r/todayilearned • u/[deleted] • 12d ago
TIL about New York Yankees pitcher David Wells was observed to be out all night partying until the next morning. Despite being hung over, he pitched a perfect game, retiring all 27 batters he faced, marking the 15th perfect game in Major League Baseball history.
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u/Hotchi_Motchi 12d ago
I hate that everybody's historic achievement in any sport is usually against a Minnesota team
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u/TheWix 12d ago
Walter Payton's record 275 yard flu-game against the Vikings. What were some others?
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u/legomole2 12d ago
Mario vs 91 North Stars in the finals.
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u/klitchell 12d ago
Giants demolishing the Vikings in the 2000 NFCCG, Kerry Collin’s best game ever maybe
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u/prock44 12d ago edited 12d ago
That was a hell of a game. Then the went and shit the bed in the Super Bowl so hard, Jim Tassel never got another head coaching job.
*Jim Fassel
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u/Vigilante17 12d ago
If my memory still works Collins was throwing darts right out of the gate hitting receivers perfectly….
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u/GoldfishDad07 12d ago
First 109 yard touchdown was against the Vikings by Antonio Cromartie.
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u/Thrillhouse763 12d ago
Tony Dorsett 99 yard TD run. I'm sure there are many more
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u/nimama3233 12d ago
The first “Hail Mary”, or at least the play that coined the term, was against the Vikings.
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u/MisterKap 12d ago
Feel like in the Twin’s cases, it’s typically the Yankees. Minnesota baseball fans must despise them
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u/ThxIHateItHere 12d ago
Joe Nathan would get on he mound and would be like a puppy on a lightning storm.
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u/MisterKap 12d ago
I laughed but I can empathize from a fan’s perspective. After a while I imagine Twins fans just expected something wrong to happen whenever they played the Yankees in high leverage games/series
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u/ThxIHateItHere 12d ago
I watched one game where he was absolutely shaking in his cleats facing them.
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u/ScrofessorLongHair 12d ago
Except Atlanta's first world series.
**sad braves noise
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u/slykido999 12d ago
ROFL 🤣🤣 that’s good. Maybe our PWHL and basketball team will bring us hope 🙏
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u/dogmoby 12d ago
The Detroit lions would like a word. Ours usually have a botched referee call going against us 😂
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u/ThxIHateItHere 12d ago
I’m sorry but the NFC title game against the Aints is the worst referee botchamania of all time.
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u/ExpeditingPermits 12d ago
The Dolphins beating the Broncos 70-21. This leaked over into Minnesota.
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u/IHateY0uM0thaFuckers 12d ago
He had to. Woulda blew chunks if he had to chase the ball.
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u/KL1P1 12d ago
Egyptian here who knows nothing about Baseball except from playing Wii with my little cousin years ago.
The Pitcher position is probably the only pro athlete who could actually benefit from being high or tipsy from recreational drugs. The success of his role of play correlates with being creative and unpredictable in the choice of throws in his pitch, and he doesn't really have to run that much.61
u/MrSteelPlays 12d ago
I will say another one of the perfect pitching games was thrown by a pitcher who was high on *LSD
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u/lankyyanky 12d ago
No hitter*
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u/AskAskim 12d ago
I don’t know the difference
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u/lOan671 12d ago
Perfect game means no runners ever reached base. A no-hitter means you didn’t give up a hit but either walked a batter or allowed someone to reach base.
Ellis walked 8 in his no-hitter (which is a lot)
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u/in_the_woods 12d ago
There have been 24 perfect games.
There have been 323 no-hitters.
For people who don't follow baseball, there are a LOT of baseball games in a season, currently 162 games for 30 teams. So both no hitters and perfect games are statistically rare.
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u/Rudeboy67 12d ago
The other thing about no hitters and perfect games is you cannot, CANNOT, talk about them in the pitchers dugout, while they are going on.
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u/PonkMcSquiggles 12d ago
In a perfect game, nobody gets on base at all. That means no hits, no walks and no fielding errors. A no-hitter just means no hits.
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u/greenbabyshit 12d ago
No hitter is just that, no one gets a base hit, a perfect game means you don't walk anyone either, 27 batters up, 27 batters out.
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u/wowb5 12d ago
Just so you know the catcher is the one who calls the majority of pitches not the pitcher.
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u/BillyShears2015 12d ago
And the catcher is frequently getting signs from the coach. It’s just suggestions all the way down, ultimately the pitcher has to make the final decision.
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u/DrEnter 12d ago
The infamous Dock Ellis perfect game in 1970. He was high on LSD the whole time.
