OAKLAND – Despite throwing only the 19th perfect game in Major League history to lead his team to a 4-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Mother’s Day, Oakland Athletics pitcher was upset with his teammates for celebrating on the mound after the final out was recorded.
“That is my mound!” Braden told reporters after the game. “The perfect game is nice and all, but I don’t appreciate how my teammates think they can just come up to my mound and jump around and celebrate on it like they did any work on it.”
In late April, Braden had a dust up with Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez when Rodriguez broke one of baseball’s many unwritten rules by crossing over the dirt portion of the mound on his way back the dugout. At the time he could be seen yelling emphatically, “this is my mound,” at Rodriguez.
“First A-Rod walks over my mound, now my own team has turned on me.” said Braden.
His teammate’s were shocked by his comments.
“We were all so happy just to be part of his perfect game. It is a rare and amazing accomplishment. We didn’t know he’d even get mad at us for celebrating with him after the game,” said third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff.
It first perfect game in A’s history since ‘Catfish’ Hunter’s masterpiece in 1968.
NEW YORK – In a move typically saved for girls to avoid giving a guy her real phone number, some rookies in this year’s NFL draft are giving Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis a phone number that lets the caller know that they are not interested. This way, if Davis attempts to call them on draft day, and automated recording will let him know that they are not interested in playing for him, and do not want him to have their real contact information.