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Kyle Kendrick Traded to Japan?

The Phillies pulled one of the greatest pranks in MLB history prior to the 2008 season, convincing their young pitcher that he'd been dealt to the Yomiuri Giants. Starting pitcher Brett Myers orchestrated the elaborate prank, getting manager Charlie Manuel, assistant general manager Ruben Amaro Jr., the local media, the team's traveling secretary, and even Kendrick's agent involved. "I went the extra mile to make sure that this looked as real as possible... It took two weeks of planning to make sure everybody was on board before we pulled the prank off." The day of the prank, Kendrick was pulled into Amaro’s office and given the news. The Phillies brass convinced Kendrick he'd been traded to Japan for Kobayashi. Now, who exactly is Kobayashi? Just a competitive hot dog eater. He was handed a copy of his $1.5 million contract. He was handed a copy of his itinerary. He was told to start packing his bags and get ready for an early wake-up call, as he needed to be at the airport two hours before his 7:05 a.m. flight to Japan the very next morning. He stood in front of his locker surrounded by a half-circle of in-on-the-joke baseball reporters, most of them doing a poor job of hiding their smiles, as Amaro announced the trade. Myers finally intervened during the "announcement" and told Kendrick he'd gotten got. For what it's worth, Kendrick wasn't pleased, especially with his agent being in on the prank. He would move on from his representative within the calendar year.

Phillies

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Perfect on Father's Day

Father's Day, June 21, 1964. Shea Stadium, first game of a doubleheader. Phillies right-hander Jim Bunning — a father of seven — took the mound against the Mets and proceeded to retire every single batter he faced. Twenty-seven up. Twenty-seven down. 90 pitches. Ten strikeouts, six of them in the final three innings, when most pitchers tighten up - Bunning went the other way and stepped on the gas. By the late innings he wasn't tiptoeing around the no-no superstition at all; he was reportedly telling teammates in the dugout exactly what was on the line. It was the first perfect game in modern National League history and the first regular-season perfecto since Charlie Robertson in 1922 — a 42-year gap, with only Don Larsen's 1956 World Series gem in between. Bunning's wife Mary and daughter Barbara were in the Shea stands to watch dad do the impossible. He'd later throw a no-hitter in the American League too, becoming one of the few pitchers to no-hit both leagues. Then he swapped the rubber for a different kind of pressure - Hall of Famer and a two-term U.S. Senator from Kentucky. Of every perfect game ever thrown, exactly one was tossed on Father's Day by an actual father of seven. Happy Father's Day RateGame!

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Halladay is Perfect: Today in Sports History

On May 29th, 2010, Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in MLB history. Also the second perfect game in Philadelphia Phillies history, Halladay threw 115 pitches against the Florida Marlins, striking out 11 batters. The Phillies won 1-0 with the only run coming in the top of the third. Chase Utley hit a line drive that bounced off the glove of Florida center fielder Cameron Maybin, allowing shortstop Wilson Valdez to score from first. It was an unearned run for Marlins pitcher Josh Johnson. With his perfect game, Halladay and Dallas Braden made history as the first modern era pitchers to throw perfect games in the same month. It was also the first time multiple perfect games happened in the same season. The twenty days between Braden's perfect game and Halladay's is the shortest span between two perfect games since 1880.

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Tommy Greene Tosses a No-Hitter: Today in Sports History

On May 23rd, 1991, Philadelphia Phillies pitcher Tommy Greene threw the franchise’s eighth no-hitter against the Montreal Expos. Greene was a regular in the bullpen when starting pitcher Danny Cox pulled a groin muscle and had to miss his May 23rd start. The Phillies chose Greene to take his second start of the season and only the 15th of his career. When reporters asked him how long he thought he could go in the game, Greene said “I don’t know, I’ll just go as hard as I can as long as I can. I don’t think they’ll let me throw too many pitches… unless I’m throwing a no-hitter or something.” 130 pitches later, Greene became the first visiting pitcher to throw a no-hitter in Montreal’s 22-year history. He struck out ten batters, and also allowed seven walks. The Phillies were fielding a squad mixed with regulars and bench players for this getaway game. This included backstop Darrin Fletcher, only making his 17th start. The Expos trotted out their starters, including Marquis Grissom, Andres Galarraga, Larry Walker and Delino DeShields. Greene’s feat earned him a regular spot in the Phillies’ rotation for the rest of the year. He finished 1991 with a 13-7 record, 3.38 ERA, and a 108 ERA+. He’d go on to be a key contributor to Philadelphia’s 1993 run to the World Series, going 16-4 with a 3.42 ERA and finishing 6th in Cy Young voting.