"Perfect games' in other sports and for other players

[gongofdoom]

As we all know a perfect game in baseball occurs when the pitcher or combination of pitchers retires (gets out) 27 (or however many are necessary) batters consecutively without allowing a single one to reach base safely and wins the game.

A perfect game in bowling means you score 300.

But what about other sports? One thing I would include in the criteria is that it can't be a common weekly or monthly occurrence. That;s what makes the perfect game so special. I know that a fairly large number of 300 games are scored ever year in bowling in the amateur ranks, but what about on the professional level?

Take tennis. I guess a perfect or match in tennis would mean winning 6-0 6-0 hitting aces every single time you serve and your opponent double faults every time they attempt to serve, or perhaps you hit winners straight off their serve every time, no rallies.

Golf a hole in one on every hole. I think on the right course and under the right semi crazy weather conditions it could be done.

But what would a perfect game for a batter in a baseball game be? Just getting a hit in every plate appearance isn't at all uncommon. Hitting for the cycle is close, but maybe a bit too common. How about hitting the natural cycle--single, double-triple-home run, but even that may not be uncommon enough. Natural cycle and the home run is a grand slam?

Basketball. Making all of your shots and free throws, again not that uncommon. Double doubles aren't uncommon either. Triple doubles, well Oscar Robertson did it for an entire season. How about a sextuple double: double figures in points, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.

Hockey. There's that thing get in a fight, score a goal, make an assist. Maybe a triple hat trick, 3 fights, 3 goals and 3 assists.

Soccer. I have no goddamn clue or idea.

Football. Maybe for a QB complete every pass and every pass is a touchdown. For a running back, every time you get the ball you score.

[raysox]

Cale Yarborough led all 500 laps at a Bristol race in 1973. Going wire to wire in Nascar has only happen twice otherwise, Yarborough did it again at Nashville in 1978, and Jeff Burton lead every lap at New Hampshire in 2000

[HedleyLamarr]

You're gonna need hurricane-force winds to ace a par-5 hole.....

[dfwabel]

You're gonna need hurricane-force winds to ace a par-5 hole.....

Unless you were the late Kim Jong-Il

As for golf, 2-under par on each hold is "perfect" since when on a Par-3, the best you can do is a hole-in-one.

Bowling an 800 series is much more difficult than bowling a 300.

And with the OP's tennis comparison would then make that a current baseball perfect game not one.

It would be one would only throw 27 pitches and get 27 outs.

No strike outs, no 0-1 popups, no 3-2 flyouts.

[gongofdoom]

You're gonna need hurricane-force winds to ace a par-5 hole.....

Unless you were the late Kim Jong-Il

As for golf, 2-under par on each hold is "perfect" since when on a Par-3, the best you can do is a hole-in-one.

Bowling an 800 series is much more difficult than bowling a 300.

And with the OP's tennis comparison would then make that a current baseball perfect game not one.

It would be one would only throw 27 pitches and get 27 outs.

No strike outs, no 0-1 popups, no 3-2 flyouts.

Good point. So the perfect perfect game in baseball would have the pitcher only throwing 27 pitches. But which is more perfect, ground outs or fly outs? If it's fly outs. outs to the infield or the outfield?

[gongofdoom]

You're gonna need hurricane-force winds to ace a par-5 hole.....

Not necessarily. A friend of a friend aced a 540 yard par five, but it was in winter with snow and ice so the ball hit and bounced and kept rolling into the cup. You'd need to have swirling type winds and occasional large mph gusts.

[Jaffa]

Soccer. I have no goddamn clue or idea.

I don't know about a 'perfect game', but a 'perfect hat trick' occurs when a player scores a left footed goal, a right footed goal and a header.

[sc49erfan15]

Cale Yarborough led all 500 laps at a Bristol race in 1973. Going wire to wire in Nascar has only happen twice otherwise, Yarborough did it again at Nashville in 1978, and Jeff Burton lead every lap at New Hampshire in 2000

Leading from start to finish would definitely be the NASCAR equivalent to a perfect game. Alternatively, what about lapping the entire field? I think the last person to do it was Geoff(rey) Bodine at North Wilkesboro in the mid-1990s. That would be more akin to the "biggest blowout" than "perfect game," though.

