Humber perfect game

[yanks12025]

White sox pitcher pitched 21st perfect game. Even though the last pitch looked like the batter checked his swing.

[71buc]

My wife turned down diamond club tickets for the game today as it's my birthday and she invited friends and family over for an early dinner...just shoot me

[barrysloate]

Has a more obscure pitcher ever thrown one?

[sycks22]

He was one of the guys in the Santana to mets trade for my twins. We tried him out, but he was terrible. The key in the trade was Carlos Gomez. Congrats to Humber.

[richieb315]

Way to Go an ex Met

[Brian Van Horn]

Well, here is a link to decide yourself:

http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/history/rare_...e=perfect_game

The shame of it is, of course, the extra duty Harvey Haddix put in only to lose the game and the distinction.

[Brian Van Horn]

By the way, Mike, sincerely Happy Birthday!

[brett 75]

Brian thanks for the link, only one guy missing from the list GalarragaI know technically not but ....

[Brian Van Horn]

You could also make the case for Milt Pappas, but I will let you research that matter.

[zljones]

Yea I am ecstatic right now! Go WHITE SOX!!

[usernamealreadytaken]

Kind of an oxy-moron for a perfect game to end on a wild pitch...

[brett 75]

Ok add Milt as well I looked it up . I didn't get to see the Pappas game but did see Galaragga . That is one of the things about baseball and the game of inches. Maybe they need the "near perfect game " designation . Congrats to Humber as the post started , Brett

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Anyone want a 2005 bowman chrome rookie auto bgs 9.5 or blue refractor auto #'d to 150!? Lol

[baseballart]

Just got home. Row one right behind home plate. If you see a guy with no hair and a whie shirt in the highlights, that's me. Have many photos and video of the last at bat to post. Oh, and it was Free Composter Day to boot

[baseballart]

Originally Posted by 71buc

My wife turned down diamond club tickets for the game today as it's my birthday and she invited friends and family over for an early dinner...just shoot me

Mike as I just posted, we were in the diamond club, row A. What an experience

[packs]

Congrats to Humber. I was at David Cone's perfect game against the Expos. Awesome experience.

[71buc]

Originally Posted by baseballart

Mike as I just posted, we were in the diamond club, row A. What an experience

Thanks for the bithday wishes Brian. It turned out that my wife planned a surprise birthday party for me. 60 of my friends came. That took a bit of the sting out of missing the game. I am happy that at least one member here was fortunate enough to attend. I'm sure it was an awsome experience. One of my friends came to the party and presented me with the ticket I didn't get to use.

[baseballart]

My ticket didn't quite remain in mint shape. Who would have thought?

Here's the shakey video I shot of the last at bat

[barrysloate]

That was great Max, thanks for showing it. And congrats on witnessing a perfect game.

[pitchernut]

Congrats Mr. Humber, having said that and since I collect perfect/nono ephemera, is his rookie card the 2002? or is that a XRC sorta? So that means the 2005 is his RC......

[D. Bergin]

Congrats to Humber, but looking at that last pitch. It's extremely hard to argue that's not Ball 4.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by 71buc

My wife turned down diamond club tickets for the game today as it's my birthday and she invited friends and family over for an early dinner...just shoot me

Shoot me as well. I was walking around downtown before the game and wanted to ask my girlfriend if she minded if we went to the game, but I knew she wanted to take the ferry and spend the day on the Olympic Peninsula.

When we got back she said she would have loved to have gone to the game

[GoldenAge50s]

As of now there are 630 Umber RC for sale on EBay!

[HOF Auto Rookies]

Originally Posted by pitchernut

Congrats Mr. Humber, having said that and since I collect perfect/nono ephemera, is his rookie card the 2002? or is that a XRC sorta? So that means the 2005 is his RC......

You are correct. Have two signed certified rookies if interested.

[prewarsports]

I think the Umpire was so concerned about NOT blowing a Perfect Game and having another Galarraga situation that they overcompensated and gave it to the guy on a call that goes the OTHER way 99 times out of a hundred. Nobody will remember that down the road but that was ball 4!

[chaddurbin]

bud selig should reinstate the galarraga perfect game as his last act out of office.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by prewarsports

I think the Umpire was so concerned about NOT blowing a Perfect Game and having another Galarraga situation that they overcompensated and gave it to the guy on a call that goes the OTHER way 99 times out of a hundred. Nobody will remember that down the road but that was ball 4!

I disagree. He broke the plane and offered at the pitch. That was a strike.
I fully believe that in any situation that he would have been called out on strikes.

The fact that you and I disagree, just shows that if he had called it a ball would have turned it into a Galarraga situation.

[zljones]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

I disagree. He broke the plane and offered at the pitch. That was a strike.
I fully believe that in any situation that he would have been called out on strikes.

