MLB Showdown Obsession

  There have been more than a few Perfect Games in history, and it's understandable that some of them begin to blend together and lose their unique shine. Sure, games like Don Larsen's WS game will stand the test of time, but some people might be caught off guard if you mention Kenny Rodgers or Len Barker . Sometimes it's the story of how a guy *didn't* set his opposition down 27 in a row that makes the game he pitched so memorable. Armando Galarraga gets credit by many for setting down 28 guys in a row, with no official credit for a Perfect Game. The story begins on June 2, 2010 as Armando and the Detroit Tigers hosted the Cleveland Indians at Comerica Park. Just four days prior, Roy Halladay had just tossed his own Perfect Game, and if Galarraga had succeeded, that would have broken the record for shortest time between PGs, set by Lee Richmond and John Montgomery Ward , by 1 day. Galarraga had the Indians handled pretty well, striking out just 3 but allowing no one...

 When the Chicago Cubs defeated the Cleveland Indians for the 2016 championship, it ended baseballs longest title drought. Not only that, but it allowed the Cubs to transfer the title of longest drought directly to the team they beat, as now the Cleveland Indians are currently (as of the end of 2025) the longest suffering franchise. They had some notable near misses in the midst of this drought; 1995 , 1997 and 2016 being the most recent and prominent, but they've remained ring-less since the 1948 season...and even that one was all too close to being a defeat. The American League in 1948 was a thrilling race down to the wire between three teams. The New York Yankees were defending their title, the Red Sox were just a couple seasons removed from their 1946 pennant and still trying to keep their title window open, and the Indians who were trying to crash the party between the two bitter rivals. In the final week of the season, all three teams were tied for 1st place. Player-Manager ...

 Japan may have been the 2 time champions going into the 2013 WBC, but neither time were they unbeatable. The Dominican Republic had a chance to dominate in a way that no other country would be able to say that "they got lucky!" The Dominican Republic began by beating Venezuela 9-3, followed with a 6-3 win over Spain then just to flex handed Puerto Rico a 4-2 loss to sweep Pool C. Round 2 began with a 5-4 nailbiter win over Italy, then came the United States for the biggest test yet in the tournament. DR passed the test with a 3-1 win, punching their ticket to the semi-finals. Pool 2 play ended with a rematch against Puerto Rico, which DR won again 2-0 to sweep yet another group of games. As the only undefeated team remaining, Dominican Republic pushed aside the Netherlands 4-1 to lock up a spot in the championship game. Japan, meanwhile, finally lost a game that mattered as Puerto Rico set up a third battle, this time with more than just bragging rights on the line. Edwin En...