Some of these things posted are nearly (if not completely) impossible. Aces on every serve and double faults on every serve for your opponent? Holes in one on every hole? Come on. A perfect game in baseball is a monumental and extremely lucky accomplishment, but it's not impossible. You'd need something similar to compare it to. It's happened 23 times in the history of major league baseball, so look for something that's happened a similar number of times (or has at least happened multiple times) to get an idea of how difficult it is.

Baseball (obviously): 27 batters up, 27 batters down, no baserunners allowed.

Bowling: 900 series - a "perfect game" in bowling is a 300 game, but there are thousands bowled every year. I'd assume every professional or even semi-pro bowler has bowled one, I know a guy who has bowled over a dozen. But a 900 series, or 3 straight perfect games, has only been accomplished 25 times in sanctioned play... so it's more comparable to a baseball perfect game.

Basketball: 5x5 or quadruple-double - you could make an argument for a 1.000 FG% in a game, but you'd probably need to stipulate a minimum number of field goals attempted. 10, or maybe 8, would suffice. Free throws would count toward the "perfect game" but I don't think you can stipulate a minimum number there because it's really not a player's fault if he's never fouled. I have no idea how many times this has happened in the NBA or NCAA. Anyway, my vote goes to a quadruple-double (has happened 4 times in the NBA since 1973-74) or a 5x5, where you accumulate 5 each of points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. There have been 16 5x5s since 1973-74 in the NBA.

Football: Because each position does something completely different, you could go on and on designating what each position would need to do. Perfect passer rating? 100% completion percentage by a QB with a minimum number of attempts and/or TDs and/or yards per attempt? 250 yard rushing game? 150 yard rushing game with minimum 10 carries and 5+ yards per carry average? 250 yards receiving? 200 yards receiving with at least 10 receptions and no drops? Not allowing a completed pass to your assigned receiver with at least 2 interceptions? 10+ tackles with none missed and 2 sacks? Football doesn't lend itself well to the baseball-style concept of a perfect game. David Patten, however, was the most recent of 6 NFL players to throw, catch, and run for a touchdown in the same game.

Auto racing: as raysox said, leading from start to finish.

Golf: as dfwabel said, 2-under/eagle on each hole.

Tennis: golden set (winning a set 6-0 and conceding no points in each game), has only been accomplished 5 times in professional tennis

Hockey: 5 goals in a game (has happened 60 times)... maybe to narrow it down some, stipulate that at last one goal has to be scored shorthanded, at even strength, and on a power play. Or 5 goals on 5 shots? A hat trick in goals and assists?

[dfwabel]

You're gonna need hurricane-force winds to ace a par-5 hole.....

Unless you were the late Kim Jong-Il

As for golf, 2-under par on each hold is "perfect" since when on a Par-3, the best you can do is a hole-in-one.

Bowling an 800 series is much more difficult than bowling a 300.

And with the OP's tennis comparison would then make that a current baseball perfect game not one.

It would be one would only throw 27 pitches and get 27 outs.

No strike outs, no 0-1 popups, no 3-2 flyouts.

Good point. So the perfect perfect game in baseball would have the pitcher only throwing 27 pitches. But which is more perfect, ground outs or fly outs? If it's fly outs. outs to the infield or the outfield?

It does not matter since an out is an out plus at least one batter (NL) would take at least one pitch or there would be a MLB Umpire wanting not to be a part of such history, because they are MLB Umpires.

Rethink your concept as you seem to be like 'flacco6'.

Boxing and MMA have one kick/punch/contact bouts which last whenever the contact occurred (plus 10 seconds or less), so aren't those also perfect?

[OMMF]

Lemieux scoring a goal 5 different ways is pretty close to a perfect game for a hockey player.

[Sport]

Competitive Putt Putt's perfect game is an 18. It's only been done 3 times in 50 years of sanctioned play.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYYvXUMVeQo

[BBTV]

To be "perfect", there CAN'T be any goofy stipulations.

For example, the OPs suggestion of a natrual cycle. That's saying that someone who hits 4 HR is not perfect, unless he intentionally holds up at first, then second, then third, so he can get the cycle.

