Buehrle sets retrosheet record for 9x3s

As you've all heard by now, Mark Buehrle pitched a perfect game today. Perhaps even more significant is that it was the third "9x3" of his career. A 9x3 is a game where the pitcher only faces 27 opposing batters, even if some of them reach base; the ones who do reach base are erased by double plays, caught stealings, etc.

I've often wondered what to call such a game; I asked my dad for a suggestion, and after his initial suggestion of a 3x3 animal style, we settled on 9x3, as in facing all 9 batters in the lineup exactly 3 times, and nothing more.

Baseball-reference recently made a list of this, and apparently as of 2007, it had only been done 35 times since 1957, exclusive of perfect games. Buehrle, at that time, was the only pitcher with two games on that list; Koufax had one plus his perfect game, so they were tied for the retrosheet lead with 2. Buehrle, of course, as I mention above, has now taken the lead.

A 9x3, even of the non-perfect variety, is quite an accomplishment, as evidenced by its rarity, but you never actually hear about it. I suspect this is because there's no snappy name for it, so I suggest from now on, we all agree to use the phrase "9x3" as casually as we say "no-hitter" or "perfect game". Okay? Okay.