When MLB announced its umpiring crew for the World Series between the Astros and Phillies, there was a lot to like about the selections. In the biggest games — with a championship on the line — you want the best umpires working the series. So, the inclusion of umpire Pat Hoberg — the most accurate ump in baseball — was an absolute must.
In Saturday’s Game 2, Hoberg showed exactly why he’s the best, and he made history in the process.
According to Umpire Scorecards, Hoberg made World Series history by calling a perfect game behind the plate. Out of the 129 taken pitches in the game, Hoberg made the correct call on every single one of them. Considering that pitchers are throwing with more velocity and movement than ever before, that is nothing short of a legendary performance from Hoberg in his first World Series assignment.
🚨PERFECT GAME🚨
Umpire: Pat Hoberg
Final: Phillies 2, Astros 5#RingTheBell // #LevelUp#PHIvsHOU // #HOUvsPHI#PostseasonMore stats for this game 👇https://t.co/Ic52HanqPA pic.twitter.com/ZfTCNpLU5y
— Umpire Scorecards (@UmpScorecards) October 30, 2022
This wasn’t the first time that Hoberg had flirted with a perfect game either. Earlier this season, Hoberg narrowly missed the first pitch of a game but went on to call every taken pitch accurately the rest of the way.
He saved his best performance for the biggest moment of his umpiring career, and MLB fans were more than happy to recognize the accomplishment. More umps should be like Hoberg.
This was how Twitter reacted
Pat Hoberg should be a robot umpire for Halloween. https://t.co/HOgTo06Dp3
— Christopher Crawford (@Crawford_MILB) October 30, 2022
Best umpire in the league showed up under the bright lights https://t.co/EsjGyIZWVN pic.twitter.com/9U4fV5ytFn
— PhilliesSZN (2-0), (3-1), (4-1)-X (@BallPhillies) October 30, 2022
An average MLB umpire would have missed about 9 balls and strikes calls last night. Pat Hoberg missed none. 🔥 https://t.co/mIS2BFpjTo
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) October 30, 2022
Pat Hoberg locked in a room at MLB headquarters next year calling every game via VR https://t.co/J29PLxcgtQ pic.twitter.com/EwSYosR4mI
— Jeromy Krom (@Jkrom34) October 30, 2022
Perfect game in the World Series. Call Pat Hoberg Don Larsen. What an accomplishment. 🫡🫡🫡 https://t.co/1GMn7oHLSg
— Mariner Muse (@MarinerMuse) October 30, 2022
Pat Hoberg consistently ranks as one of the best balls/strikes umpires in baseball. Last night was the first time he’s ever worked a World Series game. I knew he had a great game, & the data backs that up. https://t.co/LwN169PWmS
— Robert Ford (@raford3) October 30, 2022
Me telling my kids about prime Pat Hobergpic.twitter.com/7yKUb2rCpP https://t.co/VbcdqYoF68
— Keaton (@Bogosianorris) October 30, 2022
Wow. For all of the umpire bashing we often engage in, this is impressive. https://t.co/1URD1c64py
— Howie Rose (@HowieRose) October 30, 2022
Robot umpires sound good in theory, but have we considered cloning Pat Hoberg? https://t.co/vj8nluZPax
— Aram Leighton (@AramLeighton8) October 30, 2022
That's why you get a World Series, being able to do stuff like this. Sorry, Angel, but this is how it works. https://t.co/8OUHya9TR6
— Brenden Schaeffer (@bschaeffer12) October 30, 2022
we’re seeing the greatest to ever do it at the peak of his craft https://t.co/hmnWSuZopA
— Tipping Pitches (@tipping_pitches) October 30, 2022
The prophecy has been fulfilled. We finally have an umpire perfect game, and it came in the World Series. Cooperstown awaits you, Sir Hoberg. https://t.co/ugvV93wlEg
— Fuzzy (@fuzzyfromyt) October 30, 2022
For as often as we call out umpire mistakes, we really need to recognize that Hoberg is the best to ever do it. He’s as close to a robot umpire as human umpires will ever get.
