Perfect Game

ORLANDO, Fla. -- For a few magical minutes, he makes you forget about the surliness of Barry Bonds. And the selfishness of Roger Clemens. He makes you forget about the arrogance of Scott Boras. And the absurdity of Bud Selig. And players shilling themselves by injecting steroids. And killing themselves by driving drunk. I wish everybody had a chance to do what I did Thursday afternoon. You want to feel good again about the national pastime? Sit in the dugout for a half-hour and talk baseball with Don Zimmer - the grand old man of the grand old game.

EVEN YOGI BERRA, known for witticisms so absurd they're brilliant, would be at a loss to explain the bizarre summer Baltimore baseball fans continue to endure.On Sunday, David Cone of the rival New York Yankees pitched a perfect game, retiring all 27 batters he faced. He threw just 88 pitches. Because any mistake can undo a perfect game, the feat has been accomplished in the major leagues only 14 times this century.Mr. Cone's milestone was made more dramatic by the presence of Yankee greats from the past, who participated in ceremonies in honor of Mr. Berra.

Quote: "I kind of looked up at the board like an idiot when I went out there, got a little nervous and I guess the nerves got the best of me."-- Twins rookie Joe Mays, who lost his perfect game in the sixthIt's a fact: The Twins are still capitalizing on Eric Milton's no-hitter by pushing unsold tickets and game programs for $10.Who's hot: The Indians passed the AL record of 11 slams in a season. The Mariners and Orioles each had 11 in 1996.Who's not: White Sox rookie Aaron Myette has allowed 25 base runners in 9 2/3 innings.

MIAMI -- Ever in search of the perfect game, Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Greg Robinson got a glimpse of what it might look like this month.In back-to-back victories over the Miami Dolphins and New York Jets, the Broncos surrendered a total of one touchdown (following a blocked Denver punt) and 28 rushing yards. Were it not for the 594 passing yards given up, perfection would have been achieved.For the second straight year, the Broncos' defense has dominated. While running back Terrell Davis and quarterback John Elway get most of the attention, the defense has been the most consistent element in Denver's postseason splash.

Quote: "That's two good series in a row. We need to get to the point where we expect to do this and not be surprised when it happens." -- Mike Trombley of the Twins on their recent success.It's a fact: Oakland's streak of 18 consecutive games with home runs ended.Who's hot: The Twins' Todd Walker is batting .408 (20-for-49) in his last 14 games with nine doubles, two triples and seven RBIs.Who's not: The Tigers made two more errors last night after committing four Tuesday night against the Indians.

The old-and-improved Orioles extended their recent dominance of domestic competition last night, beating the Chicago White Sox, 8-0, with a seven-run fifth inning, a long-awaited return to form by starting pitcher Juan Guzman and a display of heads-up defense.Two nights after giving a lethargic, even embarrassing, performance against a team of Cuban all-stars, the Orioles extended their season-high win streak to three by securing their second consecutive series and guaranteeing themselves at least a break-even 12-game homestand.

NEW YORK -- Moments before the first pitch, Don Larsen went to the mound and shook David Cone's hand. But neither of them had any way of knowing what was about to rub off.Cone called it "Yankee magic," which may be the only way to explain what happened at Yankee Stadium yesterday afternoon. After watching Larsen and Yogi Berra recreate the final out from one perfect game, Cone went out and threw one of his own.The 36-year-old right-hander pitched the 14th perfect game in modern major-league history, the third by a Yankee, and the second by a Yankee in 14 months.

Seton Keough's Kristin Dulay pitched a perfect game as the Gators defeated Mercy, 5-0, in Catholic League softball yesterday.The junior right-hander, who has pitched every game this season for the Gators (12-2) and lost a 2-0, three-hitter to Mount de Sales Wednesday, struck out 11 in facing the minimum 21 batters.Megan Polek and Christina Thompson each went 3-for-4 with two RBIs for the Gators.Pub Date: 4/30/99

Quote: "I'm not even thinking about the perfect game. I'm just trying to pitch well and put us in a position to win." -- David Cone, Yankees pitcher, who has lost two straight since throwing a perfect game July 18.It's a fact: The only major-league park where Mariner Alex Rodriguez has played but not homered is Dodger Stadium.Who's hot: Paul Konerko of the White Sox is batting .425 in July.Who's not: In six of his past 10 starts, Tigers right-hander Brian Moehler hasn't lasted six innings, and in several of those games, he has been battered early.

There are two types of people in this world. Those who get Kevin Costner and those who don't.Those of us in the latter club believe that Costner hasn't made a watchable movie since "Bull Durham," and we scratch our heads at our friends and loved ones who will watch this blandest and most wooden of all movie stars in anything, including "Waterworld," "The Postman" and "Message in a Bottle.""For Love of the Game" will do nothing to clear this mystery up.Costner's fans will no doubt adore this two-hour-long orgy of Costner close-ups, slow-motion shots and other bits of the actor's metastasizing vainglory.