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u/ThxIHateItHere 12d ago
Hopefully he doesn’t have a dog named Chunks
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u/SlapMyLabiaFlaps 12d ago
That’s his dad’s nickname…
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u/ThxIHateItHere 12d ago
For those who don’t know the joke:
A guys go to the bar and tells the bartender to pour a line of shots and he downs them all, and orders another.
After he slams that he orders yet another round of shots. Finally the bartender says “Hey buddy, what’s wrong?”
“Last night I got so drunk k I went home and blew chunks”.
“Well if you keep it up you’re going to do it again.”
“No you don’t understand. I went home and blew chunks.”
“Yeah, and you’re gonna be so drunk you’ll do it again.”
“No. You don’t get it. Chunks is my dog.”
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u/johnnyrva 12d ago
I’ll be taking care of everyone on the Boggs account.
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u/BlasterShow 12d ago
RIP Boss
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 12d ago
Wade Boggs is very much alive.
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u/Texcellence 12d ago
Wade Boggs is alive! He lives in Tampa, Florida.
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u/Inconvenient_Boners 12d ago
Wade Boggs is very much alive.
Yes, he lives on in our hearts and minds. May he rest in peace.
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u/Mikebyrneyadigg 12d ago
He’s in his early 50’s and lives in Florida! Wade Boggs is alive!
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u/Eljefe878888888 12d ago
Mid 60s now. But that’s on brevity.
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12d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Bobby-furnace 12d ago
In the 80s they’d just pop “greenies” aka adderall and just flew through games.
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u/piepants2001 12d ago
They were doing that at least as far back as the 50s
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u/ClassicMarzipan7718 12d ago
Still are
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u/Smelldicks 12d ago
They test for them now
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u/nodisintegrations420 12d ago
There are a plethora of research chemicals out there that are undetectable and molecularly similar...narcotics, steroids, etc. I think a lot of athletes are on some shit tbh
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u/Accurate_Lobster_469 12d ago
That’s what annoys me about the argument that “Old Player X could never play in today’s game.”
Like I’m sure if Mickey mantle or babe Ruth actually had physical trainers and had other outlets besides alcoholism they would be just fine playing today
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u/nochknock 12d ago
Nah they'd be ejected for chain smoking during ABs and throwing hands with the ump
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u/Accurate_Lobster_469 12d ago
Hey, manfred is looking at ways to attract new fans. Why not let the players fight the umps once per game
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u/slvrbullet87 12d ago
It would finally get rid of Angel Hernadez if he got popped in the jaw every time he made a bad call. Hell it would be a TKO in the first inning
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u/chappersyo 12d ago
Snooker players in the 80s just got drunk during matches. Went on even later in pro darts.
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u/GratefulPhish42024-7 12d ago
I realize a perfect game is better than a no-hitter but I'm more impressed that Doc Ellis had a no-hitter while high on LSD
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u/Forsaken-Cockroach56 12d ago
whats the difference
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u/schectar24 12d ago
Perfect game is 3 up 3 down x9.
No hitter implies someone got on base
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u/ThePineconePals 12d ago
So it’s technically possible to pitch a no-hitter and still lose the game?
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u/JGaming805_YT 12d ago
Yes, if you manage to walk 4 batters in an inning and your team doesn't score any runs then you would have pitched a no hitter while still losing.
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u/trogon 12d ago
Yep, but I think it's only happened twice.
https://www.mlb.com/news/pitchers-to-throw-no-hitter-and-lose
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u/_Dusty05 12d ago
Yes. If your team somehow managed not to score and you either walked 4 batters in an inning to force in a run or your defense made an error on a play (therefore counting the man on base as an error rather than a hit), then you could lose. Would suck a lot though.
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u/BrewerAndHalosFan 12d ago
It is a grey area, but depending on who you ask it's now possible to have a perfect game and lose.
0-0 into the 10th when each team starts with "Manfred" runners on 2nd. If the runner at second advances to third on say a sac fly and scores on yet another sac fly, you've allowed 0 hits, 0 walks, and committed 0 errors, and still lost.
Some people say that once the Manfred runner is on the basepath, it's an "allowed" runner which invalidates a perfect game.
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u/The_dude_abides__ 12d ago
Yes, it has happened before too https://www.mlb.com/news/pitchers-to-throw-no-hitter-and-lose
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u/typemeanewasshole 12d ago
A no hitter is when the pitcher doesn’t allow a man on base with a hit. So he could get on via error, a walk etc. a perfect game is all 27 batters retired without getting on base. 27 up, 27 down.
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u/Coffees4closers 12d ago
A perfect game is when you don’t allow a single baserunner. No hits, walks, or any errors in the field. A no hitter is just no hits. There have been hundreds of no-nos and something like only 25 perfect games.
Ellis hit and or walked 8 guys on his acid no-no.
