Antedating of "Perfect Game"

Shapiro, Fred fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU
Tue May 25 13:50:24 UTC 2010 

It's not so odd, when one considers that it is common to say things like "his perfect game was spoiled when he let up a walk in the 8th inning."  But I think any discussion of the development of the term "perfect game" has to take into account the fact that the term was occasionally used to mean "a very well pitched game" long before it acquired a fixed technical meaning.

Fred Shapiro



________________________________________
From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Laurence Horn [laurence.horn at YALE.EDU]
Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 9:12 PM
To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
Subject: Re: Antedating of "Perfect Game"

At 8:47 PM -0400 5/24/10, Alice Faber wrote:
>Well, it implies that the game *would have been* a perfect game, if not
>for the walk, hence that unqualified perfect game couldn't have been
>used for a no-hitter.

That's what I was thinking too, but it still seems a bit odd, sort of
like a pitcher who "pitched a shutout, except for giving up a run or
two" or a football team that "went undefeated except for a game or
two".

LH

>On 5/24/10 8:04 PM, Shapiro, Fred wrote:
>>Sam,
>>
>>Well, if you had no hits, no errors, a walk or two, and no other
>>men reaching base, that would be a perfect game in its current
>>meaning "with the exception of a walk or so."  I wonder, however,
>>if there was an earlier, general meaning of "perfect game" meaning
>>a really well-pitched game, and it was applied to a no-hit,
>>no-walk, no-error, etc. game, would this be a citation for the
>>current meaning, or merely a citation for an earlier sense that
>>coincidentally described a game also meeting the current fixed,
>>technical meaning?
>>
>>Fred Shapiro
>>
>>
>>
>>________________________________________
>>From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
>>Of Sam Clements [SClements at NEO.RR.COM]
>>Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 7:56 PM
>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>Subject: Re: Antedating of "Perfect Game"
>>
>>How is" ...a perfect game with the exception of a walk or so..." a _perfect
>>game_ in its current meaning?  I assume by "current": you mean the last 50+
>>years?
>>
>>Sam Clements
>>----- Original Message -----
>>From: "Shapiro, Fred"<fred.shapiro at YALE.EDU>
>>To:<ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>>Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 19:34
>>Subject: Antedating of "Perfect Game"
>>
>>>Here's a slightly earlier citation for _perfect game_ in its current
>>>meaning (as a synonym for _no-hitter_, it is older than 1907):
>>>
>>>1907 _Atlanta Constitution_ 5 June 9 (ProQuest Historical Newspapers)
>>>(heading) Rube Pitched a Perfect Game With the Exception of a Walk or so,
>>>and for Seven Innings Only Twenty-one Men Faced Him.
>>>
>>>
>>>Fred Shapiro
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>________________________________________
>>>From: American Dialect Society [ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf Of Mark
>>>Mandel [thnidu at GMAIL.COM]
>>>Sent: Monday, May 24, 2010 3:34 PM
>>>To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>>>Subject: perfect game (baseball)
>>>
>>>In explaining a recent baseball quotation to my sister, I had occasion
>>>to seek definitions of "perfect game". OED's definition is fine
>>>
>>>>chiefly N. Amer. (a) Baseball a no-hitter in which the pitcher or
>>>>pitchers of one team allow no hits or walks and there are no errors, such
>>>>that none of the opposing team's players get on base;
>>>
>>>but the first citation
>>>
>>>>1907 Chicago Sunday Tribune 23 July II.?  4/5 What is a *perfect game?..A
>>>>perfectly pitched game would be where no one reached first base.
>>>
>>>doesn't jibe with ProQuest search:
>>>
>>>>Databases selected:?  ProQuest Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune
>>>>(1849 - 1987)
>>>>No documents found for: (game) AND (perfect) AND PDN(7/23/1907)
>>>
>>>The citation is actually from *June* 23 [1]:
>>>
>>>>ANSWERS TO INQUISITIVE FANS.
>>>>T P. Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922). Chicago, Ill.: Jun 23, 1907. p. A4
>>>>(1 page)
>>>
>>>Fourth item in the column:
>>>
>>>>Ottumwa, Ia. -- [...] (4) What is a perfect game?? ? ? ?  [signed] "RED."
>>>>
>>>>?  [...]?  (4) A perfect fielding game is an errorless one, a perfect
>>>>batting game would be where every batter made a clean hit, every time at
>>>>bat; a perfectly pitched game would be where no one reached first base.
>>>
>>>Nevertheless, the expert, "T.P.", evidently doesn't consider "perfect
>>>game" to be a term of the art of baseball.
>>>
>>>We get closer in October [2], but still no cigar.
>>>
>>>>Most Perfect Game of Series. [section head in story]
>>>>... no faster or more nearly perfect game has been seen during the
>>>>series.
>>>
>>>[1] T P.?  (1907,? June? 23). ANSWERS TO INQUISITIVE FANS.? Chicago Daily
>>>Tribune (1872-1922),A4.?  Retrieved May 24, 2010, from ProQuest
>>>Historical Newspapers Chicago Tribune (1849 - 1987). (Document ID:
>>>403483001).
>>>Document URL:
>>>http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=403483001&sid=9&Fmt=1&clientId=3748&RQT=309&VName=HNP
>>>
>>>[2] I E (SY) SANBORN.?  (1907,? October? 13). WORLD'S PENNANT STAYS IN
>>>CHICAGO? :Cubs Finish Series by Inflicting Humiliating Shutout on the
>>>Detroit Tigers. HONOR MORDECAI BROWN. Three Fingered One Gets Chance
>>>at Last and Cinches Championship for the West Side by 2 to 0. TOTAL
>>>FOR SERIES. WHAT THE CUBS GET. WHAT THE TIGERS GET. Cubs' Feat Without
>>>Precedent. Honor to the Three Fingered One. Chance Looks On at Combat.
>>>Those Tigers Died Hard. Champions to "Exhibit" Today. Victory Gives
>>>Cubs $32,960. Most Perfect Game of Series. Tigers Make Vicious Fight.
>>>Cobb Buried in Disgrace..? Chicago Daily Tribune (1872-1922),1.
>>>Retrieved May 24, 2010, from ProQuest Historical Newspapers Chicago
>>>Tribune (1849 - 1987). (Document ID:? 403637311).
>>>Document URL:
>>>http://proquest.umi.com/pqdweb?did=403637311&sid=9&Fmt=2&clientId=3748&RQT=309&VName=HNP
>>>
>>>m a m
>>>
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>
>--
>========================================================================
>Alice Faber                                       faber at haskins.yale.edu
>Haskins Laboratories                            tel: (203) 865-6163 x258
>New Haven, CT 06511 USA                               fax (203) 865-8963
>
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