Mark Buehrle Tosses a Perfect Game

Perhaps more than any other sport, baseball has always been a game of terms.

The aspects of the game have become part of our society. Words like strikeout, homer, base or mound are used in everyday lingo. When Americans hear the word "bat," do they think Vampire or baseball?

Exactly.

But there's one word as intertwined with baseball as any, even if it's regularly ignored. That word is enigma.

Think about it. What is more enigmatic than a guy who fails seven times out of 10 being considered a major success? Sixty losses in basketball would be considered epically unsuccessful. In baseball, 60 losses are guaranteed for every team, even the World Series champion.

And then you have the curious case of Mark Buehrle.

After throwing the 18^thth perfect game in baseball history July 23, he's easily one of the most decorated pitchers to ever toe the mound. Then again, he's not.

Buehrlele has accomplished things only a select few have ever mustered (you can count them on one hand). But he's miles from reaching the natural milestones that define a HallFameramer.

EnigmBuehrle

hrle became only the sixth pitcher ever to throw a no-hitter and a perfect game. He's only the fourth to hurl a no-hitter, perfect game and start a game in the World Series. Who are the other three? Just a couple guys named Cy Young, Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson.

That's like putting a spiritual man in the same category as Jesus, the Pope and Mother Teresa.

With a guy in such select company, it's hard to realize just how medBuehrleuehrle is. The guy has never won 20 games in a season (his career-high is 19), but he has won at least 10 games nine straight yBuehrleuehrle haERA's ERA's of above 3.50 seven of his previous nine seasons, including three years of a plus-4 ERA. But his career winning percentage is .596, and hths 19^th on the active wins list with 133. At the age oBuehrleuehrle is the youngest member on the top 20 active wins list.

Enigma.

One of the unquestioned staples of baseball is its pace. It's a long, drawn out game. You have time to take a nap, do your taxes and go on a FoGumpt Gump-like jog from coast to coast ... all before the fifth inning.

Except forBuehrleuehrle is on the moBuehrle

uehrle is one of the few guys who rubs against baseball's slow grain. He was on the mound a total of 32 minutes during his perfect game. The average at-bat was a mere 54 seconds. His rapid catch-and-pitch routine wears you out just watching.

Enigma.

Then you look at the other 17 pitchers to throw a perfect game. it's an enigmatic group if there ever was one. The list includes all-time greats like Young, Koufax, Johnson and Catfish Hunter. It has has all-time duds like Charlie Robertson, who was 49-80 with a 4.44 ERA in his eight-year career. Half of those pitchers hadERA'ser ERA's of 3.70 or higher.

The 18 pitchers who've thrown a perfect game combine for a 3,298-2,393 record (.580 winning percentage) and 3.44 ERA. Of course, those aren't bad numbers by any stretch. But a solid argument can be made that throwing a perfect game is the most difficult thing to do in all of sports. Wouldn't you expect only the game's most elite to accomplish the feat?

Buehrle Buehrle, his career ERA of 3.76 thnks 10^th amongst perfect game hurlers, andthe's 12^th in wins.)

Enigma.

Yeah, "enigma" is a baseball term all right. And beside its entry in the baseball encyclopedia is a big picture Buehrle Buehrle, complete with his black-and-whitSoxhite Sox cap and unshaven beard.