Had New York Yankees third baseman Jerry Hairston Jr. been able to field Adam Jones' routine ground ball in the seventh inning Monday night, Andy Pettitte's dominating performance might well have been a historic one. It's impossible to know whether Pettitte would have been able to retire the final six batters to complete the first perfect game - for or against them - in Orioles history. But with the way Pettitte was pitching and whom he was pitching against in the Yankees' eventual 5-1 victory, it was easy to imagine the possibilities.

CHICAGO - -They lounged in the visiting clubhouse at U.S. Cellular Field, enjoying an early dinner, listening to loud music and watching highlights from other games on the television. It was a rare experience for these Orioles, and they seemed perfectly content soaking it all in rather than rushing to the team charter and heading to their next destination, another series loss in tow. Their 5-4 victory yesterday over the contending Chicago White Sox, on an afternoon when rookie Jason Berken outpitched Mr. Perfect Game Mark Buehrle, clinched the Orioles' first series victory since the All-Star break and breathed a little life into a season that had been going progressively downhill for quite some time.

CHICAGO -- Mark Buehrle raised his arms, grabbed his head and braced himself Thursday for a human pileup along the first base line. Buehrle flawlessly pitched the Chicago White Sox into a share of first place in the American League Central in impeccable style with the 18th perfect game in major league history. As soon as shortstop Alexei Ramirez threw to first baseman Josh Fields to retire Jason Bartlett for the final out, Buehrle completed the latest achievement in his storied career with a 5-0 victory over the defending AL champion Tampa Bay Rays before an announced 28,036 at U.S. Cellular Field.

Browns@Bills 8:30 p.m. [ESPN] There's a lot of pride on the line in this one. Call this one the Rodney Dangerfield Bowl. After all, don't these two cities lead the NFL in disrespect? I'm reminded of the time Len Barker pitched a no-hitter for the Indians and a baseball writer, told that there had been a perfect game in Cleveland, replied: "There's no such thing."

He has four starts left and little room for error, but when Mike Mussina walks off the mound for the final time this season, it will be as a 20-game winner, a career first. Mussina needs three wins to reach that plateau and to notch 270 victories in his career. Nice symmetry. Twice - both times with the Orioles - he flirted with 20, only to fall one win short. Three times he won 18. He has paid his dues, and the stars are aligned. In his past two games, he beat the Tampa Bay Rays and Boston Red Sox, so it's obvious he isn't running on fumes.

It took 11 1/2 innings and the first error of the night, but Mexico finally got the break it needed to beat Japan, 4-0, and win the international championship of the Cal Ripken World Series last night in Aberdeen. Mexico, the defending champion, will play U.S. champion Jupiter, Fla., at 3 p.m. today for the world championship here in cozy Cal Sr.'s Yard, a petite replica of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Jupiter came back from a two-run deficit to beat Lexington, Ky., 7-2, last night, led by Kevin Fry, who had a home run, two runs and two RBIs.

Player of the year Lauren Gibson Chesapeake-AA The junior standout was once again at her best when it counted the most, leading the No. 1 Cougars to their second consecutive Class 4A state championship with a second straight no-hit performance in the title game. In repeating as the All-Metro Player of the Year, Gibson, who has made an oral commitment to Tennessee, enjoyed another stellar season on the mound, at the plate and on the bases. She went 17-2 with a 1.23 ERA, striking out 165 batters in 120 innings.

Archbishop Spalding's Jason Patten said he started thinking about a perfect game in the fifth inning of last Wednesday's game against St. Paul's. "I had had great location with my fastball and was hitting my spots well," said Patten, who threw the first perfect game of six innings or more since North County's Mike Wooden in 1994. "I mixed in sliders to their best hitter, Jack Carey, and struck him out once. I started thinking about in the fifth inning or so. I thought, 'Wow, I just need a couple more outs.

Senior Micah Powell scored a game-high three goals to power host Catonsville past Centennial, 16-8, yesterday in boys lacrosse. Matt Reymann added two goals and four assists and Ben Cohee had a goal and four assists for the Comets (8-3). Catonsville took a 10-4 lead at the half and was never threatened. Softball No. 2 Chesapeake-AA 12, Meade 0 -- Right-hander Nikki Mantheiy (6-0) threw a perfect game to earn her fourth shutout of the season for the Cougars (14-1). Mantheiy had 11 strikeouts in five innings and went 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a double and an RBI. No. 4 Hammond 6, Wilde Lake 3 -- Stephanie Speireman had 20 strikeouts as the Golden Bears (12-2)

When asked what the key is to being a successful pitcher, Hammond junior Stephanie Speierman delivers an answer as fast as her overpowering fastball: "Loving it." It's more than safe to say the two-time, first-team All-Metro standout loves pitching. Last year, Speierman led the Golden Bears to the program's first state championship, tossing a perfect game in the team's 4-0 win over North East-Cecil for the Class 2A championship at the University of Maryland. For the season, Speierman went 23-1 with a 0.20 ERA, setting a state record with 426 strikeouts.