That Less-Than-Perfect Feeling

We live in strange times. Eleven years ago, on Aug. 15, 2012, Félix Hernández threw the 23rd perfect game in baseball history, against a very good Tampa Bay Rays team*, and it was an unabashed celebration. King Felix was one of the most beloved pitchers of his (or any) generation, a sweetheart of a guy who loves dogs and, when he was right, he channeled some of the greatest pitchers in the game’s history — a little bit of Gibson, a little bit of Marichal, a little beat of Seaver, a little bit of Fergie.

*Though not an especially good-HITTING Rays team.

Hernández’s perfect game came when he was at the height of his powers — he’d won the Cy Young in 2010 and he would receive Cy Young votes in each of the next four seasons. As mentioned, his was the 23rd perfect game, but few of them were by truly great pitchers. None of the pitchers I just mentioned threw a perfect game. The 10 best pitchers to do so, in my opinion, are: