White Sox right-hander Philip Humber visited Cooperstown,
looked around and was impressed. I was
at the Hall of Fame, Humber, 29, said.
I saw things that is there. And now, to think that something
I will be there? Its pretty impressive. I do not know what to say about
it.
Humber artifacts are headed to the museum devoted baseball
after throwing a perfect game 21st in the majors in history Saturday, beating
the Seattle Mariners 4-0 before a national television audience, an appreciative
crowd and Pacific Northwest mentally drained his teammates who hung on to
everyone Humber locations in the final rounds.
Ive never been this exhausted after a game, and I do not
even have, said reliever Will Ohman, who joined a rush charge throwers the
bullpen in left field to pile on Humber and other teammates after the last out.
He could not have happened to a better person.
I do not know what Philip Humber on this list, said Humber.
I have no idea what my name is doing there. But Im grateful its there.
Humber, Sox 'starter wheel whose first turn was skipped
because of a rainout in Cleveland, fell to his knees and was quickly engulfed
by a team which improved to 8-6.
"I felt [pitcher Jake] Peavy on my back,'' Humber said.
"I could not breathe, and I was like, 'Let me up." I scratched my
forehead on the floor. The best part was seeing my teammates happy. The rest
was kind of a blur.''
He was the first perfect game as the Phillies' Roy Halladay
threw one against the Marlins May 29, 2010. He was the third in Sox history.
Mark Buehrle against Tampa Bay July 23, 2009, and Charlie Robertson against
Detroit April 30, 1922, were the other.
"I guarantee you, he was the calmest one in the
dugout,'' Peavy said." It was the most exciting thing I've ever been a
part of.''
A No. 3 overall pick by the Mets, Humber never lived until
the status of a handful of organizations due to injuries, among other things.
Claimed on waivers by the Red Sox before last season, he became the latest in a
line of reclamation projects for pitching coach Don Cooper.
"It's hard to put into words,'' Cooper said. "He
has good things, he commanded the devil out of it and everything fell into
place. I was calm in the game Buehrle, and I was calm in it. Get up on the rail
and watch Phil . His command was very good. It's wonderful to see the joy and
emotion of a guy who happens to this goal. # 21 of the world.''
Humber has spoken to his father on his phone and his first
concern, his wife, Kristan, who is nine months pregnant.
"I have been to ensure that it did not give birth when
I was pitching,'' he said.
It could have been a problem in the ninth when Humber went
to 3-0 on the first batter, Michael Saunders. It was his first ball of the
count of three, but he recovered scratch. John Jaso flied out, and Ryan could
not check his swing on the 27th.
The only thing close to a successful online training was
Kyle Seager left that Brent Lillibridge ran down and Dustin Ackley is right
that Alex Rios took on his shoulder.
"It was the biggest rush I've lived in baseball,'' said
Rios.