Giants’ Matt Cain throws perfect game
By Chris Olds | Beckett Baseball Editor
San Francisco starter Matt Cain blanked Houston for just the 22nd perfect game in MLB history — and second this season — as his Giants rolled to a 10-0 victory over the visiting Astros Wednesday night.
The other perfecto was thrown by Philip Humber on April 21.
Cain struck out a career-high 14 batters in the game, which was just the 14th no-no in Giants history. (Need a Cain checklist or OPG? Click here.)
On cardboard, Cain is more affordable than his long-haired counterpart, Tim Lincecum, as he checks in at 1,646 different cards valued at more than $9,300 in the Beckett.com database. (Lincecum’s cards top $38,000.) Cain has just two Rookie Cards from 2002 — Bowman Chrome Draft and Bowman Draft — with the Chrome typically selling for $15 or less before the news.
His most-expensive card from 2002 is his Gold Refractor from Bowman Chrome Draft, a card limited to just 50 copies. It typically sold for $200 or less before the gem, but a BGS 9 copy of the card sold for $750 early Thursday morning. The last raw copy sold for $150 back in April.
Cain appears on 397 different certified autographs and has had the game-used option created 298 times in his career. His earliest ink can be found in the 2002-03 Justifiable sets, while his earliest MLB autograph is in the 2005 Ultimate Collection product.
Cain’s gem was the first Giants no-no that was perfect, and that caps a list of 14 that includes includes Christy Mathewson (twice), Carl Hubbell, Juan Marichal and Gaylord Perry.
Chris Olds is the editor of Beckett Baseball. Have a comment, question or idea? Send an email to him at colds@beckett.com. Follow him on Twitter by clicking here.
Chris, love these articles after a great baseball game. It’s cool to see their rookie cards from back in the day. Humber, Santana, And now Cain. Even though I’m. Waiting for Kershaw this year….
Thanks again, great article
Holy Crap, that’s my card!?!