One of the greatest San Francisco Giants pitchers of all-time, Matt Cain, is the star flashback athlete of July as we recognize his historic ‘perfect game,’ which was pitched almost exactly 10 years ago. For his 12 year baseball career, from 2005 to 2017, Cain never left the Giants, joining only three other players in Giants history to spend their entire careers in San Francisco.

Matt Cain’s ‘perfect game’ in 2012 still stands as the only one ever pitched by a Giants player; and for those who are not baseball fans, a ‘perfect game’ entails a pitcher allowing no hits, no runs, and no opposing batter to reach first base. Since 1880, a mere 23 perfect games have been pitched, illustrating the extreme rarity and special recognition that a pitcher deserves after accomplishing this challenging baseball feat. Since the introduction of video replay review to the MLB in 2008, only 6 perfect games have been played, considering that an inconclusive play called as an “out” could be overturned in a replay and changed to a “hit,” wrecking the perfect game.

With the Giants winning the World Series in 2010, 2012, and 2014, Matt Cain was a fundamental part of the team during some of the best years in Giants history. Over the course of his incredible career in San Francisco, he earned over $150 million dollars, and will forever be one of the most iconic pitchers to ever grace the San Francisco Giants roster.