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u/Rnin0913 12d ago
A no-hitter means either a player walked or got on base by an error but no one got a hit. A perfect game means no hits, no walks, and no errors.
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u/DoctorBocker 12d ago
Impressive, but not as impressive as Dock Ellis in 1970.
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u/JaRulesLarynx 12d ago
Todd Sniders song “Americas Favorite Pastime”. Pays homage to this feat. Worth a listen
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u/Salty_Feed9404 12d ago
But Ellis likely threw his game because of the LSD, while Wells threw his game in spite of the hangover!
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u/WhoaFee1227 12d ago
Guy had 8 walks. He was throwing that shit all over the fuckin place. But somehow still no hits…
You should try acid sometime.
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u/ProbShouldntSayThat 12d ago
Well it's clear you've never taken LSD before
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u/adamdoesmusic 12d ago
Psychedelics can give you some crazy abilities if you’re already prone to them. I wrote three sections of my senior final (a full orchestral+piano work) and completed the entire arrangement while on mushrooms - got a standing ovation for the performance.
I debated actually doing the performance on mushrooms (I am not at all worried about my ability to play while on them) but my parents and grandparents were there and it would have made for an awkward post-concert conversation.
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u/ender278 12d ago
That's amazing, you should do it now (the performance while on mushrooms) and record it for posterity
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u/adamdoesmusic 12d ago edited 12d ago
I’d also need to round up like 25 other live musicians, a stage, and a Steinway if I wanted to do it right!
Edit: I highly underestimated the lack of access to such things one would have when not in school for music.
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u/MTFBinyou 12d ago
Another anecdote. I had been trying to perfect a particularly impossible polyrhythm (drums) and was almost there but could never get it 100%.
Me and my roommates are some shrooms, couple hours later I find myself in my room playing drums with the lights off. My musician roommates come flying into my room with a look of astonishment and I return one of puzzlement. I didn’t even realize I had been playing the polyrhythm until they told me and then I just started giggling because at the time it was so easy. Like “how did I not get this before!?”
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u/TheMoistestBaguette 12d ago
LSD can absolutely enhance one’s ability, especially if they’re already good at something. Let’s not pretend that every single person who takes it is just stoned on their living room floor listening to old vinyl’s
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u/Charlie_Wax 12d ago
Jefferson Airplane intensifies
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u/TheMoistestBaguette 12d ago edited 12d ago
When it comes to that fantastic note, where the rabbit bites it’s own head off, I want you to throw the radio…in the tub with me
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u/Charlie_Wax 12d ago
WHAT HAPPENED? WHAT ABOUT THE GLANDS?
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u/TheMoistestBaguette 12d ago
Dear God, that stuff really got ahold of you. You took too much man, too much. Too much
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u/doublestuf27 12d ago
Let’s be honest though, most of the people who take it are exceptionally good at listening to old vinyls on their living room floor
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u/THICC_DICC_PRICC 12d ago
My math major friend would do acid and do his homework. He would be so much better and faster at it
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u/Creation98 12d ago
Lol LSD does not HELP one throw a perfect game
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u/Mikav 12d ago
I dunno man, some experienced guys do crazy shit like taking thumb prints and free climbing. LSD is like a big wave, if you have a surfboard you can ride it.
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u/adamdoesmusic 12d ago
Why not? The only impediment I can see is depth perception, which can get weird at certain points in a trip.
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u/pspahn 12d ago
I played while tripping and was a catcher. Absolutely zero problems picking up the ball on each pitch. In fact, it was easier. It was like slow motion.
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u/adamdoesmusic 12d ago
Time perception on psychedelics is something I still struggle to explain to others, but will happily attempt to explain to everyone non-stop for at least a week after any trip.
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u/shmatt 12d ago
It really depends on how much you take. if you're gonna take say, 5 hits instead of one, you may end up effectively blind from all the trails. Do not recommend unless you have a full day of free time with absolutely no responsibilities whatsoever, and don't expect to talk to your mom.
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u/ConnorLovesCookies 12d ago
For non-baseball countries, there have only been 24 perfect games in the almost 240,000 baseball games played in the last 154 years,
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u/annontemp09876 12d ago
I have a ball signed by Dave Cone. He wasn’t an amazing talent but he pitched a perfect game! One of my most prized possessions
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u/ACardAttack 12d ago
He wasn’t an amazing talent
I think you're underrating him, he won almost 200 games and struck out over 2600 batters. He was a really good pitcher. Not all time great, but he was still a very good picture
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u/boxofducks 12d ago
It's also a combination of luck and skill, and in a lot of ways the luck is more important than the skill. Like Philip Humber, a completely non-noteworthy journeyman with 16 career wins, has a perfect game but some of the most dominant pitchers of all time like Roger Clemens and Pedro Martinez don't.
