OT: Dallas Braden, now Roy Halladay, Hurls Perfect Game

[jp1216]

What is more rare - 2 perfect games in one month or hitting a walk-off grand slam and breaking your leg on the same play? LOL

[barrysloate]

The Kendry Morales play will hopefully be a wake-up call to all those wild scrums at home plate. I know players get excited but these are really big guys jumping up and down on each other (or jumping hard onto home plate).

Let's not forget yesterday's wild Yankee-Cleveland game, and thank goodness that David Huff is okay. I still haven't seen a replay of that awful moment.

[ErikV]

At least I'm not the only whose puzzled. This was on MLB.com.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

I'm only tossing an idea out here, but could it be the style of the
game has changed over the years? Back in the deadball era and
even as late as the 60's, 70's and 80's there was more of a "small
ball" mentality. Bunt, scarifice, steal. Could it be that hitters today
are coming up to the plate with a "homerun" mentality. Thus, the
pitchers have a psycholoigical advantage. Evidence of this could
be seen almost daily as many of today's games are high scoring.
Any comments?????

[sox1903wschamp]

Congrats to Roy. I watched him get beat up last Sunday (I think) by the Red Sox and he comes back with a vengeance.

[barrysloate]

Eric- first off, thanks for that link. I just got to watch the entire perfect game!

Certainly you are on to something. I didn't see anyone looking to just make contact and plunk one over the infield. Everyone was swinging hard. I also think, though, that it may be a statistical anomaly that we've had so many perfect games. There is some luck involved, no doubt.

[M's_Fan]

Originally Posted by ErikV

At least I'm not the only whose puzzled. This was on MLB.com.

http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?...=.jsp&c_id=mlb

I'm only tossing an idea out here, but could it be the style of the
game has changed over the years? Back in the deadball era and
even as late as the 60's, 70's and 80's there was more of a "small
ball" mentality. Bunt, scarifice, steal. Could it be that hitters today
are coming up to the plate with a "homerun" mentality. Thus, the
pitchers have a psycholoigical advantage. Evidence of this could
be seen almost daily as many of today's games are high scoring.
Any comments?????

Yes, baseball has changed over the past 100 years.

But if the "homerun" mentality is giving the pitches an advantage, and leading to more perfect games, how is it also leading to higher scoring games?

As that article says, if you have a theory, there is a hole in it.

But you have to wonder if Ty Cobb, Willie Keeler, George Sisler, or even Ichiro Suzuki had been in that Marlins lineup, would they have squeezed out a single? Maybe. Maybe not, Halladay looked darn good. When pitcher with that kind of heat can locate to that degree, its just hard.

[ErikV]

Barry and M's fan,

Thanks for the responses. While I agree there IS a statistical anomaly,
it begs the question, why? Perhaps luck is a variable. There certainly
was a bit of luck to end this perfect game.

http://mlb.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=5699255

M's fan,

In response to your question "But if the "homerun" mentality is giving the
pitches an advantage, and leading to more perfect games, how is it also
leading to higher scoring games?"

How about part of the "homerun" mentality is a simple "hit or miss." You'll
see guys like Manny Ramirez essentially swinging for the fences or striking
out. I watch a lot of Dodgers games and rarely see Manny hitting for
singles.

Other variables that should also be factored in is the smaller size venues
of today versus 20 or 30 years ago. Is there anyone who would disagree
that todays Yankee Stadium or Indians Progressive Field are smaller than
the old Yankee Stadium or old Municipal Stadium?

And what about the evolution of ESPN and MLB video hilites? Is it fair
to say that some guys today want to be center stage? Isn't hitting a
game winning homerun a little more dramatic that winning a game by
a base hit? Just food for thought.