Scoring a goal 3 different ways makes it more of just an "occurrence" than a skill thing. Functionally, there's no difference in scoring three goals via penalty shots as there is short handed, PP, and even strength.

The football and basketball ones are exceptionally tough, because you have to factor in the result of the game. Can a player really have a perfect game if his team loses?

Baseball is the most individual of the 4 major team sports. It's easier to define individual accomplishments. That's part of why its records are so well known compared to other sports. 500HR is 500HR, while in football, the quality of team, style of offense, changes in rules, etc., make comparing stats nearly irrelevant.

You could define perfect games by team. For example, a 'perfect' football game would be the team's defense doesn't allow a first down, and the offense never punts or kicks a field goal, and the special teams don't allow any significant return, and don't commit any turnovers or lose yards when receiving.

[ninersdd]

You could define perfect games by team. For example, a 'perfect' football game would be the team's defense doesn't allow a first down, and the offense never punts or kicks a field goal, and the special teams don't allow any significant return, and don't commit any turnovers or lose

yards when receiving.

If that ever came close to happening, then the winning team would presumably pull their guys way before the end, so that definitely won't happen anytime. (There has been some 70-0 and 84-0 scorelines, but still).

As for a perfect game in soccer, does Spain 10 Tahiti 0 count?

[Sport]

When I was in 6th grade my football team played 8 games without scoring a single point on our way to an 0-8 record. Reverse perfect season.

[FiddySicks]

You're gonna need hurricane-force winds to ace a par-5 hole.....

Unless you were the late Kim Jong-Il

As for golf, 2-under par on each hold is "perfect" since when on a Par-3, the best you can do is a hole-in-one.

Bowling an 800 series is much more difficult than bowling a 300.

And with the OP's tennis comparison would then make that a current baseball perfect game not one.

It would be one would only throw 27 pitches and get 27 outs.

No strike outs, no 0-1 popups, no 3-2 flyouts.

Good point. So the perfect perfect game in baseball would have the pitcher only throwing 27 pitches. But which is more perfect, ground outs or fly outs? If it's fly outs. outs to the infield or the outfield?

Honestly, one that would be WAY more impressive for a pitcher IMO would be a perfect game with 27 strikeouts.

[sc49erfan15]

Honestly, one that would be WAY more impressive for a pitcher IMO would be a perfect game with 27 strikeouts.

It's happened. Class-D Appalachian League... but still.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1104/mlb.best.single.game.performances/content.2.html

[raysox]

The 27 pitch game is impossible because at some point, the other manager would make thier team take a pitch.

[BBTV]

The 27 pitch game is impossible because at some point, the other manager would make thier team take a pitch.

No, it is possible. Just highly unlikely.

[Sport]

Honestly, one that would be WAY more impressive for a pitcher IMO would be a perfect game with 27 strikeouts.

It's happened. Class-D Appalachian League... but still.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/1104/mlb.best.single.game.performances/content.2.html

Steve Nebraska threw a perfect game by striking out all 27 batters on 81 pitches and that was in the World Series!

[Kramerica Industries]

To be "perfect", there CAN'T be any goofy stipulations.

For example, the OPs suggestion of a natrual cycle. That's saying that someone who hits 4 HR is not perfect, unless he intentionally holds up at first, then second, then third, so he can get the cycle.

Scoring a goal 3 different ways makes it more of just an "occurrence" than a skill thing. Functionally, there's no difference in scoring three goals via penalty shots as there is short handed, PP, and even strength.

The football and basketball ones are exceptionally tough, because you have to factor in the result of the game. Can a player really have a perfect game if his team loses?

Baseball is the most individual of the 4 major team sports. It's easier to define individual accomplishments. That's part of why its records are so well known compared to other sports. 500HR is 500HR, while in football, the quality of team, style of offense, changes in rules, etc., make comparing stats nearly irrelevant.

You could define perfect games by team. For example, a 'perfect' football game would be the team's defense doesn't allow a first down, and the offense never punts or kicks a field goal, and the special teams don't allow any significant return, and don't commit any turnovers or lose yards when receiving.

Maybe, but I guess this is the closest you could get to a perfect hockey game.

Mario Lemieux scored five goals in all five possible ways (ES, PP, SH, PS, and EN) on 12/31/1988.