Ace of the Diamond

Perfection is multifaceted. Like a perfect diamond, a perfect game glints at various angles, inviting us to appreciate its beauty from any number of vantage points: the stories of players involved, historical context, statistical achievement. But no matter how you look at the collection of gems in which opponents have gone 27 up, 27 down-and there have been only 20 in 142 years of professional baseball-one jewel stands apart: On Sept. 9, 1965, Dodgers lefthander Sandy Koufax pitched history's most perfect perfect game.