I'm speechless. I'm utterly speechless. I had to rush tonight and put the kid down so I could watch Mark Buehrle throw a perfect game on the Comcast replay. This was the most amazing baseball game I have ever seen in my life. Yes, it was better than game 1 of the World Series in 2005 (I'm contractually obliged to mention mad props to cousin Tony for those tickets back in '05)

I'm stunned. Mark Buehrle did something that's only happened 18 times since Moses chiseled the first box score into stone tablets??A perfect game. 27 up. 27 down. Zeros across the board. I can't tell if I'm in shock or if Twitter is the reason why I can't write a complete sentence. Ok, deep breath. Here are some thoughts. And I'll try my best to cut back on the staccato rhythms. (Yea, staccato. I played violin for 10 years.So what? You want to fight about it?)

  • The Rays aren't the Pirates. Tampa Bay is the 3rd highest ranked offensive team in baseball.  Buster Olney was all over this fact in the post game.
  • Mark shut them down with nothing but offspeed stuff. He isn't exactly the guy who overpowers you. He threw the change and the curveball most often.Speaking of change ups, that's what he threw on a 3-2 count to the second batter he faced in the top of the 9th. Who does that? 
  • Dwayne Wise made one of the best bobbled catches I have ever seen. ESPN did a great job of showing some of the other great catches that saved a no-hitter, but Wise's is by the best. He fell on his ass, backwards, after running straight into the wall to rob Kapler of a solo home run
  • Credit Ozzie for bucking tradition and making a defense move in the top of the 9th. He moved Pods over to left and brought in DWise to play center. Now, Wise has been part of a pretty heated story here for the White Sox. Wise was kept on the roster instead of Brian Anderson when Carlos Quintin came back from his injury. A lot of people called this a racist move on Ozzie's part because BA was batting something like .238. Wise was only hitting a buck ninety, but the Oz felt they could use Wise more, well, wisely. Hah! I don't know if I agree with this move, but guess what? Brian Anderson who? Nice work DeWayne.
  • This was the first time Ramon Castro has caught Buehrle since joining the White Sox. I'd say he did a pretty damn good job, right?
  • This win ties the White Sox for first place with Detroit. It's unfortunate that the Sox fly straight up to Detroit tonight to play in a double header tomorrow. I would imagine there are few guys who would have been out celebrating till the wee hours of the morning...with Ozzie leading the way!
  • Obama gave Buehrle a call after the game to congratulate him on the perfect performance. (video below)

Well, I've been away for awhile and I'm not going to push it. I'll wrap this up by saying that Mark Buehrle deserves every accolade he gets. I can't imagine what is left for Buehrle's to accomplish? He has a ring, a no hitter, and a perfect game now. What's left? For tonight, I'm guessing a few cold beers and a couple of laughs off the replay of DWise falling as he makes the greatest catch in his entire lifetime. Congrats to Buehrle and the White Sox. Now win that division.

Go-Go-White-Sox!

 

It feels good to be back.