I haven't had a great deal to say about the 2023 MLB season aside from the short-lived success of the Pittsburgh Pirates and Jacob deGrom's Tommy John surgery.
However, a perfect game is always worthy of discussion. Last night, New York Yankees pitcher Domingo German retired all 27 Oakland A's batters he faced en route to an 11-0 victory by the Bronx Bombers.
It was the 24th perfect game in MLB history and first since Felix Hernandez did so in August 2012 while with the Seattle Mariners. Interestingly, there were three perfect games that year with Philip Humber and Matt Cain also attaining perfection while on the mound with the Chicago White Sox and San Francisco Giants, respectively.
As for Yankees lore, it is the fourth in franchise history. Don Larsen tossed his perfect game in the 1956 World Series while David Wells and David Cone attained baseball immortality during the Yankees' championship seasons in 1998 and 1999. Notably Larsen and Yogi Berra were present for Cone's perfect game.
Prior to last night, the 30-year-old Dominican born hurler had been struggling on the mound for the most of this season. Last month, German received a 10-game suspension after being caught using a foreign substance while pitching against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. In his previous two starts against the Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners, German had surrendered 15 earned runs over 5.1 innings pitched. Needless to say, last night's performance was a complete reversal of fortune. Granted he was facing an A's team which could end up being even worse than the 1962 New York Mets. But even really bad teams can muster some hits and runs most days. So, German's achievement on the mound is no small feat.
Of course, German's achievement has some cloud cover. In 2019, German was having a breakthrough season winning 18 games. German had a chance at 20 wins but late that season but was placed on administrative leave in mid-September following a domestic violence incident with his girlfriend at a Yankees charity event which continued in their home. German's suspension would last through the COVID shortened 2020 season. Some media outlets aren't having any of German's triumph with others suggesting that German has turned the corner.
On one hand, I can understand being leery towards German and wanting to shun him instead of showering praise. On the other hand, it is entirely possible that he is genuinely remorseful for what he did and will never behave in that way again and live an exemplary life. One can only hope but one never knows what goes on behind closed doors. Whether German is a good person or a bad person, he has made baseball history.
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