Yankee starting pitcher Domingo German threw the 22nd perfect game since 1903. There were two thrown in the 1880’s, but the rules were different then. While a perfect game doesn’t ensure future success, 7 HOFer’s have achieved the feat.

There’s no rhyme or reason as to who will throw when and under what circumstances. Without besmirching German’s name, outside of New York, he was best known for getting tossed from game earlier this year for pitching with an illegal substance. However, I’m betting most baseball fans have already forgotten about that misdemeanor.

The perfect game forever changes a player’s career as they are members of a very exclusive club. As has been the case with other members, the outing may not change much during a season. These outings usually come out of nowhere.

Even after the perfect performance, he has a 4.54 ERA. His performance this season has been uneven at best. In the two previous outings he allowed 15 earned runs in 5 1/3 innings. However, in his two previous June appearances, he allowed only 2 earned runs in 12.1 innings. Guessing which German will take the hill in July is anyone’s guess.

And unless you collect memorabilia from perfect games, one probably doesn’t recall the last one came in August of 2012 when “King” Felix Rodriguez (no relation) beat Tampa 1-0 as a member of the Mariners. By my count, 15 of the 22 pitchers had at least modest success in their careers.

Others have been suggesting that the perfect game is likely to be as rare as the dodo or a unicorn. Aside from the requisite good luck, having the right stuff and cooperative umpires, pitchers need managers who will go against the trend of monitoring pitch counts. Some have suggested that pitchers may have a harder time because of the pitch clock. Even if pitchers pretend not to be aware of the situation, it’s likely that they might require a few extra seconds between pitches-to gather themselves. Having said all that, I wouldn’t be that surprised if some unknown on the Reds staff joined the club next week.

Congrats Domingo!