Perfect games (cont.)

[bluezebra]

"If you're the starting pitcher, you go the distance (at least 9 innings), and you allow no runners to reach first safely, you get credit for a perfect game. I would guess that you would be credited with a perfect game even in a 0-0 rainout after 9 or more innings."

Wrong again. The pitcher must pitch a COMPLETE game to get a perfecto, or even a plain old no-hitter. A tie game not played out, is NOT a complete game. Harvey Haddix had his removed because he gave up a hit and run in the 13th inning. Pittsburgh also made an error in the 13th, which is listed as breaking the perfect streak. Pedro Martinez lost his in the 10th.

There have been 14 official perfect games since 1901, including Larsen's in the '56 WS. None of the winning teams made an error. There have been four "unofficial" perfect games. They're unofficial because they didn't go nine innings.

These are the MLB criteria: "What is a perfect game in baseball? A complete game with no hits, no walks, no errors and no hit batters are all (sounds easy!) that is required to join this group of elite perfect pitchers."

Like it or not, an error (even though it's not the pitcher's fault) negates the perfect game.

Bob