The fact that you and I disagree, just shows that if he had called it a ball would have turned it into a Galarraga situation.

+1, I totally agree he swung far enough to be a strike. There is no doubt he struck out.

[HoofHearted]

Originally Posted by prewarsports

I think the Umpire was so concerned about NOT blowing a Perfect Game and having another Galarraga situation that they overcompensated and gave it to the guy on a call that goes the OTHER way 99 times out of a hundred. Nobody will remember that down the road but that was ball 4!

I was just going to note that I was thinking about this same situation! Was something going through the ump's mind telling him that he didn't want to be responsible for a blown-call to end a perfect game like Jim Joyce did last year??

Wonder if any interviews with the ump will come out...

[HoofHearted]

Originally Posted by bn2cardz

I disagree. He broke the plane and offered at the pitch. That was a strike.
I fully believe that in any situation that he would have been called out on strikes.

The fact that you and I disagree, just shows that if he had called it a ball would have turned it into a Galarraga situation.

I agree with the strike call. I thought at the 2:31 point of Max's video, it looks too close to being a swing to call it a ball.

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by HoofHearted

I agree with the strike call. I thought at the 2:31 point of Max's video, it looks too close to being a swing to call it a ball.

Here are two angled shots. The front shot is pretty low resolution, but I still think you can see enough. From both angles he is so far into the swing that I couldn't imagine it being called anything but a strike.

[D. Bergin]

Isn't that the 1st Base Umpire's call?

I don't know about still shot's but in real time it didn't even look like he unlocked his elbow to offer at the pitch.

I really doubt that's a strike call in the 3rd inning of any game.

[carrigansghost]

It is technically the home plate Ump's call unless he asks for help from the 1st base ump.

Rawn

[bn2cardz]

Originally Posted by D. Bergin

Isn't that the 1st Base Umpire's call?

I don't know about still shot's but in real time it didn't even look like he unlocked his elbow to offer at the pitch.

I really doubt that's a strike call in the 3rd inning of any game.

It is only the 1st base umpire's call when the home plate defers to him. The home plate umpire gets final say. There are many games when the batter appeals for a call by the 1st base (or 3rd base) that never makes it to them because the Home plate ump already called it.

He doesn't have to unlock his elbows. The umpire has to decide if there was intent. Ryan came around. To me he appears to break the plane. Though he seems to change his mind he came too far around to not consider it intent.

I have seen better check swings called strikes in the middle of everyday games. So I don't know where you would think this one wouldn't be called strike.

[Runscott]

Originally Posted by prewarsports

I think the Umpire was so concerned about NOT blowing a Perfect Game and having another Galarraga situation that they overcompensated and gave it to the guy on a call that goes the OTHER way 99 times out of a hundred. Nobody will remember that down the road but that was ball 4!

I don't think the umpire OR the batter were prepared for the play. It amazes me how often this play comes up and the batter just stands there confused - it must have some sort of weird mental affect that just freezes them. If it's strike 3 and you give it any kind of swing on a pitch that bad, you run - it's simple.

But yeah, one pitcher (Galarraga) got the worst 'last pitch' scenario imaginable, and the other caught a break.

[t206hound]

Originally Posted by Runscott

I don't think the umpire OR the batter were prepared for the play.

The umpire made the call quickly. He was pointing at the batter (indicating a swing) before the ball made it into the grass behind the plate. The batter on other hand seemed more concerned in arguing the walk than running when he saw the ball get away from the catcher.

[Gary Dunaier]

Originally Posted by baseballart

Here's the shakey video I shot of the last at bat

I've always wondered what it's like to see a great moment from that vantage point. I always see people in the background taking pictures and video but you never get to see their pictures... so this was a great opportunity that you gave us.

Originally Posted by baseballart

My ticket didn't quite remain in mint shape. Who would have thought?

I always keep my ticket in a hard plastic holder when I go to a game. The scanners can read the barcode through the plastic so I don't have to handle the actual ticket. (Back in the days when tickets were torn and all you got back was the stub, I'd pre-fold my ticket before handing it to the ticket-taker to ensure a clean tear.)

[tbob]

Watching AJ see the ball scoot by him I had visions of Mickey Owens It was very fortunate for Humber that the batter didn't take right off, he would have had a chance to make it to first before the throw. Oh well, all's well that ends well.

[tbob]

Originally Posted by sycks22

He was one of the guys in the Santana to mets trade for my twins. We tried him out, but he was terrible. The key in the trade was Carlos Gomez. Congrats to Humber.

Yes, imagine if Gardy and Andersen the pitching coach hadn't wanted to get rid of (for various reasons) Kyle Lohse, Matt Garza and Phil Humber. The Twins could've been a contender insread of on pace to lose 100 games again (technically they only lost 99 last year)