Coherent Matt Cain Post

          

         Did Matt Cain throw the greatest game ever? I’m not going to debate the merits of that question, but I’m not going to stop looking those words. Did Matt Cain throw the greatest game ever? Professional baseball began in 1875 and yesterday I found myself looking at an ESPN site that looked like this:

            That coming just hours after Matt Cain was driving golf balls from home plate into McCovey Cove. That’s a good day.

            Matt Cain joined the Giants in 2005, as 20 year old phenom. Practically during the Jurassic period. Names that were on that team: J.T. Snow, Mike Matheny, Michael Tucker, Jason Ellison and Lance Niekro. Barry Bonds was there too. Cain struggled in 2006 and in 2007, the year he finally started to become Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum was recalled and shoved 2 Cy Youngs in Giants fans’ face. Giants fans like Cy Youngs. To the national audience, Matt Cain became the other starter, that other talented Giant pitcher. During 2010 championship, Matt Cain didn’t have luxious black hair or a thick grizzly man beard nor was he a baby faced rookie catcher. He's not a panda. Or a giraffe. Or a Chilean Llama, or whatever the heck else we have.

            All Matt Cain does is pitch. Pitch, pitch, pitch. All Matt Cain does is be Matt Cain. Every single start. Nothing wrong with that. Nothing sexy about it either. Matt Cain doesn’t have a ‘thing’. He’s not glamourous. He doesn’t blow snot rockets out of his nose, that I’m aware of. He doesn’t fist pump that often. He doesn’t have a  catch phrase or crazy personality. Matt Cain has a Matt Cain. Now, in 2012, he’s the longest tenured Giants, the first of the great pitching staff that symbolizes the ‘Post-Bonds’ Giants. He’s been one of the best pitcher in baseball the past 5 years and nobody seems to notice. Which is fine to Matt Cain. But not fine to not-Matt Cain people. Last night, Matt Cain finally got the recognition he deserves.

            He’s toyed with no-hitters and perfect games. He had this game, where the only base runner he gave up was James McDonald the Pirates pitcher. We always knew Cain was bound to finish one eventually. Yesterday was finally that night. Cain couldn’t have walked up to home plate, and handed Buster Posey baseballs in a better location as his pitches last night. Every single pitch was right where Posey’s glove was. When he threw 3-2 pitch to strike out Chris Johnson to end the 8^th, it was like he was playing MLB The Show with cheat codes. A 3-2 changeup in one of the highest leverage situations one could imagine. It’s safe to say my cajones are like pebbles to Matt Cain’s boulders. There’s a pleasant thought for everyone. 

            A perfect game is not a World Championship. But the feeling is dang close. Every single pitch, a finger nail was lost at a raucous AT&T Park. I was sure about 35 time that Jose Altuve was going to get a hit. Gregor Blanco caused 30 million respiratory problems. Joaquin Arias' stumble on the last out made the entire city of San Francisco go NOewfewfnweccCDCWEFfwem#!CWFF, all in that one instant. Matt Cain didn’t worry though. Because Matt Cain is Matt Cain and Matt Cain does Matt Cains better than anybody else does Matt Cains. What a moment.