NOBODY’S PERFECT

If Bo Derek was a perfect 10, on Monday night Clay Buchholz had to register at 9.9 on the perfection scale. The 24 year old Texan pitched a complete game, 1 hit shutout on Memorial Day in Louisville Kentucky. Buchholz faced 28 batters, just one over the minimum. After setting down the first 24 hitters he saw, Buchholz gave up a single to Danny Richar, leading off the ninth. Buchholz then retired the final three batters. His control was impeccable. So good, in fact, that he reached a 3ball count just once all night. It was to Michael Griffin in the third. Buchholz admitted having a case of the nerves late in the game, saying that he felt “The last 2 innings took longer than the first seven.” Buchholz topped out at 97 miles per hour, according to the in-stadium radar gun. Clay, who threw a no-hitter for Boston on September 1, 2007 against the Orioles, said he had never been involved in a perfect game. The nerves trickled all the way down to the radio booth, as I called the action, hoping desparately to witness history. Bronson Arroyo threw the last PawSox no-no, a perfecto in August of 2003. It didn’t turn out to be a Vin Scully/Billy Chapel moment like in the vastly under rated baseball movie classice, “For Love of the Game”. It was ultimately not historic, but man, it was special.

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Dusty Brown and Paul McAnulty hit back to back homers in the sixth inning, the first time the PawSox have turned that trick in 2009. Brownie also caught Clay’s masterpiece. I was really digging Dusty’s sunglasses that he wore during our long travel day to Kentucky. They reminded me of vintage Elvis Presley. (the older one).

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Spotted the Syracuse Chiefs in the Louisville airport Monday. They were still there six hours after their flight was grounded due to mechanical problems. They were forced to charter a flight to get home in time for their 6:00 p.m. game with Scranton. Better them than us. Every dog has his day.

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Also spotted Richard Pitino, a Providence College grad and son of Louisville coach Rick Pitino at the airport. The younger Pitino recently accepted a job as assistant coach at Florida under former Friar, and Pitino disciple, Billy Donovan.