As the 2011 season approaches, it’s time to look back at some of the top moments from the Philadelphia Phillies 2010 season. While the team came short of their ultimate goal of winning a World Series championship, there were still several great memories from the past year. Here is a look back on the top 25 moments of 2010 Philadelphia Phillies season.
#2 Simply Perfection – May 29th
The beauty of baseball is that it gives us memories that last a lifetime. Think back and remember where you were the night Tug McGraw struck out Willie Wilson to win the 1980 World Series. Or the emotion you felt when that wacky and wonderful bunch of throwbacks shocked the baseball world and went all of the way to the World Series in 1993. What about when Brad Lidge completed his perfect season and the Phillies ended Philadelphia’s championship drought in 2008?
On a Saturday evening in late May, the Phillies new ace gave fans across the globe another one of those moments.
Where were you the night Roy Halladay was perfect?
Roy Halladay threw the 20th Perfect Game in MLB History
I was in Las Vegas on vacation with my closest group of friends. We had just graduated from college and decided to celebrate with a trip to Sin City. While gambling and watching the World Series of Poker at the Rio, I stepped away to head to the Sportsbook. The Philadelphia Flyers were set to take on the Chicago Blackhawks in Game One of the Stanley Cup Finals and Roy Halladay was about to go toe-to-toe with Marlins ace Josh Johnson. It was a perfect night for a Philadelphia sports fanatic.
With the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns Western Conference Finals showdown on the big board and the Stanley Cup Finals occupying other televisions, I sat down in the back corner at 4:05pm local time to watch the beginning of the Phillies vs. Marlins game on the only small monitor showing the matchup at the Rio. With an hour to kill before the hockey game, I was hoping to watch Roy Halladay lead the Phillies to their second straight win at Sun Life Stadium. Right from the start, it was obvious that Halladay had special stuff.
The Phillies ace struck out Chris Coghlan and Gaby Sanchez to start the game. He then breezed through a 1-2-3 second inning with another 2 strikeouts. In the blink of an eye, Halladay had dismissed 9 straight Marlins including 5 via strikeout.
Halladay was locked in on the at Sun Life Stadium
As the Stanley Cup Finals got underway, Halladay continued to cruise through the Florida lineup. After striking out Hanley Ramirez looking on a 3-2 breaking ball to end the 4th, things were getting very interesting.
12 up, 12 down.
15 up, 15 down. Suddenly there were murmurs throughout the Sportsbook about the Phillies game.
18 up, 18 down. I was no longer the only person in the corner watching the baseball game.
21 up, 21 down. I committed the cardinal sin of superstition. Halladay was overpowering on the mound. You could sense something special was about to happen. I jumped on my phone and texted everyone I knew to put on the Phillies game immediately.
I almost regretted my decision as Jorge Cantu led off the bottom of the 8th inning with a ground ball to 3rd base. Juan Castro, starting for the injured Placido Polanco, made a great stop ranging to his left to keep the perfect game in tact.
“He hit it pretty good,” Castro said, “And I was thinking, if somebody hits the ball close to me, I was going to do whatever it takes to get the ball, so I was fortunate that I caught the ball and made the out.”
Halladay went on to strike out Dan Uggla and get Cody Ross to fly out to center field to end the inning.
24 up, 24 down.
In the modern era of baseball, there have been 177,214 regular season games played. During that 110-year time frame, just 17 other men had accomplished perfection on the mound. In the history of baseball, a perfect game had been achieved just 19 times.
Roy Halladay was three outs away from becoming the twentieth.
The Rio was buzzing. No one was watching the Lakers vs. Suns game or the Stanley Cup Finals. Everyone’s attention was on the small monitor in the back corner as Roy Halladay chased history.
The Phillies ace began the 9th inning by getting pinch hitter Mike Lamb to fly out to deep center field.
25 up, 25 down.
Halladay is congratulated by teammates after his perfect game
“I was going to do whatever it took,” Shane Victorino said about flagging that fly ball down.
The Marlins sent another pinch hitter, former Phillie Wes Helms, to the plate. I thought to myself, “If Wes Helms ruins this moment…”
He didn’t. Helms became the 6th Marlins batter to strike out looking and was the 11th and final punch out of the night for Halladay.
26 up, 26 down.
One out away from a perfect game. I was on my feet, hands clasped together, hoping that I was about to witness history.
Th 33-year old ace was one out away from joining Jim Bunning as the only Phillies pitchers to throw a perfect game. He was one out away from becoming just the 10th Phillies pitcher, and first since Kevin Millwood in 2003, to throw a no hitter. One out away from becoming the eighth National League pitcher, and first since Randy Johnson in 2004, to complete perfection.
Former Phillie Ronny Paulino stepped to the plate looking to avoid history. Halladay spun a 1-2 curveball to Paulino, who grounded softly to the left side of the diamond. Juan Castro ranged to his left and made the throw to first base in time to end it.
He did it.
Roy Halladay pitched a perfect game.
“It’s something you never think about,” Halladay said. “It’s hard to explain. Really, once I got the two outs, I felt like I had a chance. You’re always aware of it. It’s not something that you expect. There’s days where things just kind of click and things happen, and it’s something you obviously never go out and try and do. But it’s a great feeling.”
“It’s more a sense of relief, I think, the very first second than excitement,” continued Halladay. “Knowing you’re that close, and to actually have it happen, it’s a good feeling, but it’s just hard to explain.”
“It’s absolutely amazing,” added Phillies manager Charlie Manuel. “That’s good. That’s amazing. It’s one of the biggest feats a pitcher can do.”
Halladay and Carlos Ruiz were in sync throughout the perfect game
I jumped into the air. It was one of those moments that brings you back to how you felt during your childhood. Pure jubilation. High fives and hugs with random strangers. A moment in sports that takes your breath away.
Roy Halladay had pitched the 20th perfect game in Major League Baseball history.
“Anything can happen in this game, as we all know,” veteran starter Jamie Moyer said. “So I think you always respect that, and you go out and you compete, and you see where it takes you. I can’t be happier for Roy and what he was able to accomplish.”
“Really, just trying to go one pitch at a time,” Halladay said about how he maintained focus. “I know it’s a cliche, but I feel like when I’m most effective, that’s what I’m doing is pitch for pitch and just trying to execute pitches. I can’t say enough about the job that [catcher Carlos] Ruiz did tonight, really. I felt like he was calling a great game up until the fourth or fifth, and at that point, I just felt like I’d let him take over and go with him. He did a great job. Like I said, it was kind of a no-brainer for me. I’d just go out, see the glove and hit it.”
“He was perfect,” said Marlins starter Josh Johnson, who allowed just one unearned run in the 1-0 loss. “I need to go out there and be perfect as well. To give my team a chance to win, that’s what I needed to do.”
Simply Perfect
“Look who’s pitching,” Marlins outfielder Cody Ross said. “It’s Roy Halladay, the best pitcher in baseball. It’s not embarrassing.”
As Halladay completed his perfect game, a rare smile crept onto his face as he was mobbed by his teammates on the field.
“It’s more a sense of relief, I think, the very first second than excitement,” Halladay said about recording the final out. “Knowing you’re that close, and to actually have it happen, it’s a good feeling, but it’s just hard to explain.”
Hard to explain indeed.
History accomplished.
A memory that will last a lifetime.
Simply perfection.
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