Astros pitcher Dan Gaven, of Arlington, Virginia, whose Dominican birth certificate says is 11, needed only 75 pitches last Monday to strike out 13 Cubs and record only the second known perfect game in at least three decades according to Scott Ginsberg, an Arlington Little league veteran of nearly 30 years. Noted historian, Ricky Roellke, also the Astros first baseman said, "the last time this astounding feat happened in Arlington Little League was back in the 70's or 60's."
"I use my single windup, my double windup, my triple windup, my hesitation windup, my no windup. I also use my step-n-pitch-it, my submariner, my sidearmer and my bat dodger. Man's got to do what he's got to do."
-Leroy "Satchel" Paige
Gaven, shown here training an orphaned parrot to throw the high heat, had the added pressure of powerful superstition. An exuberant Roelke tempted fate by talking about the no-hitter in defiance of the most famous superstition in baseball when he mentioned it to Danny after he retired the first two batters that he had a perfect game going. Seventy-some pitches later he realized that it could actually happen. Roelke, ever the optimist, coincidentally set the record for "earliest talking about the no-hitter."
Gaven divined the spirits of both Don Larsen, and the great Satchel Paige saying, "I was just trying to get guys out and throw strikes. I am just happy that we won,"demurring " I had awesome defense behind me too.”
Cathy Gaven, the hurler's mom, normally subdued, acknowledged Gaven's mound mastery saying the perfect game was "a big feat, [it's] even bigger since they instituted a pitch count."
Superstition black belt, and team manager, Matt Kasztenja almost made the no-no superstition a self-fulfilling prophecy admitting "I almost pulled him in the fourth to save him for the next game," instead opting to let Gaven continue his unlikely pursuit of perfection. Gaven went perfect and the Cubs lost yet again.
When news reached Kenya earlier today the locals are reported to have exclaimed, "that's so cool" and"absolutely adorable!"
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