Can Phillies perfect Doc Halladay win 30?

Facing the Marlins in Miami yesterday (Saturday, May 29), former Blue Jays ace Roy "Doc" Halladay pitched a perfect game, striking out 11 in a 1-0 win for the Phillies. On May 9, Oakland's Dallas Braden was also perfect against Tampa Bay so with Halladay's remarkable achievement occurring just 20 days later, it's the first time in the major's modern era that two perfect games have been pitched in the same month.
Although baseball historians will point out that way back in 1880, the first two perfect games were thrown just five days apart when Worchester Ruby Legs lefty Lee Richmond beat the Cleveland Blues 1-0 on June 12 and the Providence Grays' John Montgomery Ward turned the same trick to top the Buffalo Bisons 5-0 on June 17.

The win moves Philadelphia's hard hurling right-hander to a 7-3 record, one step closer to the almost unthinkable feat of winning 30 games this year. Well, it may unthinkable for most people except for maybe Halladay himself along with Steve Wynn and Scott McCaughey of The Baseball Project. The alterna-supergroup, which also involves Peter Buck and Linda Pitmon, have set their intriguing "what if" scenario to music with the catchy 30 Doc, the third song in the Baseball Project's ongoing Broadside Ballads series recording and releasing a tune a month about America's favourite pastime.
Even though the 33 year old Halladay is in tip-top shape and now has some excellent support behind him with the defending NL champs, the fact no pitcher has managed to crack the 30 game milestone since Denny McLain won 31 for the Detroit Tigers back in 1968 makes Halladay's bid seem like a serious longshot. The last time any pitcher in the National League has come close was 1972 when Steve Carlton notched 27 wins for the Phillies.

Interestingly enough, the first Halladay card Topps printed up depicting Philadelphia's new acquisition in a Phillies jersey (right) mistakenly had him wearing his old Blue Jays number 32 which was Carlton's number, now of course retired by the Phillies. A simple production gaff or prescient suggestion of record breaking to come?
In any case, the steep odds against Halladay reaching the 30 win milestone this season hasn't stopped Wynn and his Baseball Project buddies from fantasizing about the possibility. And after Halladay's perfect game performance last night, there's gonna be a lot more people singing along with 30 Doc. Download it right here.


LINKS
The Baseball Project http://www.thebaseballproject.com/
Yep Roc label site  http://www.yeproc.com/artist_info.php?artistId=12539
Scott McCaughey fan site http://www.universaltrendsetter.org
Steve and Scott interviewed about the Baseball Project on MLB.com