It is probably the second most famous and recognizable quote from beloved Dodgers Hall of Fame broadcaster Vin Scully, second only to:
“It’s tiiiiime for Dodger Baseball!
It is also one that if you are too young to have heard Scully uttered personally, you still get to hear before (almost) every Dodgers game on television or radio to this day:
“Swing on and missed, a perfect game!”
Scully, of course, said those iconic and historic words when, on September 9, 1965 (note that date) then 29-year-old Dodgers left-hander and then future Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax tossed the only perfect game in Dodgers history (damn you, Hanley).
Dodgers fans almost – ALMOST – got to hear Dodgers SportsNet LA television broadcaster Joe Davis or Dodgers AM 570 LA Sports radio broadcaster Tim Neverett say words exactly (or very similar to) Scull’s iconic and famous words on Thursday evening, September 7, 2023 (note that date) for what would have been a perfect game, when 26-year-old Dodgers right-hander Ryan Pepiot came one pitch away from throwing what might have been the second perfect game in Dodgers history and only third in MLB history by a rookie pitcher. The last was Charlie Robertson on April 30, 1922, for the Chicago White Sox. The first rookie to pitch a perfect game was Lee Richmond on June 12, 1880, for the Worcester Ruby Legs.
With two out in the bottom of the seventh inning and having retired all 20 Miami Marlins batters he had faced to that point, Marlins veteran first baseman Josh Bell slapped a clean single into right-center field to end Pepiot’s bid for baseball immortality.
(Sam Navarro)
“That was very special. Defense was great behind me,” the Indianapolis, IN native and Dodgers third round draft pick in 2019 out of Butler University in Indianapolis told SportsNet LA’s Kirsten Watson after the Dodgers 10-0 pounding of the NL East third place Marlins. “Barnesy (Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes) called a great game and we had some great offense to help me settle in.”
Pepiot added that he was well aware that he had a perfect game going by looking at the scoreboard and because his teammates stopped talking to him in the dugout and wouldn’t sit near him, as is the age-old tradition (and superstition) when a pitcher has a perfect game or no-hitter going.
“Everyone just walked past me. They would move from my spot and everything,” Pepiot said, with a youthful grin
“Man, we were all pulling for him,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts told The Athletic‘s Fabian Ardaya after the best start of young Pepiot’s career. “I was gonna give him every opportunity to finish that game if it was a no-hitter, let alone a perfect game,” added the Dodgers skipper.
Despite losing his bid to join Sandy Koufax in Dodgers history, Pepiot’s game numbers were very Koufax-like, allowing no runs and just that on hit, while striking out three without issuing a walk. In doing so, he improved his season record to 2-0 while lowering his season ERA to an insane 0.86.
Whereas Koufax and more recently 35-year-old Dodgers future Hall of Famer Clayton Kershaw have often been referred to as ‘The Left arm of God,’ Pepiot might very well be on his way to joining Dodgers Hall of Famer Don Drysdale as ‘The right arm of God.’
Play Ball!
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