Does Dallas Braden's perfect game go to show that just about any pitcher that makes it to the MLB has?

Anybody can throw one on any given day. All it takes is some luck, good command, a good defense, and maybe a struggling offense. Johnathan Sanchez would've thrown one last year if it weren't for an error by Juan Uribe, and although Sanchez is showing some promise I certainly wouldn't say he is one of the best, at least right now.

What Braden accomplished yesterday was amazing, and as an A's fan I couldn't be any more happy to see it happen for someone wearing the green and gold, but now I am ready for his next start. If he is going to be an elite pitcher in the game he needs to turn a page in his career. As A-Rod said, Braden hasn't accomplished much until now. I am optimistic, but I am also not completely sold. Only time will tell.

Yes, any ML caliber starting pitcher has the requisite ability to throw a perfect game. You have to figure there are no more than a couple hundred or so starting pitchers in the majors at any one time (including natural starters currently in bull pen roles). There are hundreds more in the minors today that have never nor will they ever reach the majors. Just to get there is special and requires both talent and hard work.

Many hall-of-famers have never thrown a perfect game and some average big league starters have. Many times it takes a perfect storm for a pitcher to throw a perfect game as you said. One bobbled ball by an IF can blow it. A single errant pitch that hits the batter can ruin it.

You are correct, any pitcher in the majors has a reasonable chance to throw a no-hitter (slightly less so for a perfect game, though).

The reason is that what happens to balls put into play is largely independent of the pitcher's skill. To a limited extent, he can control whether it is a fly ball, a line drive, or a ground ball. But at most, that's it. He has almost ZERO control over whether that fly ball or line drive or ground ball is turned into an out, that is dependent upon the defenders behind him.

So there is considerable luck involved in a no-hitter or perfect game. A pitcher CAN control walks however, which is usually the difference between a no-hitter and a perfect game.

By contrast, only the truly best pitchers can strike out a lot of batters. And not everyone who makes it to the majors can do that. A high-strikeout pitcher (see Ryan, Nolan) has a HIGHER chance to throw a no-hitter or a perfect game, because there are fewer batted balls that the defenders must field effectively.

Since Im a Rays fan and the Dallas Braden game was thrown against us.. im going to go Dallas Braden. Roy Halladay's a great pitcher, but in a way, he was going to throw a perfect game eventually. However, Dallas Braden's was more special since it was mother's day and he wasn't a good pitcher before it. That was more impressive in my opinion.

I completely agree and I think the same holds true for a batter to hit for the cycle - any batter in the majors can get one. It just takes a lot of things that have to work together perfectly. Some slower and heavier veteran batters may have more difficulty with the triple, but each has hit at least one triple in his MLB career.

Many of the greatest MLB pitchers and batters have never achieved the "ultimate" in their specialties (even those in the HOF) things just didn't work together perfectly.

Yup you're absolutely correct, it's always the unexpected guy who throws it. Every perfect game that has occurred requires luck, you need luck and there's nothing wrong with that. All your stuff can be working together for that particular day and you get the job done. It's obviously one of the hardest goals to reach but yes anybody can do that , and I don't mean "anybody" as in it's easy to do but more so that any given pitcher on any given day can throw one.

Yes any pitchers can, Don Larsen was a journey-man pitcher who was remembered only because of the perfect game (not to mention it happened at the World Series). If you look at the lists of pitchers who pulled it off, you will notice some of them are relatively obscure.

It's all about a little bit of luck and so on.

Yes. Don Larsen did it, and he only finished with a 81-91 record. Pirates pitcher Jeff Karstens was 5 outs from a perfect game a couple of years ago against the D-Backs, and how often do you hear his name? You don't have to be CC Sabathia, Tim Lincecum or Roy Halladay to pitch a perfect game. Anyone can do it.

I agree that any pitcher in the majors can throw one. It takes a combined effort of great pitches and a great defense to get one. Also every pitcher needs a little bit of luck

Agreed! I can't help but think of Don Larson's perfect game in the 1956 world series. This was a guy who was 20 below .500 for his career yet on that one day pitched like a hall of famer.

Same thing with this Braden. Right now his career in below .500 yet he had his day in the sun. It's not to say that he won't have a decent career but I think perfect games are just a freak of nature. Only 19 in the entire history of baseball. What else would you call it?