A Nobody No More

Take that, Slappy.

Dallas Braden is somebody now, as he pitched the 19th perfect game in baseball history on Sunday afternoon as the Oakland A's beat the Tampa Bay Rays, 4-0. It was the second time in two years that the Rays have had a perfect game thrown at them, as the last was last July in Chicago by Mark Buehrle.

I was fortunate to join the game on the MLB package in the 4th inning and stayed with it.

Gabe Kapler grounded out to Cliff Pennington to wrap up the masterpiece. He struck out six, and became the sixth pitcher in Oakland A's history to pitch a no-hitter, and the second to hurl a perfect game, joining Catfish Hunter, who turned the trick in 1968.

After the game, Braden had an emotional reunion with his grandmother on the field. And she met the press afterwards, and said to them, "Stick it, A-Rod." Good for you, Grandma!