It’s one of the rarest feats in professional sports. In fact, before yesterday, only eighteen others since 1880 have been able to be immaculate from the mound. But even if he never plays another game in his life, Dallas Braden of the Oakland A’s will be etched in the history books for his play yesterday afternoon. For he did achieve perfection with his perfect game against the Tampa Bay Rays.

As in throwing 109 pitches (77 of them being strikes) with no one reaching a base. And to think, it was his first complete game. Fresh arms and legs will work wonders.

The left-hander pointed to the sky in honor of his mom, Jodie Atwood, who died of cancer when he was a high school senior. He shared a long and tearful hug with his grandma, Peggy Lindsey, the woman who raised him, in front of the dugout. “It hasn’t been a joyous day for me in a while,” Braden said. “With my Grandma in the stands it makes it a lot better.” [Via]

It really doesn’t get much better than that.

Unless your name is Wade McGilberry and you play video games in Mobile, Alabama.

With much respect to Braden’s achievement, the 23-year-old newlywed and college student is the biggest winner here. I gave you fools a heads up in January about MLB2K10′s contest for a perfect game but you let Honest Wade take your shine and duckets.

McGilberry, 23, of Mobile, Ala., used Atlanta’s Kenshin Kawakami of the Braves to record a perfect game — allowing no batter to reach base — against the Mets. McGilberry’s entry, recorded on March 2, was then verified by 2K Sports and he was presented with that prize for winning the company’s Perfect Game contest.

“We are going to pay off the house, get our finances in order,” McGilberry said Wednesday on CBS’ Early Show. “We are also going to start a family, which we had planned to do once our finances were together. They are just together sooner than we thought.”[Via]

Pitching has never been so lucrative. Let’s see you beat that, NBA & NFL.