What Constitutes A Perfect Game In Baseball?

A perfect game in baseball is when a pitcher throws nine innings without giving up a hit or a walk, and no errors are committed by his team. It’s a rare feat, and only 23 perfect games have been thrown in Major League history.

Introduction

The first step to taking your game to the next level is understanding what a perfect game entails. In baseball, a perfect game is defined as a game in which no batters reach base safely. That means that all 27 outs must be recorded without a single hit, walk, or hit by pitch. In other words, all 27 batters must be retired in order.

What is a perfect game?

In baseball, a perfect game is a game in which no opposing player reaches base. This is accomplished by the pitcher or pitchers retiring all 27 batters in the game. A perfect game is also a no-hitter and a shutout.

A perfect game is when a pitcher throws to 27 batters, and none of them reach base.

A pitcher who gets every batter out in a game is said to have thrown a perfect game. If the game goes into extra innings, and the pitcher continues to pitch perfect baseball, it’s still a perfect game. A perfect game is one of the rarest events in baseball. In fact, as of 2019, there have only been 23 perfect games thrown in the history of Major League Baseball.

The first recorded instance of a pitcher throwing a perfect game occurred on October 8th, 1865, when Brooklyn Excelsiors pitcher Jim Devlin retired all 27 batters he faced against the Manhattan BBC. The most recent perfect game was thrown by Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber against the Seattle Mariners on April 21st, 2012.

In order for a game to be considered a perfect game, a few things must happen:
-No opposing player can reach first base by any means (a hit, walk, batter being hit by a pitch, catcher’s interference, etc.).
-No errors can be committed by any player on the defensive team.
-The winning team must be ahead by at least 27 runs (the “mercy rule”). If the score is tied after nine innings or even later in extra innings, it is not a perfect game.

A no-hitter is not considered a perfect game because at least one player reached base (usually via walk or hit by pitch).

Why is a perfect game so rare?

A perfect game in baseball is defined as a game in which a pitcher throws to the minimum 27 batters and no one reaches first base. This is a rare feat because it’s difficult to maintain such control over an entire game. Let’s take a look at the odds of throwing a perfect game.

There are a lot of things that can go wrong in a baseball game, and a pitcher needs a lot of things to go right in order for a perfect game to happen.

First and foremost, a pitcher needs to have great stuff on that given day–their fastball needs to have zip, their curveballs and off-speed pitches need to be fooling batters, and they generally need to be around the strike zone. Secondly, the defense behind them needs to be playing well–making all the routine plays and then some. Thirdly, the umpire also needs to be on their game and not make any bad calls that would give the other team free baserunners. And finally, luck definitely plays a role in it as well–even the best pitcher in the world can get a batter to hit a weak popup that gets blown foul by the wind or have a blooper fall in for a hit. If even one of those things doesn’t go right, then a perfect game is off the table.

Some notable perfect games in baseball history

A perfect game in baseball is when a pitcher throws to 27 batters, and none of them get on base. This can be done by strikeouts, walks, hit by pitch, or fielders’ choice. To get a perfect game, the pitcher must pitch the entire game.

Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series

Larsen’s perfect game occurred in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, played at Yankee Stadium on October 8, 1956. It was the first – and, as of 2020, still the only – perfect game in World Series history and the only no-hitter in a winner-take-all postseason series game. It is also the only no-hitter in MLB postseason history thrown by a team that went on to lose the World Series. Larsen was subsequently inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1972.

Sandy Koufax’s perfect game in 1965

Koufax’s perfect game came during the Dodgers’ final home game of the 1965 season, a 2–0 victory over the Chicago Cubs. Koufax retired all 27 batters he faced, striking out 14—a perfect game record that still stands. He needed just 97 pitches to complete the game, which was his fourth shutout of the season and the ninth of his career.

Tom Browning’s perfect game in 1988

On September 16, 1988, Reds pitcher Tom Browning became the 27th player in MLB history to throw a perfect game. He accomplished the feat against the Los Angeles Dodgers, with all 27 batters he faced being retired. It was the first perfect game in Reds franchise history, and helped propel Cincinnati to a National League pennant that season.

Conclusion

To sum it all up, a perfect game in baseball is when a pitcher throws to 27 batters, and not a single one of them reaches base safely. This can be done by getting batters out via strikeout, force out, or fly out. A perfect game is considered one of the rarest feats in baseball, as well as one of the most difficult.