Perfect in pink! Mother's Day A+ for Braden
A's lefty lost mother to cancer as senior in high school
05/09/10 9:26 PM ET
OAKLAND -- Dallas Braden's life has been anything but perfect.
Crime, gangs and poverty swarmed his childhood surroundings in Stockton, Calif., where he was raised by single mom Jodie Atwood. Heartache topped those already grim circumstances when Jodie died of skin cancer while Braden was a senior in high school.
But on Sunday afternoon the Oakland lefty, making the 53rd start of his career, shut down Tampa Bay in succession to not only lead the A's to a 4-0 victory, but record just the 19th perfect game in Major League history.
His grandmother, Peggy Lindsey, has guided Braden through his struggles. And just as she does every time her grandson takes the mound in Oakland, she made the hour-long drive from Stockton on Sunday afternoon, this time to witness Braden pitch against baseball's best team.
Thus, the 26-year-old kid took to the bump against the Rays as Peggy watched her grandson's imperfect life suddenly become perfect for just a day -- a day that happened to be Mother's Day.
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After being swarmed by teammates upon the game's conclusion, including batterymate Landon Powell, Braden found the one person to whom he said he owes it all.
"It's a more important day for my grandmother than anything," Braden said. "That's the biggest thing to be able to give her something like this on a day of this magnitude, considering everything we've been through together. It's more about her for me.
"It hasn't been a joyous day for me in a while. But to know that I still get to come out and compete and play a game on that day, that makes it a little better. With my grandma in the stands, that makes it a lot better. To be able to give her this today was perfect."
The two embraced in tears, exchanging a handful of words in between moments of tender silence.
"I just told him that I love him," said Lindsey, wearing an A's fleece and still very much in disbelief.
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None of it mattered Sunday, though, as Braden left 12,228 fans in Oakland cheering from their feet for more than 20 minutes following the final out, a grounder to shortstop Cliff Pennington off the bat of Gabe Kapler that made its way to first baseman Daric Barton.
"I told him, 'Your mom would be so proud,'" Lindsey said. "Leave it to Dal to do something different. If you know Dal, then you know that's his way."
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Source:
Perfect in pink! Mother's Day A+ for Braden | MLB.com: News
