Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

We may be on the verge of football season but let’s stop for a second to celebrate the perfect game Seattle’s Felix Hernandez threw against Tampa Bay on Wednesday.

Hernandez struck out 12 on his way to the third perfect game of the season, joining San Francisco’s Matt Cain and the Chicago White Sox’s Phillip Humber, who ironically shut down Hernandez’s Mariners earlier this year.

Hernandez is the 23^rd pitcher to post a perfecto and that also makes Seattle the first team to win and lose a perfect game in one season. It was an easy fact to look up, because we have never had three perfect games in one year before and only twice have we had two.

In 2010 Philly’s Roy Halladay and Oakland’s Dallas Braden managed the feat. In 1880 it was Lee Richmond, of the Worcester Ruby Legs (Didn’t they have an ointment or something for that?) and John Ward, of the Providence Grays.

Braden? Richmond? Ward? Humber? Not exactly a Mt. Rushmore of mound masters, though the list of 23 does include notables like Cy Young, Sandy Koufax, Don Larsen, Catfish Hunter and Randy Johnson.

Pitchers have dominated lately — five of the perfect games have come in the past two-plus seasons — and by its nature baseball relies more on individual achievement.

Maybe that’s why the baseball records seem to be more memorable.

Other than Miami’s perfect season in1972, I honestly can’t tell you one NFL record off the top of my head. Not one. And I watch every Sunday.

If you let me think a minute I can maybe list every Super Bowl winner and loser dating to 1967. Maybe.

But those records? All those yards and touchdowns and tackles? It doesn’t take long before my eyes glaze over.

However, if you throw out .406 I come back with Ted Williams. You throw out 511 I come back with Young. Toss me 56 and I bat back DiMaggio. Gimme 2,632 and I got Cal Ripken.

And 73? Well, I believe if you can’t say anything nice about someone you shouldn’t say anything at all.