Almost 40 years later, Milt Pappas still didn't understand how he lost his perfect game.
Pappas died Tuesday at 76 from natural causes. He was a major-leaguer for 17 years, playing with the Baltimore Orioles, Cincinnati Reds, Atlanta Braves and Chicago Cubs, compiling a 209-164 record with a 3.40 ERA, receiving three All-Star game nods and being traded in exchange for Hall of Famer Frank Robinson. Above all, though, Pappas is remembered for the infamous no-hitter he threw while pitching for the Cubs.
These days, no-hitters are a dime a dozen. There were seven thrown last season and 23 since 2011. The perfect game, however, remains a rarity. It's been done 23 times in the history of MLB, and Pappas is on the short list of pitchers who came oh so close to joining the exclusive club.
Pappas had retired 26 straight batters in a game on Sept. 2, 1972 at Wrigley Field against the San Diego Padres. He needed one more out to have his name etched forever in the record books, but he came up one strike short. A 3-2 pitch to Padres pinch-hitter Larry Stahl with two outs in the ninth inning was called a ball by umpire Bruce Froemming, breaking up the perfect game.
After showering Froemming with obscenities, Pappas rebounded and got the next hitter to pop up to second base to seal the no-hitter. No Cubs pitcher has thrown a no-no at Wrigley Field since, but it'll always be identified as the one that got away.
A few more pitchers over the years have shared Pappas' pain. Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga lost a perfect game in 2010 when Jim Joyce blew an obvious call at first base on what would have been the 27th out. Max Scherzer was one out away from perfection last season when he hit Jose Tabata with a pitch.
The oh so close club might not be as prestigious as the one for perfect game hurlers, but it might be just as memorable. Pappas had one heck of a career and what stands out to this day is the game he pitched on Sept. 2, 1972, even if it didn't end up being a perfect game.
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