The perfect confluence

Mark Buehrle's name is forever etched in baseball lore. He's a member of perhaps the sport's most exclusive club, one that boasts only 18 members: pitchers who have thrown a perfect game. The White Sox left-hander is being lauded everywhere for his effort against the Tampa Bay Rays last week - and rightfully so. It's a rare feat indeed to face 27 major league batters and retire every single one of them. If anything, though, Buehrle reminded us that pitching excellence alone doesn't produce these ultimate displays of perfection. It takes luck, which explains why most of the men who ... Email </a