A Perfect Game is one of the rarest occurrences in the sport of baseball. In  154 years of Major League played across almost 240,000 games only 24 perfect games have been officially recorded as of this writing. On June 23 1917 Boston Red Sox pitcher Ernie Shore was perfect as he stopped all 27 Washington Senators batters he faced; without a single hit going past the infield. He’s not officially credited with a perfect game however…

… because the starting pitcher for the Red Sox on June 23 1917 was actually Babe Ruth. In the first game of a double header at Fenway Park, he took the mound against the Senators. The first batter Ruth faced was Washington Second Baseman  Ray Morgan. Babe Ruth hit Morgan with a pitch (which counted as a ball in the dead-ball era of baseball). Ruth then threw two pitches that he thought were strikes, but umpire Brick Owens called balls. Ruth began to argue with Owens telling the umpire to “Open your eyes, and keep them open!” Owens threatened to eject Ruth if he didn’t keep quiet and told him to get back to pitching. Ruth yelled “You run me out and I will come in an bust you on the nose” right before he threw  his fourth pitch that was called a ball, allowing Ray Morgan to reach base on a walk. Ruth exploded and began screaming at Owens. The umpire approached the pitching mound intending  to throw the pitcher out of the game, when true to his word Babe Ruth rushed toward Owens( who had not removed his mask) and began throwing punches. Red Sox catcher Pinch Thomas tried to stop Ruth from hitting the umpire but to no avail. Ruth’s first punch missed, but his second hit Brick Owens just under his mask knocking him to the ground. The two men were scuffling on the ground when Red Sox Manager/Second Baseman Jack Berry and several Boston Police officers dragged a still screaming Ruth off the field.  

After things settled down; new Red Sox pitcher Ernie Shore took the mound. Ray Morgan was immediately picked off trying to steal second base by new catcher Sam Agnew( Pinch Thomas was ejected along with Ruth). Shore then proceeded to completely shut down the rest of the Senators’ batters. Shore only threw two strikeouts in the game but he stymied Washington anyways. It was said that not a single hit made it past the infield, with Boston’s defense helping prevent anyone else from reaching base. In the top of the Ninth Inning with two outs; Senators’ outfielder Mike Menosky attempted to bunt his way on base. Boston’s Second Baseman Berry threw him out preserving the ‘perfect game’ as the Red Sox won the game 4-0. “We will take care of Ruth” American League President Ban Johnson said about the fight. Babe Ruth was suspended for 10 games and fined $1,000 ($25,000 in 2025) for the altercation with umpire Brick Owens. The game was considered a perfect game at the time, but was officially changed to a combined no-hitter for both Ruth and Shore in subsequent years.