Move over, Don Larsen, and make room for Pat Hoberg.
Larsen famously pitched a perfect game in the 1955 World Series for the Yankees. Hoberg just called one — nailing 129 of 129 taken pitches correctly as the home-plate umpire for this year’s Game 2, according to UmpScorecards.com. The average big league ump misses nine such calls a game.
“Robot umpires sound good in theory,” tweeted Aram Leighton of JustBaseball.com, “but have we considered cloning Pat Hoberg?”
Headlines
— At TheBeaverton.com: “Study: Every child who cheated at NHL 94 now a hardened criminal.”
— At TheOnion.com: “NBA scouts salivating over 7’1” European floor sweeper.”
Yep, that’s him
We had one trick-or-treater come to the door claiming he was the 49ers’ Nick Bosa.
Well, he did have eight sacks.
Catch ya later
The Lions announced they will erect an 8-foot statue of Hall of Fame running back Barry Sanders at Ford Field next season.
A quarter-century too late, but opposing tacklers will finally get a chance to touch him.
NFL’s Mr. October
“Sideline interference — the coaching staff of the Seattle Mariners was in the restricted area” was the ref’s explanation for a penalty assessed during last Sunday’s Seahawks game.
Say, has Pete Carroll put in for a playoff share yet?
They saw the light
A purple light lit up the sky above downtown Sacramento on Halloween night.
Fans of UFOs and Batman were ecstatic — until they learned it was merely the NBA Kings’ newfangled “victory beam,” celebrating that night’s 115-108 win in Charlotte.
Triple threat
New 49ers RB Christian McCaffrey became the first NFL player since 2005 to run, catch and throw for a touchdown in the same game.
No word on whether he also flew the team plane home from Los Angeles.
Taking a gamble
The Falcons traded receiver Calvin Ridley — suspended this season for placing wagers on NFL games — to the Jaguars.
Wonder if, as the saying goes, he bet on himself.
Game of the Week
They scheduled a women’s soccer match in Albuquerque — and a marathon broke out.
San Diego State went through 22 rounds of penalty kicks before finally beating Utah State 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the Mountain West tournament.
Singing 10 for 10
Taylor Swift made history as the first musical artist to claim all top 10 spots on the Billboard Hot 100 list, for the week of Nov. 5.
Kind of like Nick Saban on national signing day.
Talking the talk
— Packers receiver Allen Lazard, to reporters, on his shoulder injury against the Commanders: “A pop, a crack — snap, crackle, pop. Three Rice Krispies men showed up, too. Not the good kind. All three of them.”
— Astros ace Justin Verlander, via Twitter, on flipping off taunting Phillies fans upon arrival in Philadelphia: “Just saying hello in their native tongue … all in good fun.”
We’re No. 2
Los Angeles and Seattle finished 1-2 in WalletHub.com’s Best Cities for Soccer Fans survey.
No word on whether it went to penalty kicks or a shootout.
Quote marks
— Comedy writer Alex Kaseberg, via Twitter, on too much of a good thing with the 8-0 Eagles and the Phillies in the World Series: “It is so wild, Philadelphia fans are getting severe tendinitis in their middle fingers.”
— John McClain of GallerySports.com, via Twitter, after Astros starter Lance McCullers surrendered a record five home runs in Game 3 of the World Series: “Enough of batting practice. Time for the game to begin.”
— RJ Currie of SportsDeke.com, on elementary schools calling for Halloween outfits that don’t scare anybody: “So my niece dressed her son as a Detroit Lion.”
Did I do that?
The Nets’ Kevin Durant — who called for coach Steve Nash’s ouster last summer — said he was “shocked” when Nash was fired last week.
Somewhere, Steve Urkel is giggling.
