Wood's 20 K's vs Buehrle's perfect game

[Jordan4life_2007]

http://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SD...200107180.shtml

 

Thanx. I have no recollection of this masterpiece at all. Wish I could've seen it.

[sircaffey]

Keeping 20 Major League hitters from not even putting the ball in play is mind-boggling to me. 6 2/3 IP of pure whiffs. That's a full start for most SP.

[zenryan]

Gotta go with Wood and his 20k's.

 

Wood single-handily did everything to accomplish that feat while Buehrle still had to rely on his teammates to get his perfect game. Plus there's a lot of luck in throwing a perfect game.

[SockMe]

MB56 had help on his accomplishment. I mean he had what 7 k's? On Wood's 20k game that's all him. I'd rather throw a perfect game though.

[LittleHurt05]

Not even a comparison, the way K-Wood's curve was dropping that day, unhittable....I'll always remember Mark's perfect game, but it doesnt compare to the 20K game at all

[G&T]

MB56 had help on his accomplishment. I mean he had what 7 k's? On Wood's 20k game that's all him. I'd rather throw a perfect game though.

 

Exactly. A perfect game is a team feat with the pitcher as the leader. What makes the perfect game so impressive is the MB doesn't have great stuff. So for him to do it is very impressive. But Wood's was a more dominating performance.

[Harry Chappas]

The weather helped Wood out a ton. It is kind of like looking at Zambrano's no hitter, you need to look at the situation as a whole, same with Buehrle's no hitter.

 

There also wasn't much pressue on Wood as there was no no-hitter or perfect game on the line. Over all though, I think Wood's was more dominating but the fact that a contact pitcher threw a perfect game is more impressive.

[BearSox]

The weather helped Wood out a ton. It is kind of like looking at Zambrano's no hitter, you need to look at the situation as a whole, same with Buehrle's no hitter.

 

There also wasn't much pressue on Wood as there was no no-hitter or perfect game on the line. Over all though, I think Wood's was more dominating but the fact that a contact pitcher threw a perfect game is more impressive.

 

 

It didnt matter what the weather would be like, the stuff he had that day... he was gonna get 20 k's or close to it no matter who he faced or where he faced them. His slider that day was probably the nastiest pitch anyone has thrown in the past 20 years. Top it off he was setting up his slider with a 99 mph fastball with movement, the hitters had no chance.

[Middle Buffalo]

What's more rare? Throwing a no-hitter AND perfect game, or a 20K game?

Randy Johnson did all three.

 

I think a perfect game is more impressive. The pressure mounts on everyone in the field, so the smallest lapse in attention can end it all.

[Harry Chappas]

It didnt matter what the weather would be like, the stuff he had that day... he was gonna get 20 k's or close to it no matter who he faced or where he faced them. His slider that day was probably the nastiest pitch anyone has thrown in the past 20 years. Top it off he was setting up his slider with a 99 mph fastball with movement, the hitters had no chance.

 

It was a cold, overcast, rainy day in May. It was like playing at twilight in that the lights did not take full affect.

 

The talk at the time was that the performance in those conditions could also have an adverse affect on his arm.

 

I was just saying that these things helped it and it was a dominating performance.

[Texsox]

I have also heard from a Cub fan friend that was there that day that Orie's non-play was definitely a hit.

 

Not that I agree or disagree, but in general this is one time I always side with the guy watching 15 replays on TV versus the guy at the game.

 

And both are pretty damn sweet and gives a guy bragging rights in almost every locker room.

 

I'm going to add this, if that ball was fielded cleanly for Woods or ruled an error, we would be talking about that as the greatest game ever pitched. So I begrudgingly have to say Woods.

[Middle Buffalo]

The talk at the time was that the performance in those conditions could also have an adverse affect on his arm.

Wood's mechanics were due to lead to an arm injury. As I recall, that was the common opinion throughout baseball at the time, and I know that I've heard Steve Stone say it on the Score. I'm not professing to be an ezpert on pitching mechanics. http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/baseba.../KerryWood.html

 

Contrast that with Mark Prior, who was said to have a perfect delivery when he was drafted. This guy disputes that notion, but coming out of college, that was the opinion. http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseba...erspective.html

[Harry Chappas]

Wood's mechanics were due to lead to an arm injury. As I recall, that was the common opinion throughout baseball at the time, and I know that I've heard Steve Stone say it on the Score. I'm not professing to be an ezpert on pitching mechanics. http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/baseba.../KerryWood.html

 

Contrast that with Mark Prior, who was said to have a perfect delivery when he was drafted. This guy disputes that notion, but coming out of college, that was the opinion. http://www.chrisoleary.com/projects/Baseba...erspective.html

 

The talk around town as it was the beginning of pitch counts and how to keep pitchers healthy was that the conditions were such that the game could have a negative long term impact. Mechanics and what not became the thing a few years later with Tom House v. Mike Marshall.

