Archive for July 24th, 2009

WATERCOOLER CHAT: PERFECT GAME!!!!

BASEBALL

Wow, it was truly a memorable day in the baseball world.

In what many thought was a benign day game between the Chicago White Sox and visiting Tampa Bay Devil Rays turned out to be one of the most memorable sporting events of the past 10 years.  In baseball, probably the most special two words you can utter are ‘perfect game’.  Why?  Because they are so rare.  No-Hitters happen every now and then, but a no-hitter allows for walks and errors.  A perfect game means 27 batters up, and 27 batters down, and NOBODY on base.  Thus, a perfect game.  And there hasn’t been one since Randy Johnson pitched one for the Diamondbacks in 2004.

Well, yesterday, pitcher Mark Buehrlehad a magical day.  He was pitching a perfect games through 7 games, and that’s when people start to take notice.  That’s when it starts to get mentioned on Sports Center.  That’s when people start Twittering about it.  And then… he got past the 8th inning.  Just 3 more batters necessary.  And remember, this is when the stress is on.  The White Sox essentially had the game in the bag with a 5-run lead, so it was all about taking care of Mark, and hoping for a little luck.

Mark was pitching quickly, not taking his time and making himself nervous like other pitchers might do.  It was just pitch, get the ball back from the catcher, and quickly pitch again.  Then, in the bottom of the 9th inning came a play baseball fans will remember for a long time to come.  The White Sox put in back-up centerfielder Dewayne Wise, who was put in for no other reason but his defense.  A safety precaution for the perfect game, nothing more.  Then, the first batter hits a home-run shot towards none other but… Dewayne Wise.  This ball was a home-run, but NO!!!!  Dewayne Wise climbed the wall, reached over the fence, and made the catch.  And when he landed, the ball bobbled out of his glove and he caught it again.  It was purely miraculous.  And to achieve a perfect game, you need miracles!!  Truly unbelievable!!!!!!!!!!!

The next batter went out on a breezed strike-out, and then the final batter grounded to shortstop, and… that’s all she wrote.  PERFECT GAME for Mark Buehrle.  Keep in mind too that Buehrle has a reputation as an above average pitcher, nothing more.  Now he is in the record books.  He has a no-hitter to his name, a World Series Ring, and now… a perfect game.  Congrats to Mark.

BASKETBALL

Elsewhere in sports, in his new book, LeBron James admitted to smoking marajuana in High School.  He said he felt stressed by all the attention and publicity he was getting, and decided to try it in Junior Year.  LeBron also said he was a little too arrogant in High School, dubbing himself “The Chosen One”.  He said it was immature, but at the time it made sense, considering that about every reporter in the country was rushing him every second.  The book is due out in December, and is co-authored by Buzz Bissinger, who penned the original classic, Friday Night Lights.

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