MLB Showdown Obsession

 Perfect games are rare. I remember the 1998 and 1999 Yankees features a perfect game each year and thought that was a crazy short amount of time....that actually had nothing on the true record. A mere 5 days after Lee Richmond became the first man ever to pitch a perfecto, John Montgomery Ward made it happen for the 2nd time. It would be 76 years before the National League would be a part of another perfect game, and 84 years before an NL pitcher would pull it off themselves. On June 17, 1880, Ward was untouchable as his Providence Grays beat the Buffalo Bisons 5-0. Ward ultimately ended up in the Hall of Fame more for his union work, but nevertheless he has the first perfect game pitched by a future member of Cooperstown. He is also the youngest perfect game pitcher ever. Just like with Richmond, this game was subject to odd variations of the rules when compared to todays game. Ward was pitching in his home park, but Buffalo won the coin toss and were acting as the home team in t...

 A perfect game is when a pitcher retires all his opponents in order in a victory. Usually referred to as "27 up, 27 down" but if extra innings are required, then the perfect game isn't official until the win is achieved no matter how many innings it takes. 23 men have officially pitched perfect games in Major League Baseball and I plan to recognize each in time. Lee Richmond pitched off and on from 1879-1886 for the Boston Red Stockings (future Atlanta Braves), Providence Grays, Cincinnati Red Stockings and the Worcester Ruby Legs. It is with the Ruby Legs that he achieved his immortality as the first ever pitcher to pitch a perfect game on June 12, 1880. Otherwise he had a very unassuming 75-100 record. The rules weren't the same back then as they are today. Foul balls that are caught after a bounce count as outs, foul balls don't count as strikes, the strike zone didn't exist and the distance to home plate was 45 feet, with underhand pitching. But, a perfec...