Long after Justin Verlander or Miguel Cabrera retire or Ivan Rodriguez is inducted into the Hall of Fame, someone is going to ask the king of all Detroit Tigers' trivia questions.
Who was the first player to pitch a perfect game at Comerica Park?
It's not Armando Galarraga, though Tiger fans and even umpire Jim Joyce know it should have been.
It's not three-time All-Star Verlander, who did fire the stadium's first no-hitter on June 12, 2007.
The answer is
Todd Phelps, a current senior at
Western International (Detroit), who Thursday retired 21 straight batters, striking out 12 of them in an 8-0 win over Detroit Renaissance for the Detroit Public School championship.
It's believed to be the first perfecto to finish off a title game in the PSL, which has been in existence since before the Great Depression - a feeling Phelps can not possibly relate to as of late.
"It's overwhelming," Phelps, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound righthander said by phone Monday. "Since Thursday I've had family, friends and even strangers congratulate me. It's a great feeling because people actually seem to know who I am."
Get used to it kid. Your name will be part of online sports trivia games forever. "Jeopardy" here you come.
Western assistant coach Juan Sanchez said it couldn't happen to a nicer or more humble, deserving kid.
"Does whatever you ask, never complains, total team guy," Sanchez said. "We've asked him to play all over. Third. Center. Catcher. Never questions a thing. That's what made the performance all the more special. I couldn't be prouder of a kid."
But did Sanchez see it coming?
"If I did, I'm in the wrong business," he said. "Don't get me wrong. Todd has always had a live arm and a lot of potential. But a perfect game? In that situation? Very special."
According to the Detroit Free Press, Phelps threw just 77 pitches and had just two three-ball counts, both in the seventh inning. Only three balls reached the outfield, all snagged by left fielder
Chris Torres.
He struck out the last batter of the game to end it, pointed four fingers to the sky – it was Western's fourth straight title – and then was mobbed near the mound. It was fun but a little painful.
"Our catcher (
Pedro Lara) kept his mask on and he kept banging his head into mine," Phelps said. "I didn't care. It was all good."
And all very quiet throughout.
Sanchez and head coach Mike Vasquez turned around the program 12 years ago and along with learning the sport's culture came all the superstitions that go with it.
Phelps, who has a 5-3 record, didn't hear a word after the fourth inning.
"That's about when I realized no one had reached base," he said. "I put my glove in the same spot every time I'd come in. I'd go to one end of the dugout and everyone else was at another."
Born and raised in Detroit, Phelps said he had about 10 family members at the stadium, including his mom and dad and four siblings, including younger brother Tratez Henton, a freshman on the team.
This is the third straight year Phelps has played on the varsity at Comerica but the first time on the mound. The PSL has had a long relationship with the Tigers, who have allowed the title game to be played at Tiger Stadium or Comerica, which opened in 2000, for more than 40 years.
The PSL has featured such major leaguers as outfielder Willie Horton (Tigers), batting champion and outfielder Alex Johnson (Angels), first baseman John Mayberry (Royals) and pitcher Bob Owchinko (Padres), a Western graduate.
Phelps said the experience at Comerica is always grand, but this was surreal.
"I tried not to get caught up in everything – I was pretty dialed in," Phelps said. "But it's hard not to notice you're playing at a place where the best players in the world play."
He knew he had his best while throwing in the bullpen. But, as always, he didn't try to overthrow or do too much. He listened to his coaches, whom he has described as true mentors and idols.
A lifelong Tigers fan, Phelps has posters of "Pudge" Rodriguez in his bedroom. But Sanchez and Vasquez are who he aspires to be these days.
"On and off the field they do so much for all of us," he said. "You can tell they really care."
On Thursday, Sanchez just needed to calm Phelps' nerves.
"We just wanted him to establish the strike zone early," Sanchez said. "When he snapped off a curve ball for a strike in the second, we knew it was going to be a good day."
But no one fathomed such a historic one.
