MLB's version of perfection

Major League Baseball history was made once again Thursday as Chicago White Sox pitcher Mark Buehrle hurled the league's 18th perfect game, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 5-0.

Buehrle worked less than 40 minutes on the mound during his nine-inning masterpiece, throwing 116 pitches and striking out six.

Thanks to a spectacular catch by defensive replacement DeWayne Wise in the top of the ninth inning to preserve the no-hitter, Buehrle recorded his second career no-hitter.

Although this one was 'perfect,' Buehrle's first no-hitter also consisted of just 27 batters faced -- but it wasn't a perfect game.

Buehrle walked then-Texas Ranger Sammy Sosa, only to pick him off of first base two pitches later.

Wise's catch brought back what would have been a home run by the Rays' Gabe Kapler.

What was coincidental about Buehrle's perfect game is the fact that home plate umpire Eric Cooper was behind the plate when Buehrle hurled his no-no against the Rangers.

Cooper said after Thursday's perfect game that he normally doesn't scoreboard watch, but looked at the board in either the sixth or seventh inning, and knew something special was in the works.

The first perfect game in MLB history came in 1879, as Worcester Ruby Legs' pitcher Lee Richmond sat down 27 consecutive Cleveland Blues in a 1-0 victory.

What may have been the most famous perfect game came in the 1956 World Series. The New York Yankees' Don Larsen, in game five, twirled a perfect game against the Brooklyn Dodgers. Larsen threw 97 pitches in the 2-0 win.

In what was the most offensively productive game by a pitcher who hurled a perfect game, Oak-land Athletics' pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter threw a perfect game against the Minnesota Twins on May 8, 1968.

Hunter threw 107 pitches and struck out 11 before a crowd of only 6,298, the smallest crowd to ever witness a perfect game.

Hunter's bat was as impressive, if not more, than his arm against the Twins, going 3 for 4 with three RBI in the 4-0 victory.

The Minnesota Twins are the only team in MLB history to have a perfect game thrown against them twice.

David Wells, as a New York Yankee in 1998, threw a perfect game against the Twins in a 4-0 win.

The Montreal Expos had a perfect game pitched by Dennis Martinez in 1991, as he worked his magic for a 2-0 victory over the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Montreal found itself on the other side of a perfect game in 1999, as David Cone and the Yankees turned the trick 6-0.

The current manager of the New York Yankees, Joe Girardi, was the catcher for Cone's perfecto.

Prior to Thursday's gem by Buehrle, the last perfect game was thrown by then Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson.

The Big Unit struck out 13 Atlanta Braves' batters in a 2-0 win on May 18, 2004.

There have also been some strange perfect games that ended up not as a perfect game.

Harvey Haddix of the Pittsburgh Pirates still holds the record for the most consecutive batters retired at 36. On May 26, 1959, Haddix retired 36 straight Milwaukee Braves batters, a team which included Hank Aaron and Eddie Matthews.

Haddix lost his perfect game in the 13th inning, as an error by third baseman Don Hoak allowed the Braves to score one run on a three-run home run.

That's right -- one run on a three-run home run.

After Hoak's error allowed leadoff hitter Felix Mantilla to reach in the bottom of the 13th, a sacrifice fly by Matthews and an intentional walk to Aaron followed; the next batter, Joe Adcock, hit a home run that became a double when he passed Aaron on the bases.

Haddix and the Pirates lost the game 1-0. This is seen as one of the most agonizing of all baseball defeats, especially as the Pirates had 12 hits in the game but could not score a single run.

Local woes

The Washington Nationals are 2-8 over their last 10 games entering play Saturday and found themselves 27 games out of first place in the National League East. The Baltimore Orioles, in the midst of a four-game losing streak entering play Saturday, are 17.5 games out of first in the American League East.

Red hot

The New York Yankees are 8-0 since the All-Star break and 8-2 over their last 10. The Bronx Bombers hold a 2.5 game lead over the Boston Red Sox entering play Saturday.

Tight Central divisions

The Central Division in both the National and American Leagues house the best races in baseball at the moment.

In the National League Central, the St. Louis Cardinals, who acquired outfielder Matt Holliday from the Oakland A's on Friday, hold a 1.5-game lead over both the Chicago Cubs and Houston Astros entering play on Saturday.

The Milwaukee Brewers are only four games out.

Speaking of Holliday, he made the trip from New York, where the A's are facing the Yan-kees this weekend, to Philadelphia on Friday, where the Cardinals are tangling with the Phillies.

Holliday made the starting lineup Friday night and pounded the Phils' pitching staff for four hits and an RBI in an 8-1 win.

It also looks as if the Cardinals could beat the Phillies in the race to obtain Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Roy Halladay, who figures to be traded before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline.

In the American League's Central Division, the Detroit Tigers hold a two-game lead over the Chicago White Sox and a four-game lead over the Minnesota Twins.

And finally...

Michael Vick has been released from federal custody and is now looking to return to the National Football League.

Rumors have it that he could face a suspension of between two and six games by NFL Commis-sioner Roger Goodell, who met with the former Atlanta Falcons signal caller on Wednesday in New Jersey.

How do you feel about Vick's return to the NFL? Let me know.

Jeff Christian is a freelance columnist and his column appears each Sunday in The News & Mes-senger. He can be reached at christianjeff@rocketmail.com.