Dallas Braden Throws Perfect Game

Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden threw a perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays this afternoon en route to a 4-0 victory.

Braden beat the best team in baseball by striking out six Rays for his fourth victory of the 2010 season.

Prior to today, Braden was best known for shouting at New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez last month for crossing the pitching mound during a game last month. A-Rod mocked Braden for berating him because he had "a handful of wins in his career."

Well, now Braden is only one of 19 pitchers in MLB history to have thrown a perfect game. For his part, A-Rod said "good for him" when asked about Braden's achievement. A-Rod added, "And better yet, he beat the Rays." And he helped put the Yankees into first place in the AL East.

As for Braden and A-Rod, I like the fact he shouted at him. Not because he's a Yankee but because it shows Braden is a competitor. I would love to see Braden in a Red Sox uniform.

It is the second time in less than a year the Rays have been on the wrong end a perfect game. Last July, Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox threw a perfect game against the Rays which featured a dramatic catch by centerfielder DeWayne Wise (who is now in the Phillies organization).

The only down note to this day is that Braden's mother wasn't around to see her son's achievement. She died of cancer while Braden was a senior in high school. Well, she couldn't have asked for a better tribute.