Dallas Braden's perfect game

Lore & Background

Dallas Braden made his MLB debut for the Oakland Athletics in 2007 and became a starting pitcher by 2009. In April 2010, he gained national attention after confronting New York Yankees star Alex Rodriguez for walking across the pitcher's mound, with Braden stating, 'that's not your mound.' Rodriguez dismissed Braden as seeking '15 minutes of fame.'

Braden's perfect game occurred on May 9, 2010, against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum. The night before, seeking to numb the pain of Mother's Day, Braden got drunk with friends. He arrived at the stadium hungover and skipped his usual two-hour scouting report session, only having time to warm up. He threw 109 pitches, struck out six batters, and recorded a game score of 93. The greatest threats to the perfect game came from Jason Bartlett's first-inning line drive, caught by third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff, and Gabe Kapler's ninth-inning at-bat, where Braden mistakenly thought the count was 2-2 instead of 3-1 and threw a fastball outside the zone; Kapler swung and grounded out.

After the final out, Braden hugged his grandmother Peggy Lindsey, who raised him after his mother's death, on the field. They kissed the Saint Christopher medallion Braden wore. Lindsey told reporters, 'Stick it, A-Rod.' Braden finished the 2010 season with an 11–14 record and a 3.50 ERA, but shoulder injuries limited him to three starts in 2011. He retired in 2014 with a career record of 26–36 and a 4.16 ERA.

Reader's Guide

Dallas Braden's perfect game is significant not only as a rare baseball achievement but for the human story behind it. Thrown on Mother's Day—a painful holiday for Braden due to his mother's death—the game featured a pitcher who was hungover and unprepared by his usual standards. The game's survival depended on defensive plays by Kevin Kouzmanoff and a fortunate swing by Gabe Kapler, who could have walked on a 3-1 pitch. Braden's grandmother's presence and her defiant comment toward Alex Rodriguez added a personal dimension. After retiring due to injuries, Braden became a sports commentator for ESPN and NBC Sports California. In 2023, he provided commentary for Domingo Germán's perfect game, making him the only person to have both thrown a perfect game and called one as a commentator.

Did You Know?

• Braden threw his perfect game while suffering from a hangover after getting drunk the night before.
• He incorrectly believed the count was 2-2 against Gabe Kapler in the ninth inning; had Kapler not swung at a 3-1 pitch, he would have walked.
• Braden's grandmother Peggy Lindsey attended every game he started and hugged him on the field after the final out.