Perfect!

Perfect

"The best part was seeing my teammates excited." said Philip Humber. After nine strike outs and only 96 pitches Philip Humber became the 21st  Major League player to be perfect! That' 27 up 27 down no hits walks or errors. 

Mind you Humber is the fifth starter in the rotation. The little guy to fill in the crack's. Written off my Oakland Kansas City and Cleveland due to Tommy John surgery.  And one tough cookie.

Baseball has been around for 140 plus years. More people have orbited the moon than have pitched a major league perfect game. Five are members of the Baseball Hall of Fame: Cy Young, Addie Joss, Jim Bunning, Sandy Koufax, and Catfish Hunter. Two other White Sox make the elite list Charlie Roberston on April 30, 1922 in just his fifth career start, against the Detroit Tigers. He became the first picher in major league history to do it on the road.

On July 23,2009 Mark Buehrle threw his perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays. It was the eighteenth perfect game. Every White Sox's fan will always have "The Catch" etched it to their heads for ever in the 9th inning when DeWayne Wise robbed Gabe Kapler of a home run.

So Humber's 21st perfect game is the first since Roy Halloaday. Its is the sox 18th no hitter and Humber's first career complete game.

 Humber as he approached history

The final out by Humber was recorded on a check-swing strikeout of Brendan Ryan. The ball went past catcher A. J. Pierzynski, but Ryan was unsure whether he had checked his swing or not (which would have made the pitch a ball, and given him a walk), and stayed at home plate long enough for Pierzynski to pick up the ball and throw it to first to end the game. Humber finished the game with 9 strikeouts. The other batters were retired with five groundouts and 13 flyouts. Humber threw only 96 pitches, making this the first perfect game thrown in under 100 pitches since David Cone's perfect game on July 18, 1999. Humber only started 29 Major League games prior to throwing his perfect game, making him the pitcher with the second fewest starts prior to throwing a perfect game, behind fellow White Sox pitcher Charlie Robertson.He is the seventh former member of the New York Mets to go on to throw a no-hitter for another team. The Mets have never had a no-hitter thrown in their history.

So I tip my hat to you Philip Humber and I thank you. I was at a school event and was not able to watch this game. But on a dying cell phone I was able to share this magic moment with my dad as he gave me a play by play. That is a memory that will last a long time. I have been blessed to share White Sox history with the man how bought me my first glove. We watched Buehrle pitch perfection with goosebumps and silence. But most of all I lived out a childhood dream watching the last out of the World Series with my dad next to me. So again thank you Phil Humber you have no idea what you have done for your fans!