You know I’m not much of a baseball fan, but I certainly appreciate an effort like this. Only the 20th time in history but the second time this year that a pitcher has pitched a perfect game.
At 9:23 p.m., when he got pinch-hitter Ronny Paulino to hit a grounder to third for the 27th out, only then could Halladay bask in his moment – breaking into a big smile and wrapping his arms around catcher Carlos Ruiz before disappearing in a joyous, jumping gray-and-red mob of teammates.
via Philadelphia Phillies vs. Florida Marlins – Recap – May 29, 2010.
Imagine how hard it must be to strike out a professional baseball player, much less not allow a single batter to get a hit. They even put their pinch hitters up and he didn’t allow them a hit either. It’s quite an achievement.
Here’s something else worth mentioning:
The Marlins said they would give Halladay the pitching rubber as a souvenir, leading to a slightly surreal scene. The lights at Sun Life Stadium went out and fireworks began exploding two minutes after the game ended, with the field crew preparing for a postgame concert behind second base.
Working in the dark, four men went to work on the mound, digging up the slab where Halladay made history.
Now that’s class.
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