Len Barker's perfect game
On May 15, 1981, Len Barker of the Cleveland Indians threw a perfect game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Cleveland Stadium, the 10th perfect game in Major League Baseball history. The Indians defeated the Blue Jays 3–0.
Barker had struggled with his control early in his career; he only made the majors for good two years earlier, in 1979. That night, however, his control was so good that he never once reached ball three against any Blue Jay hitter, and only eight Blue Jays pushed him as far as ball two. They were particularly flummoxed by Barker's curveball.He struck out 11 Blue Jays hitters including seven of the last 11 batters.
Barker's perfect game is the most recent no-hitter thrown by a Cleveland pitcher. "I run into people almost every day who want to talk about it," Barker said in 2006. "Everyone says, 'You're probably tired of talking about it.' I say, 'No, it's something to be proud of.' It's a special thing." The Cleveland Guardians have the longest active no-hitter drought in MLB.
Terry Pluto, the normal Indians beat reporter for The Plain Dealer, was unable to cover the game due to a prior commitment. The Plain Dealer dispatched second-year reporter Tony Grossi, later of ESPN, in his place.
Barker was the first perfect game pitcher who did not come to bat during the entire game, with the American League having adopted the designated hitter in 1973.
Ron Hassey, Barker's catcher, would catch Dennis Martínez's perfect game in 1991, thus becoming the only catcher, to date, to catch two perfect games and the only one to catch a perfect game in both leagues.
Danny Ainge, who would play 14 seasons in the NBA, was on the losing end of this game. He grounded out and struck out in his two at-bats; in the ninth inning, he was pinch-hit for by Alvis Woods, who struck out.
Statistics
Statistics taken from Baseball-Reference.comBox score
| Toronto | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
| , SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .203 |
| , RF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .231 |
| , LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .269 |
| , 1B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .261 |
| , DH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .196 |
| , 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .216 |
| , CF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .323 |
| , 3B | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .183 |
| , PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .213 |
| , C | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .182 |
| , PH | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .186 |
| Totals | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | .000 |
| Toronto | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3.43 | |
| Totals | 8 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1.12 |
| Cleveland | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | SO | AVG |
| , CF | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .164 |
| , RF | 4 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .280 |
| , 1B | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .215 |
| , DH | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .226 |
| , C | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .208 |
| , 3B | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .233 |
| , LF | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .216 |
| , 2B | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .320 |
| , SS | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .308 |
| Totals | 32 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 5 | .219 |
| Cleveland | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | ERA |
| 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 1.31 | |
| Totals | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0.00 |