How special was it? Think about this: there are 30 Major League Baseball teams. All play 162 games a season. So it’s not like pitchers lack the opportunity to be perfect. They seldom are–very seldom. Over 135 years of baseball with well over 300,000 games played, there have been 23 perfect games pitched. A perfect game tends to get your attention.
There are a great number of Canadians who remember where they were that late Sunday afternoon back in 1991 when Martinez, a native of Nicaragua who revived his career in Canada after falling victim to alcoholism and beating it, caught our collective eye.
mates after final out.
© CP file photo/CRAIG FUJII
Maybe it was the day–a lovely July Sunday–that helped cement the event forever. For many, baseball is meant to be played by day with the radio playing low in the background as we carry out our summer chores, indulge in the smells and sights of summer.
Sure, many were likely listening to the Toronto Blue Jays. But it’s funny how word can spread that something special is happening–a memory being born. Martinez captivated Canada.
This past Sunday, the Toronto Blue Jays and their fans did not forget. Martinez, now a pitching coach for the Houston Astros, was accorded a standing ovation when the public address announcer brought notice of the date and the the man himself, stationed in the Houston Bullpen, was in the ballpark. In a miserable season, those Toronto fans took the occasion to celebrate greatness.
Terry Haig spoke with Dennis Martinez Monday about both Sundays and his memories.
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