Twenty-Seven Down Trivia Quiz

Answer: 27 men up, 27 men down no opposing player on base

Although some of the other answers are close to being acceptable they are not only perfect games. The only possible occurrence of a truly perfect game is three outs per inning over all nine innings, with no opposing player reaching first base. A complete game with no hits isn't a perfect game because this leaves room for a walk.

A pitcher who gives up no hits, and the only base runners were walked, is credited with a no-hitter. A game where the pitcher throws no balls is unlikely, and not necessarily a perfect game because an opposing player can still hit a ball in the strike zone and reach first base. Finally, a game with no relief pitcher is considered a complete game for the starting pitcher.

Answer: False

Despite setting the record for most no-hitters (7), most career strikeouts (5714), and more dubiously most career walks (2795), Nolan Ryan never threw a perfect game in his 27 year career in Major League Baseball. The closest Ryan ever came to perfect was in his first no-hitter with the California Angels on May 15, 1973.

In this game, Ryan gave up just one walk to the Kansas City Royals, to (Designated Hitter) Frank Robinson.

Answer: Lee Richmond

Lee Richmond of the Worcester Worcesters threw the first perfect game in Major League history on June 12, 1880 in a game against the Cleveland Blues. Richmond, a left-handed pitcher, threw five strikeouts during 1-0 win. The incorrect answer choices all threw a perfect game at some point in their career.

Answer: Matt Cain

Matt Cain played for the San Francisco Giants when he achieved perfection on June 13, 2012. During that game, the Giants scored 10 runs of support to aid Cain in the win. The 125 pitches were the most ever thrown in a perfect game, and the 10-0 win over the Houston Astros was the largest margin of victory in a perfect game.

Answer: Don Larsen

Don Larsen threw only 97 pitches and struck out seven Dodgers in the 2-0 Yankees win. Yogi Berra was the catcher in the game. Mickey Mantle hit a Home Run during the 4th inning of the game to help Larsen in the victory.

Answer: seven pitch at-bat that results in a walk

Any play that results in an opposing player reaching first base would blow a perfect game. Although a misplayed foul ball is considered an error it does not result in a baserunner and therefore, doesn't blow a perfect game. The other two possible answers listed both result in outs and therefore would not blow a game that was trending as perfect.

Answer: True

A perfect game occurs when no opposing player reaches first base at any point during the game. There is no limitation that states you may only use one pitcher throughout the entire game: "An official perfect game occurs when a pitcher (or pitchers) retires each batter on the opposing team during the entire course of a game, which consists of at least nine innings.

In a perfect game, no batter reaches any base during the course of the game." (per mlb.com)

Answer: A pitcher must be backed by solid fielding to ensure no errors occur

Although a perfect game is credited to the pitcher (or pitchers) who threw the game, it is very much a team effort, as one error by any player could result in a baserunner, and thus end the perfection. Just because a game goes into extra innings doesn't mean that the perfect game isn't recognized. If a perfect game is achieved through extra innings it would just make the feat that much more impressive, because the pitcher would have faced more batters than normally necessary.

Although a perfect game without a strikeout will likely never happen, it is still possible.

Answer: The final score of the game was Providence 5, Detroit 0

The game which was held on Thursday June 17, 1880 was a matchup between the Providence Grays and the Buffalo Bisons, both of the National League. The final score of 5-0 was definitely more convincing of a win than the 1-0 perfect game which occurred five days earlier.

The next perfect game pitched by a National League team would occur 84 years later on June 21, 1964 by Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Jim Bunning, in a 6-0 routing of the New York Mets.

Answer: Catfish

Oakland pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter was only 22 years old when he threw his perfect game, a 4-0 win over the Minnesota Twins. Hunter struck out 11 batters in the night game which was held at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum.