Clayton Kershaw put on a clinic Wednesday at Target Field, throwing 7 innings of perfect baseball, striking out 13 Minnesota hitters along the way before being lifted to protect his arm. The Twins finally got a hit by Gary Sanchez in the 8th but lost the game 7-0.
This brings to mind the age-old question: When is it okay to root for the other team?
The short answer is, it’s always okay. No one is required to cheer for the home team simply because you were born here. That’s not anything you can control. So you do you, cheer for whomever you like, and tell the snobs to go pound sand.
But say you’re a tried and true Twins fan. Is it okay to root for the other team when history is on the line? Absolutely it is. If you’re a Twins fan, then you’re likely a fan of the game as a whole. And historical achievements are good for the game, even if they go against your favorite club.
In over 150 years of baseball history, there’ve been just 23 perfect games. And it’s been nearly a decade since we’ve seen one with Felix Hernandez accomplishing the feat on August 15, 2012.
Think about that. Over 218,000 (so 436,000 chances), and it’s happened just 23 times. Nearly 1,600 games have passed since King Felix’s gem. You’re allowed to cheer for it, if for no other reason than the simple rarity of the event.
One other interesting note? While we’ve seen 11 “combined” no-hitters (where a starter and relievers “combine” to not surrender a hit), there’s never been a “combined” perfect game. So if the Dodgers had managed it on Wednesday, it would’ve been even more rare.
So whether it’s a perfect game, a no-hitter, a record-setting offensive performance or a defensive masterpiece, go ahead and cheer for it. It’s just one loss for your team. There’ll be at least 60 of those in a season. A chance for history? That’s rare enough to set your allegiances aside for a few hours.
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