Sacramento A’s circles the bases during one of his four home runs hit against the Houston Astros in the top of the ninth inning at Daiken Park in Houston Fri Jul 25, 2025 (AP News photo)

Baseball is Unique

That’s Amaury News and Commentary

Amaury Pi-González

Baseball is a Sport of failure. You get one hit in three at-bats, and you are a very good hitter, hitting .333, an average that is worthy of a batting title most of the time, even though you failed twice in three tries. But sometimes you can hit the big jackpot in one game, and the whole world will know your name, especially nowadays with social media constantly on our minds every single second of the day. Here are some examples.

Most recently: A’s Nick Kurtz, a 22-year-old rookie, went out and did something even rarer in a 15-3 blowout win over the Astros in Houston on July 25, 2025 Going a perfect 6-for-6 with four home runs, Kurtz became the first A’s player in franchise history with a four-homer game, the first rookie in MLB history with a four homer game, and the 20th player overall.

Prior to Kurtz, veteran Eugenio Suárez of the Arizona Diamondbacks hit four home runs on April 25, 2025. Kurtz is just beginning his career, and only time will tell how good a player he will be. But in this 4-homer game, he was the King of Baseball.

Now everybody knows who Nick Kurtz is, and just like that, he became a contender for American League Rookie of the Year., Sometimes, One Day can make a Career. On May 9, 2010, Dallas Braden, while pitching for the Oakland Athletics, achieved the feat against the Tampa Bay Rays.

The game, which took place on Mother’s Day, was the 19th perfect game in MLB history. I was there, calling the game for the Spanish radio Network, at the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum. Braden pitched in the majors for only five years, all with the Oakland A’s, and ended his career with a 26-36 record and a 4.16 earned run average.

Not a great career by any means, but that Perfecto on May 9, 2010, opened the door for him, as he now works as the A’s television network analyst. Don Larsen was an American League pitcher who played 15 seasons in the Major Leagues from 1953 to 1987 (81-91) for seven different teams, including the New York Yankees, where he made history.

Larsen pitched a perfect game in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series against the Brooklyn Dodgers. This remains the only perfect game ever thrown in World Series history. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown houses several items related to Don Larsen’s perfect game in the 1956 World Series, including autographed baseballs used in the game, tickets, and photos.

Larsen’s catcher, Yogi Berra, also had his mitt from that game displayed. After his baseball career, Larsen became an executive for a paper company, where he worked closely with farmers in California’s Salinas Valley. On a funny note: Charlie Silveira who was a third string catcher for the Yankees told me and other reporters that after that perfecto he asked Yogi Berra for a souvenir, “I warmed him up for that game” Silveira told me, and according to his story, he asked Yogi for a souvenir, Yogi said he had nothing left, but the next day Yogi gave Charlie a brown bag, (with a souvenir) it was Larsen’s cup, the one he wore on that game. Charlie, who passed a few years ago, told me, “I have Larsen’s cup in my living room as a souvenir”. In September 1971, Larry Yount was called up to the Houston Astros and was set to make his MLB debut as a pitcher. However, as he warmed up on the mound, his elbow began to hurt, and he eventually left the game without throwing a single official pitch or facing a batter.

This single unusual appearance in a game marked the entirety of his MLB career. He never played in the majors again. Because he was officially announced as a pitcher, Yount is in the baseball record books and even has a file in the Hall of Fame.

His brother Robin Yount played from 1974 to 1993, won two AL MVP Awards, and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 Owner and Manager for one Game. On May 11, 1977, Atlanta Braves owner Ted Turner added another story when he ventured from the owner’s suite to the dugout to manage the Braves. His job lasted only one night; Major League Baseball’s powers that be reminded Turner that a rule prevented managers from partial or full ownership of a team.

However, this was not unique to baseball. NFL George Halas, who founded and coached the Chicago Bears. Al Davis, also the owner of the Oakland Raiders, coached the team. But some did, if not just for one game, but multiple seasons.

A record in any sport for an owner and manager at the same time? Connie Mack, Philadelphia Athletics, was also at least a part-owner of the team from 1901 until 1954, as well as field manager. Last but not Least: Baseball is unique in that the defensive team controls the ball at the start of each play.. In most other sports, the offensive team initiates play by possessing the ball. In baseball, the pitcher (a defensive player) throws the ball to the batter (offensive player), making baseball the only sport where the defense starts with the ball.

Amaury Pi-Gonzalez – Cuban-born Pi-González is one of the pioneers of Spanish-language baseball play-by-play in America. Began as Oakland A’s Spanish-language voice in 1977 ending in 2024 (interrupted by stops with the Giants, Mariners and Angels). Voice of the Golden State Warriors from 1992 through 1998. 2010 inducted in the Bay Area Radio Hall of fame.

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