Charlie Robertson's perfect game

On April 30, 1922, in a game between the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, Charlie Robertson pitched the fifth perfect game in Major League Baseball history. Robertson, pitching for the White Sox, retired all 27 batters he faced.

Charlie Robertson's perfect game

Charlie Robertson in 1922 with Chicago.
Chicago White Sox Detroit Tigers 2 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E Chicago White Sox 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 7 0 Detroit Tigers 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1
Date	April 30, 1922 (1922-04-30)
Venue	Navin Field
City	Detroit, Michigan
Managers	Kid Gleason (Chicago White Sox) Ty Cobb (Detroit Tigers)
Umpires	HP: Dick Nallin 1B: Billy Evans 2B: (none) 3B: (none)

The game

Robertson was the White Sox's starting pitcher for their game against the Tigers in Detroit on Sunday, April 30, 1922. The 26-year-old Robertson, who had played for the American Association's Minneapolis Millers the previous season, was making his fourth start in Major League Baseball.^[1] He faced a Detroit team that ended the season with a .306 batting average.^[1]

Robertson started off the game by striking out Lu Blue. In the second inning, Chicago's Harry Hooper and Johnny Mostil scored on a Whitey Sheely single for the only runs. A spectacular diving catch by Johnny Mostil on a liner to left by Bobby Veach in the second inning preserved the historic feat.^[1] Throughout the game, Tigers manager Ty Cobb complained to the umpires that Robertson was doctoring the ball. Robertson's uniform was checked, and Detroit kept several game balls, but nothing was ever found. In the ninth inning, Robertson retired pinch hitter Johnny Bassler for the final out.^[1] The game lasted one hour and 55 minutes.^[2]

It was 34 years before anyone else pitched a perfect game in the majors. For White Sox catcher Ray Schalk, it was one of four no-hitters he caught in his career. During the 1922 season, Robertson had a 14–15 win–loss record and a 3.64 earned run average. He finished his career with a win–loss record of 49–80 and a 4.44 ERA, and according to one writer, "Hands down, Robertson is the least-accomplished pitcher to have thrown the most accomplished of games."^[1]

He appeared on the game show What's My Line? on October 14, 1956, six days after Don Larsen's perfect game.^[3]

Game statistics

April 30, Navin Field^[2]

Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Chicago White Sox	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	7	0
Detroit Tigers	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
WP: Charlie Robertson (2–0)   LP: Herman Pillette (2–1)

Box score

Hitting

Chicago White Sox	AB	R	H	RBI	Detroit Tigers	AB	R	H	RBI
Eddie Mulligan, SS	4	0	1	0	Lu Blue, 1B	3	0	0	0
Harvey McClellan, 3B	3	0	1	0	George Cutshaw, 2B	3	0	0	0
Eddie Collins, 2B	3	0	1	0	Ty Cobb, CF	3	0	0	0
Harry Hooper, RF	3	1	0	0	Bobby Veach, LF	3	0	0	0
Johnny Mostil, LF	4	1	1	0	Harry Heilmann, RF	3	0	0	0
Amos Strunk, CF	3	0	0	0	Bob Jones, 3B	3	0	0	0
Earl Sheely, 1B	4	0	2	2	Topper Rigney, SS	2	0	0	0
Ray Schalk, C	4	0	1	0	Danny Clark, PH	1	0	0	0
Charlie Robertson, P	4	0	0	0	Clyde Manion, C	3	0	0	0
.	0	0	0	0	Herman Pillette, P	2	0	0	0
.	0	0	0	0	Johnny Bassler, PH	1	0	0	0
Totals	32	2	7	2	Totals	27	0	0	0

Pitching

Chicago White Sox	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	Detroit Tigers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO
Charlie Robertson	9	0	0	0	0	6	Herman Pillette	9	7	2	2	2	5
Totals	9	0	0	0	0	6	Totals	9	7	2	2	2	5

Notes

1. Coffey, Michael (2004). "The Mystery Guest: Charlie Robertson". 27 Men Out: Baseball's Perfect Games. Atria Books. ISBN 978-0743-4460-75.
2. "Chicago White Sox vs Detroit Tigers Box Score: April 30, 1922". Baseball-Reference.com.
3. "Joe Stafford, David Niven [panel]". What's My Line?. Episode 332. October 14, 1956.

External links

• Baseball portal

• Box score and play-by-play - April 30, 1922 at Baseball-Reference.com
• April 30, 1922: Charlie Robertson’s perfect game - Society for American Baseball Research (SABR Games Project)