. Examples of this are Cy Young, Sandy Koufax as well as Mark Buehrle.
Which was the person who was the first to throw a perfect pitch?
The final game that was perfect in Major League history was on August 15, 2012, played by Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. Hernandez beat Tampa Bay Rays during a regular season match played in Seattle.
Which is the smallest pitch count in the perfect game?
The tiniest number of pitches in the perfect match is 74 pitches played by Addie Joss, a member of the Cleveland Guardians (then known as the Cleveland Naps) on October 2nd, 1908 in a game in a game against the Chicago White Sox.
Was there ever an all-baseball game with 27 strikes?
Never has there been a game that has had 27 strikeouts in it. The record for strikeouts during the 9th inning of a game stands at 20. This record was set by Roger Clemens of the Boston Red Sox as well as Kerry Wood of the Chicago Cubs.
It is important to note the fact that, in 1962 Tom Cheney of the Washington Senators recorded 21 strikeouts in one game. However, Cheney was able to pitch 16 innings during that game instead of only 9 innings.
The record for the most strikeouts in a perfect game is 14 set by Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants on June 13 the 13th of June, 2012.
The 23 Perfect Games of Baseball
The art of playing the perfect game is described in the language of baseball as being a “gem”. The term “gem” is used because it’s very scarce and is just like precious stones. In the more than 140 years of baseball stats, there have been 23 perfect games. There have been numerous moments of uncertainty over time, however, there are only 23 perfect games in all.
There have been some perfect games played at the minor league and collegiate levels, but to pitch flawlessly on the pro level is unique. Watch highlights and read the media footage of every perfect game, and read the tales about these unique events, including one pitcher who pitched the perfect pitch during Mother’s Day in front of his grandmother who raised his son.
Read More: How Long is a Baseball Game?