Graphic: Perfect games. Part one.

Of course, I'm a little late on this, seeing as how it's been a month since Mark Buehrle threw his outstanding perfect game (incredibly followed up by another six perfect innings in his next start). However, perfect games are so rare, I couldn't help but take an opportunity to do a bit of research on the feat. More isotype graphics to follow about how rare Buehrle's game is.

Interesting to note that the first reference of a perfect game came in 1908 from I. E. Sanborn in the Chicago Tribune. Concerning Cleveland pitcher Addie Joss's perfection against the White Sox, Sanborn described "an absolutely perfect game, without run, without hit, and without letting an opponent reach first base by hook or crook, on hit, walk, or error, in nine innings."

In addition, being from Pittsburgh, I've long been aware of the incredible 12 perfect innings pitched in a loss by Harvey Haddix. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette has a great write up about the game known as a "perfect loss." For a listing of more perfect and near-perfect games, check out the graphic below.

Spotlight: The Chicago Cubs 'Century of Suck'.

As the Cleveland Cavaliers approach another meltdown capping off 45+ years of total sporting ineptitude for their city, it is important to remember the team that owns the market on sports-suckiness. The folks at Infoshots have compiled this wonderfully styled timeline of just how Chicago has managed a complete Century of Suck. Being a young pup myself, I only remember a few of these sucky moments, so it is neat (and a bit sad) to see how long they've been going on.

On a similar and not exactly timely note, last fall I threw this small graphic together about how the Cubs and White Sox have managed to both miss the postseason since their joint appearance in the World Series in 1906.