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MLB’s Bigger Than Baseball Moments

Dallas Braden’s Mother’s Day Perfect Game

Dallas Braden, who pitched for the Oakland Athletics’ from 2007-2011, has a 26-36 career record with a 4.16 ERA. Even though he is remembered for being a fierce competitor, he was never known as being a dominant force.

His best season was 2010 campaign. He went 11-14, had a 3.50 ERA, and threw five complete games.

However, there was one day in his career where Braden displayed complete and utter dominance.

On May 9th, 2010, he threw the 19th perfect game in major league history, which happened to be Mother’s Day. His performance had much more significant because it was in honor of his mother.

Braden was pitching with a heavy heart that day. He was raised by his mother. Jodie Atwood, until she died from cancer his senior year of high school. After her death, his maternal grandmother cared for him.

Landon Powell, the A’s catcher that day, described the moment: “When we first finished the game and celebrated and I saw Dallas hugging his grandmother, I was tearing up…He’s had a lot of things happen in his life, even in the last couple of years in the game of baseball, and it couldn’t happen to someone who deserves it more.”

This is a prime example where baseball is shown to be a special force in people’s lives. Baseball is a family sport.