<img class="aligncenter size-large wp-image-1443" title="ViperPhoto1" src="/wp-content/uploads/sites/107/2012/07/ViperPhoto11-1024×714.jpg” alt=”” width=”584″ height=”407″ />Author: Nathan Dagley, Owner of
Dagley Insurance & Financial Services
Definitive moments witnessed firsthand in sports always stick with you. These memories are tangible throughout your entire life as if they happened yesterday. Your first touchdown or the time you heard the crack of the ball hitting your bat for the first time. Many of these experiences happen while we are young, but every once in a while we get to experience these perfect moments as an adult. When you get to share the experience with your son, it’s priceless.
According to Wikipedia,
“A perfect game is defined by Major League Baseball as a game in which a pitcher (or combination of pitchers) pitches a victory. Thus, the pitcher (or pitchers) cannot allow any hits, walks, hit batsmen, or any opposing player to reach base safely for any other reason. In the Major Leagues, the feat has been achieved 22 times in the history of Major League baseball—20 times since the modern era began in 1900; most recently by Matt Cain of the San Francisco Giants on June 13, 2012.
A perfect game is, by necessity, both a no-hitter and a shutout. Since the pitcher cannot control whether or not his teammates commit any errors, the pitcher must be backed up by solid fielding to pitch a perfect game.”
I have been playing or coaching baseball for nearly twenty years and have never been involved in a Perfect Game until June 24th, 2012. In an 11u All-star game, that I had the good fortune to coach, my son and I were on the winning side of a Perfect Game. It is certainly unusual to see a perfect game at the Major League level, but perhaps more so at the youth level. Remember that there are no walks allowed and no fielding errors!
Perfection may be achieved on a baseball field, but in life and business imperfection is the norm. Before a team can achieve perfection they must practice and learn from their mistakes. Ironically, it is very rare to achieve back-to-back perfect games.
When things go perfectly in life, enjoy the moment. When things go less than perfect, know that there is an opportunity to learn.
Congratulations to the 11u Katy Viper All-star team on their Perfect Game! This will be one of those moments that we will always remember.