04/19/24
April 21, 2012
Philip Humber Throws Baseball's 21st Perfect Game: Chicago White Sox pitcher Philip Humber retired all 27 Seattle Mariners hitters in a 4-0 victory Saturday, throwing Major League Baseball's first perfect game since* May 29, 2010, and only the 21st in league history. The closest the M's came to a hit was in the fourth when Alex Rios chased down a Dustin Ackley liner at the warning track. In the ninth, Humber fell down 3-0 in the count to Michael Saunders before striking him out. Humber's 96 pitches were the second least in a perfecto.
Pffftt...beginner's luck.
posted by NoMich at 06:39 PM on April 21, 2012
I don't want to be a party-pooper, but looking at the video I'm not convinced the batter went on that check swing (which, at 3-2, would have meant a walk). No side-on replays out yet, either, which is interesting. Does Humber owes the plate umpire one on that, because the ump didn't want a repeat of the Galarraga blown call?
posted by etagloh at 07:17 PM on April 21, 2012
Humber hulk!
But hmm.
That final strikeout on Brendan Ryan is a bit dodgy. It didn't look like a check swing strike to me, and the pitch was a ball on a 3-2 count.
posted by rcade at 07:29 PM on April 21, 2012
It didn't look like a check swing strike to me, and the pitch was a ball on a 3-2 count.
I've watched the video a couple times. I'm not sure he "breaks his wrist" on the swing, but his arm goes around more than a normal check swing, so if the ump feels the bat crosses over the plate in any way, he can call it a strike.
Ryan still should have run to 1B.
He probably would have made it, thus nullifying the argument AND making A.J. Pierzynski feel like shit.
The no-hitter would have been still available even after that.
posted by grum@work at 08:57 PM on April 21, 2012
Looks like a definite swing to me. Paused it right before ball gets to Pierz and his bat's out there. Either way, there's no chance you're getting the benefit of the doubt with 26 out in a row and you've got 2 strikes.
posted by DudeDykstra at 10:26 PM on April 21, 2012
Not that I know much about baseball, but:
It was the Mariners.
posted by owlhouse at 11:45 PM on April 21, 2012
I grabbed this screenshot from that youtube video mentioned above (who was at the game and had a great angle) and the freeze frame was perfect.
Every umpire on the planet is going to call that a strike. His bat is over the plate (especially since he's leaning forward), and it's almost parallel to the front of the plate (and may be one frame later).
posted by grum@work at 01:27 AM on April 22, 2012
Side note:
No-hitters thrown by New York Mets pitchers: 0
No-hitters thrown by pitchers AFTER they leave the New York Mets: 14
In order:
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Tom Seaver
Nolan Ryan
Mike Scott
Nolan Ryan
Nolan Ryan
Alejandro Pena (participated in 3-pitcher no-hitter)
Dwight Gooden
David Cone
Hideo Nomo (note: threw one BEFORE joining the Mets as well)
Phil Humber
posted by grum@work at 02:15 AM on April 22, 2012
Having watched the final thee innings of this game live, I couldn't help but feel the Brian Runge (home plate umpire) was at the very least giving Humber the benefit of the doubt on a few occasions.
I'll grant you that the final out was close but probably the right call. But consider the strike 1 call on Saunders' 3-0 count leading off the 9th inning, or watch the ump clap his hands trying to get Ryan back in the batters box when he was taking just a little bit longer to settle in the batters box and putting Humber off his rhythm. Nothing criminal I know, but it just brought Jim Joyce back to mind.
It certainly seemed like Runge was rooting for Humber just a little bit, and I imagine it would be hard not to, if I were in his shoes.
posted by geneparmesan at 04:54 AM on April 22, 2012
I'd like to have my earlier comment stricken from the record. He went.
posted by rcade at 08:47 AM on April 22, 2012
Yeah, I'll give him that one. Funny how we have to go to the fan in the stands to get a better view. Perhaps we'll have an official replay now.
posted by etagloh at 01:10 PM on April 22, 2012
It was definitely a swing. One of the more one-sided things in baseball is the fact that a catcher can appeal a checked swing that has been called a ball and frequently get the call reversed by the field umpire. When a plate umpire says "swing", there is no field umpire in any league I've ever seen that will have the cojones to overturn his plate blue.
As for the game: Just say no, no, no, no, no, as in runs, hits, errors, walks, and base runners.
posted by Howard_T at 01:25 PM on April 22, 2012
When a plate umpire says "swing", there is no field umpire in any league I've ever seen that will have the cojones to overturn his plate blue.
The plate umpire is the final authority. A field umpire can't overrule him.
posted by Etrigan at 01:30 PM on April 22, 2012
A field umpire can't overrule him.
...unless the plate umpire grants an appeal to a field umpire, and even in that case it would be very rare to overturn a swing call.
I worked the 2-man system almost exclusively, and if you and your partner had good umpiring mechanics and worked within a system, you were in position for about 77% of the plays. On the other 23% you tried your best to get a good angle and sell the calls. We were encouraged to get help from your partner if there was any doubt about a call. Even the 4-man crew in MLB will not always be in good position. Over the past few years they've been more likely to discuss a call, but still not often enough for my tastes.
posted by Howard_T at 10:33 PM on April 22, 2012
I grabbed this screenshot from that youtube video mentioned above
Agh! I hit play like 3 times.
...unless the plate umpire grants an appeal to a field umpire,
Has this ever happened after a plate ump has already called it a swing?
posted by tron7 at 11:07 PM on April 22, 2012
Has this ever happened after a plate ump has already called it a swing?
Never. The only time the home plate umpire requests information from the 1st base (or 3rd base) umpire on a swing is when the catcher requests it and the home plate umpire called it a ball because of location.
posted by grum@work at 01:32 AM on April 23, 2012
PERFECTION!