 

The impressive part as I look at it is a guy doing something really out of the norm. Brady Anderson, if not Ped enhanced, is impressive as at the time 50 HR were rare compared to today and for a guy like Anderson to do it was impressive. I just think there is a difference in comparing the accomplishments. Kind of like comparing someone hitting .400 and somebody hitting 60 HR without PEDS.

 

 

[whitesoxfan101]

This isn't close, Wood's 20 K game was better IMO. Only baserunner was due to what should have been an error, Wood really threw a no hitter if not for bad scorekeeping. And obviously he can't control what a fielder does behind him. It doesn't take away from what Buehrle did though.

[bmags]

The talk around town as it was the beginning of pitch counts and how to keep pitchers healthy was that the conditions were such that the game could have a negative long term impact. Mechanics and what not became the thing a few years later with Tom House v. Mike Marshall.

 

The impressive part as I look at it is a guy doing something really out of the norm. Brady Anderson, if not Ped enhanced, is impressive as at the time 50 HR were rare compared to today and for a guy like Anderson to do it was impressive. I just think there is a difference in comparing the accomplishments. Kind of like comparing someone hitting .400 and somebody hitting 60 HR without PEDS.

 

50 Hrs is more common today than in the late nineties?

[WilliamTell]

I'd have to take 20 strikeouts the upper hand, but I'd rather have the perfect game. Since 1986, there have been 3 20 K games in the standard 9 innings, Johnson had 20 in 11 innings I think. Since 1986 there have been 7 perfect games. No question the 20 K performance is more uncommon.

[bmags]

20 ks is incredible. That performance was amazing. Both showed how exciting great pitching can be, however.

[WSoxMatt]

That 20K game made Wood a lot of money!!

 

As a fan of course we would rather the perfecto...As for domination, Wood way more dominant...as for more occurrancers, perfect games...Both pitchers were in fact AWESOME on those days...We are all amazed by what MB did b/c he does not hane no hit stuff, yet he has 2 no nos...makes him a GREAT pitcher in my mind..

 

As for impressive, I have to go with the perfect game...The teams mobs you like you won a world series, MB got a call from the President, and its 27 in a row...

What impressed me about Wood was he kept his pitch count at a managable level to remain in that game to get 20Ks

[bmags]

What I love is that 20 became such a number. Just like with getting 8 1/3 innings of perfect ball, getting 18 ks is great, but won't really be remembered.

[LosMediasBlancas]

How about their age and the point at their careers when they did it?

[Kalapse]

How about their age and the point at their careers when they did it?

That's a good point. It was the 5th start of Wood's career at age 21.

 

Buehrle's perfect game came in his 313 career outing at age 30.

[WSoxMatt]

How about their age and the point at their careers when they did it?

 

While amazing Wood did it so young, this point favor to Buehrle in that those hitters have seen him a million times in person and on video, while Houston hitters probably had no clue about Wood except for his 97MPH fastball...when they saw that hammer coming, it was time to bail!

[SoxAce]

While amazing Wood did it so young, this point favor to Buehrle in that those hitters have seen him a million times in person and on video, while Houston hitters probably had no clue about Wood except for his 97MPH fastball...when they saw that hammer coming, it was time to bail!

 

I still remember a quote (I think it was Biggio) stating it would be like hitting against a ghost out there as they had no clue about his stuff (only could look at the couple starts on film and scout quotes in AAA) If Kapler didn't hit that one hard hit ball to Wise for the catch, Buehrle might have had the easiest perfect game in terms of basically no great plays on defense at all ever in a no-hitter. (hell in his no-hitter against Texas, guys like Crede, Uribe, Konerko, even Dye etc.. were outstanding defensively)

Edited March 29, 2010 by SoxAce

[kev211]

They are both impressive, but I think wood's was more dominating. But at the same time theres no pressure on a 20 k game of giving up a dinky hit and it all being over.

[Jordan4life_2007]

I still remember a quote (I think it was Biggio) stating it would be like hitting against a ghost out there as they had no clue about his stuff (only could look at the couple starts on film and scout quotes in AAA) If Kapler didn't hit that one hard hit ball to Wise for the catch, Buehrle might have had the easiest perfect game in terms of basically no great plays on defense at all ever in a no-hitter. (hell in his no-hitter against Texas, guys like Crede, Alexei, Konerko, even Dye etc.. were outstanding defensively)

 

Do you mean Uribe?