June 12
PERFECT GAME DAY
Baseball’s first El Perfecto, a perfect game, was recorded on this day in 1880 ... a perfect game being when no batter reaches a base during a complete game of at least nine innings.
A southpaw, left-handed Lee Richmond of the Worcester (Massachusetts) Ruby Legs, pitched himself to perfection with a 1-0 shutout of the Cleveland Spiders in a National League game. Five days later, on June 17, the second, official perfect game was pitched by John Ward in another National League game between Providence and Buffalo.
It was two and a half decades later before this feat was accomplished again. This time, the now famous Cy Young of the Boston Red Sox, stopped the Philadelphia Athletics in an American League game.
Perfect game days are very rare! So if you get a chance to see one, either in person or on TV, you’ll be watching history in the making.
Those Were the Days, the Today in History service from 440 International
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