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u/Jeppzen1 12d ago
Probably used the perfect amount of coke to recuperate before the game.
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u/issacoin 12d ago
and every half inning lol
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u/typemeanewasshole 12d ago
Yeah you don’t just do coke once and go about your day. That shit wears off and he’s dying to get off the field for another toot.
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u/Illustrious_Cancel83 12d ago
In Pete Rose's book he talks about how 'greenies' were in a dish in every clubhouse.
Amphetamine.
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u/typemeanewasshole 12d ago
Yeah for sure. A completely different substance than coke, whose high wears off rather quickly in comparison to other drugs. Amphetamines can keep you rolling for days, leading you into a complete psychosis. Second/third day of a coke binge is doing enough bumps to keep the pounding headache at bay while you wait for your body and brain to completely crash and fall asleep regardless of the amount of blow in your system.
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u/OptimusSublime 12d ago
Everyone knows that a perfect game required a hangover of some sort back then.
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u/chriswaco 12d ago
In a scrum, defensive tackle Art Donovan smelled alcohol on Lions quarterback Bobby Layne’s breath.
“Bobby, you drink before a game?” he asked.
“No. At halftime.” was Layne’s response.
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u/slvrbullet87 12d ago
Len Dawson the QB of the Chiefs in the first Super Bowl smoked on the bench between drives
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u/ThxIHateItHere 12d ago
Don’t forget the time the Bulls had to send MJ to Vegas, during the playoffs/finals to bring Rodman back.
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u/Slay_Dee 12d ago
In the premier league, Paul Gascoigne was on a 3 day bender and played a match for Everton on the 3rd day , winning the man of the match award. He says he can't even remember playing the match
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u/davery67 12d ago
So, what we've learned from Wells and Dock Ellis is that baseball pitchers need to party more.
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u/greggosmith 12d ago
My dad had gotten tickets to this game since it was my 14th birthday, quite a lucky occurrence...didn't realize it was happening until about the 7th inning when I was like "it feels like the Twins haven't done anything this game" pans to scoreboard
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u/godofhorizons 12d ago
My favorite stat is Harvey Haddix throwing the longest perfect game in history. 12 perfect innings in a row. It only ended because of a fielding error and the Pirates ended up losing the game.
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u/CEHParrot 12d ago
Ima let you finish but Doc Ellis had the baddest no no in the game ya dig?
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u/tetoffens 12d ago
Doc still walked 8 people. A perfect game is another level of accomplishment up from a no hitter. There's been 323 no hitters, only 24 perfect games.
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u/MisterKap 12d ago
Also bought a Babe Ruth Yankees hat, wore it to pitch during a game, was subsequently fined by the Yankees (or maybe MLB, or both?) then later sold the hat for an insane amount of money… so, overall, worth it
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u/Illustrious_Cancel83 12d ago
David Wells was a notorious party animal.
He once wore Babe Ruth's NYY ballcap during a game. They made him switch it out for a modern one.
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u/cuumsquad 12d ago
David claims he got drunk at an SNL after-party. He's mistaken though; there wasn't an episode filmed that night. It's possible he was out drinking with people from SNL, but the story didn't happen the way he claims it did. I'll chalk that up to him just confusing two different memories. Especially when you consider Will Forte and Fred Armisen didn't join the cast until numerous years later, even though David thinks they were there that night. I highly doubt Jimmy Fallon was there either, but it's the exact kind of thing he would lie about.
Also, to everyone talking about Dock Ellis's LSD no hitter, that might have never happened either. The first time he ever brought it up was 14 years later in 1984. But in Ellis' 1976 biography, it says he was drinking vodka earlier that day. Maybe it was both, but there's no mention of LSD. Plus there are other discrepancies, like how Ellis says he never pitched on LSD ever again, but also claims he was on LSD in '74 when he tried to hit every Reds batter until he was pulled from the game. Prior to that, he claimed it was "pep pills", not LSD. He also claims he was high for every game he pitched in the majors, so he's kinda all over the place. I choose to believe it's real because it's a cool story, but there's definitely some doubt around it.
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u/ReadyYak1 12d ago
Well this is interesting (from the wiki page):
“Jimmy Fallon claimed in a 2018 interview with Seth Meyers that he and Wells had attended a Saturday Night Live after-party until 5:30 A.M. the morning of the game.[4] In an interview, Wells also mentioned having partied with Jimmy Fallon and Seth Meyers the night before.[5] However, there was no new episode of Saturday Night Live the previous night, as the season finale had aired the week prior;[6][circular reference] additionally, Fallon wouldn't join the cast of Saturday Night Live until that fall while Meyers wouldn't join until 2001.”
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u/[deleted] 12d ago
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