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Can you throw balls in a perfect game?

Author

Emma Payne

Published Jan 21, 2026

A perfect game is a complete game pitched without a runner reaching base either by hit, base-on-balls, or error. It is one of the rarest feats in baseball and a subset of no-hitters. The first major league perfect game was thrown in 1880 by Lee Richmond. Only five days later, John Ward threw the second one.

Is it possible to throw a perfect game and lose?

Theoretically, a pitcher could lose a perfect game without throwing a pitch in the 10th. The extra-inning runner (EIR) could immediately steal 3rd and home or the pitcher could throw the ball away trying to check the runner .

Can you throw a wild pitch in a perfect game?

The Orioles then caught Haggerty attempting to steal second base, but the wild pitch nullifies the perfect game bid. Means is believed to be the first pitcher in major league history to lose a perfect game on a third-strike wild pitch.

Has anyone ever pitched a 27 pitch game?

Necciai is best remembered for the unique feat of striking out 27 batters in a nine-inning game, which he accomplished in the Class-D Appalachian League on May 13, 1952. He is the only pitcher ever to do so in a nine-inning, professional-league game.

Has there ever been an 81 pitch game?

Nebraska—wearing uniform number 18, Don Larsen's number—strikes out all 27 batters on three pitches each, making it an 81-pitch "super-perfect" game.

28 related questions found

What is longest home run ever hit?

Joey Meyer 582 Feet (1987)

The longest ever verified home run didn't happen in the MLB, it happened in the Triple-A. In 1987, Joey Meyer, playing for the Triple-A Denver Zephyrs, launched this ball astonishing 582 feet home run. Joey Meyer's home run is the longest homer ever recorded on video.

Does Billy Chapel throw perfect game?

The Tigers' shortstop dives and throws to first in time to retire Strout, giving Chapel his perfect game.

What is the rarest feat in baseball?

Unassisted triple plays

The rarest type of triple play, and one of the rarest events of any kind in baseball, is for a single fielder to complete all three outs. There have only been 15 unassisted triple plays in MLB history, making this feat rarer than a perfect game.

Who threw the slowest pitch in MLB history?

Utility player Brock Holt used a few eephus pitches during a relief appearance for the Texas Rangers on August 7, 2021, one registering the slowest MLB pitch for a called strike since at least 2008 (the pitch-tracking era) at 31.1 miles per hour (50.1 km/h).

Why is strikeout called AK?

A “K” is used to refer to a strikeout in baseball because the letter “S” was already used to score a sacrifice. So Henry Chadwick, the inventor of the box score, began using the letter “K” in the 1860s because it is the last letter of “struck”, which was the common term for a strikeout at the time.

How rare is a perfect game bowling?

The odds of a bowling a perfect game is 11,500 to 1. And those odds have to go up even more when you try to do it under 90 seconds. That actually happened for Ben Ketola — and he did it in 86.9 seconds which is a new world record.

Can a foul ball be an error?

A ground ball hit in foul territory is simply a foul ball, and cannot be played. An error can be charged on a catchable ball hit in foul territory that is dropped, even though the batter does not reach base and the runners cannot advance: the mere fact of the at bat being unduly prolonged is enough to merit the error.

Has anyone thrown 2 perfect games?

No major league player has ever thrown two perfect games, although Jean Faut of the AAGPBL accomplished the feat with perfect games in 1951 and 1953.

Is perfect game better than no-hitter?

Main Difference Between No-Hitter and Perfect Game

It is considered fair to score runs by means other than hitting in a no-hitter, but scoring runs by any means will invalidate a perfect game. While a team that pitches a no-hitter wins automatically, a team that plays a perfect game is not awarded the victory.

Can two pitchers throw a perfect game?

Although it is possible for several pitchers to combine for a perfect game (which has happened 17 times in MLB no-hitters), every MLB perfect game so far has been thrown by a single pitcher. Nippon Professional Baseball's 2007 Japan Series ended with a combined perfect game.

Who pitched a perfect game and lost?

On May 26, 1959, Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitched a perfect game for 12 innings against the Milwaukee Braves, but lost the no-hitter and the game in the 13th inning. The game was played at Milwaukee County Stadium.

Did Nolan Ryan throw 108 mph?

1. Nolan Ryan. There have been pitchers who can throw harder than Ryan's 100.9 mph fastball. But there will never be another strikeout pitcher who played as long as Ryan did (27 seasons) for as well as he did.

What is the 12 second rule in baseball?

In fact, baseball has a 12-second rule. Rule 8.04: “When the bases are unoccupied, the pitcher shall deliver the ball to the batter within 12 seconds after he receives the ball. Each time the pitcher delays the game by violating this rule, the umpire shall call 'Ball.

How long does it take a 100 mph fastball to reach the plate?

A 100-mph fastball takes roughly 375-400 milliseconds to reach the plate. For reference, the blink of an eye takes 300-400 milliseconds.

Has a pitcher ever hit 3 homeruns in a game?

The first pitcher to officially hit a home run was Jack Manning, who accomplished the feat on August 3, 1876. The most home runs by a pitcher in a single game is three, achieved by Jim Tobin on May 13, 1942.

How common are no-hitters?

A no-hitter is a rare accomplishment for a pitcher or pitching staff—only 315 have been thrown in MLB history since 1876, an average of about two per year. The most recent major league no-hitter by a single pitcher was thrown on May 10, 2022, by Reid Detmers of the Los Angeles Angels against the Tampa Bay Rays.

What is it called when you strike out 5 times in a game?

The "Olympic Rings" or platinum sombrero applies to a player striking out five times in a game. A horn refers to a player striking out six times in a game; the term was coined by pitcher Mike Flanagan after teammate Sam Horn of the Baltimore Orioles accomplished the feat in an extra-inning game in 1991.

Was Kevin Costner a pitcher?

In 2002, Costner was invited to play in an exhibition game for the minor league Inland Empire 66ers of the California League. He started the game at shortstop and finished up by pitching an inning. On the mound, he faced Seattle Mariners manager Lou Piniella and ended up walking him.

Is Billy Chapel a real person?

For Love of the Game is a novel by American author Michael Shaara, published posthumously in 1991. The book tells the story of fictional baseball great Billy Chapel, thirty-seven years old and nearing the end of his career.