Buehrle’s Perfect Game From an Insiders Point of View

Scott Reifert, the Chicago White Sox vice president of communications,  updates his blog almost every day with some behind the scenes insight into the world of the southsiders.  Today was no exception.  But this latest blog entry was different, special, and perhaps even somewhat historic.  This entry gives fans a unique perspective, an insiders look, into one of baseballs rarest feats.  A perfect game.

Much like the movie Memento, Scott gives us the end of the story first, then fills in the details leading up final scene.  The final scene in this case is Mark Buehrle's perfect game.

I wonder how many other Sox fans are sitting on their couches this evening re-watching Mark Buehrle's perfect game, feeling the same butterflies in the last inning? I am, and I am the guy who STILL hasn't watched replays of the 2005 World Series games.  I just can't take it.

I think most sports fans can relate.  Even if you know how the game ends you still feel some of the emotion from that first live viewing.  That's why we buy championship DVD's, photos of the winning play, and the collectors editions magazines.  We love the rush of emotions that those mementos bring back.

Continuing through Scott's post we learn that the day-to-day life of a VP of communications of a major league baseball team is filled with meetings, conference calls, and hand shaking of distinguished guests.   Even yesterday, as the game started and progressed through the 7th inning he was in a meeting with Major League Baseball Advanced Media  (MLBAM).

So as we discuss Social Media -- blogs, Facebook, Twitter, etc -- I watch Buehrle mow down Rays.  BAM is watching as well, and as the call moves along, someone offers, "Scott, if you need to leave, we understand."

Then things start to get good.  You can feel Scott reliving the emotion and you find yourself reading his words faster, even though you know what the outcome is.  From the stands, to the press box, to the field, you can just picture his excitement as he rushes around the park tweeting the mood to White Sox fans the entire time.  The tweets start simple and in true baseball etiquette he never mentions exactly was is happening.

Hey Sox fans! You might want to check out the game on CSN, WSCR radio or mlb.com. Middle of seventh.

His excitement grows:

Pena struck out looking, out 1; Zobrist pops out, out 2; crowd rises with each out; Burrell lines out. Thru 8

Almost as if he can tell the future he tweets the defensive change in center field:

Wise in CF, pods to LF. Kapler, hernandez and Bartlett due up for Rays.

Then we get it . . .the first perfect game in the major league captured by twitter.

Great catch over fence by Wise! One out

Hernandez strikes out. Two outs

Crowd standing and screaming with every pitch

He did it! Perfect game for Mark Buehrle ...

We get many more tweets from Scott throughout the rest of the day.  Including some behind the scenes footage of Buehrle's call from President Obama.

I highly recommend reading the blog for some great pictures and insight of what its like to be behind the scenes of a baseball team on a historic day.