Dallas Braden
Left-handed pitcher who threw the 19th perfect game in MLB history.
Dallas Lee Braden (born August 13, 1983) is an American former professional baseball player and television sports commentator. He played in Major League Baseball as a left-handed pitcher for the Oakland Athletics. Braden pitched the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history, on May 9, 2010. The following season, shoulder problems were the first in a series of injuries that forced him to ultimately retire in 2014 after not throwing a pitch for two and a half seasons. After his playing career, Braden became a television baseball analyst.
Quick Facts
- Role
- Left-handed starting pitcher
- Affiliation (primary era)
- Oakland Athletics
- Signature achievement
- Perfect game
- May 9
- 2010 vs. Tampa Bay Rays
- Innings pitched (perfect game)
- 9
- Game result
- 1–0 Athletics victory
- Historical rank
- 19th perfect game in MLB history
Lore & Background
Braden was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He played Little League baseball in Stockton, California, in the Hoover Tyler Little League. Braden graduated from Stagg High School in Stockton, where he played baseball and ran cross country. His mother, Jodie Atwood, died of cancer during his senior year. After his mother's death, he lived with his maternal grandmother. Braden was first drafted by the Atlanta Braves in the 46th round of the 2001 MLB draft, but he did not sign. He played two seasons of college baseball at American River College, then one season for the Texas Tech Red Raiders. The Oakland Athletics selected Braden in the 24th round of the 2004 MLB draft. He pitched the 19th perfect game in MLB history on May 9, 2010, against the Tampa Bay Rays, on Mother's Day, after having lost his mother to melanoma. 10 years later, Braden claimed to have pitched the game while hung over.
Reader's Guide
Braden was a starting pitcher. He finished the 2010 season with an 11–14 record in 30 starts for the Athletics, throwing five complete games and two shutouts. He made three starts in 2011 before being diagnosed with a torn capsule in his left shoulder, requiring surgery. He missed the remainder of 2011 and the entire 2012 season, and after additional rotator cuff surgery, he missed the first half of 2013. He officially retired on January 14, 2014. In his five seasons with Oakland, Braden appeared in 94 MLB games (79 starts), compiling a 26–36 record with 4.16 ERA. He threw four pitches: a cutter at 82 MPH, a fastball at 86–88 MPH, a slurve at 72–79 MPH and a changeup at 72 MPH. After playing, he joined ESPN as a Baseball Tonight analyst in 2014, later moved to NBC Sports California as a field-level analyst for A's broadcasts, and co-hosted podcasts including 'Starting 9' and 'Baseball Is Dead.'
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