My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

Maurits [MSFT] — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 15:41:12 GMT

Home team pitcher throws 27 Ks and after the top of the ninth inning there is no score.

In the bottom of the ninth the pitcher does something so bad that he is permanently banned from baseball and his records are stripped.

Then, still in the bottom of the ninth, the home team scores, winning the game.

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

IdahoJacket — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 23:14:23 GMT

A pitcher starts the game and gets two outs. He then swaps positions with the right fielder, who throws one pitch and gives up a hit. The pitcher swaps positions back and pitches a perfect game the rest of the way. The only question here is did the pitcher pitch a "complete" 9 innings. Using the normal definitions, no, but using the baseball definition of innings as outs recorded, yes (maybe).

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

James — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 22:44:17 GMT

Yes, I sort of answered. Not being a US person I know almost nothing about baseball so have little idea what x may be. Assaulting the officials, perhaps.

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

Neil — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 10:41:51 GMT

@GregM: Thanks for letting those of us outside the World (Series) know what a perfect game actually is.

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

James — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 03:32:53 GMT

Might be more interesting to wonder how nobody can be credited with a perfect game after the pitchers for both sides have a perfect game except for the blocking factor.

[You sort of answered your own question. "Why don't they get credit for a perfect game if they met all the criteria except X?" Um, because they didn't meet the X criterium. -Raymond]

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

Maurits [MSFT] — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 21:33:46 GMT

I would argue that a game which enters the ninth inning at all is a nine-inning game.

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

GregM — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:41:38 GMT

PJ, I agree, it's not a complete perfect ninth.

David, as PJ said, the victory is part of the definition of a perfect game.

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

pj — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 20:16:02 GMT

@David Walker: The pitcher has to be the winner to pitch a perfect game.

@GregM: I am aware that my scenario is NOT a perfect game -- that is the point of the puzzle. The rest comes down to strict definitions. Did a pitcher pitch a "complete perfect" ninth in my scenario? I would say not, which is why I said "very nearly".

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

David Walker — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:27:53 GMT

@Michael Dunn: "So no winner and no perfect game." Are you assuming that a perfect game requires a winner? Are you saying "No winner and THUS no perfect game"?

You might be right, I don't know, but maybe there can be a perfect game without a winner.

re: My colleague picked a good day to go out and catch a baseball game

GregM — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 19:16:24 GMT

PJ, a perfect game is one in which no batter safely reaches first base, for any reason, including an error. In this case, the play is "strikeout, runner reaches on an error", so no out is recorded. The pitcher struck out the 27th batter in a thus-far perfect game, but did not get the 27th out.