After doing what only 18 others in MLB history have done, pitcher dedicates day to two women who made it possible

Dallas Lee Braden, a Stockton resident who frequently pays tribute to his hometown, his deceased mother and the grandmother who helped raise him, paid the ultimate tribute Sunday at the Oakland Coliseum.

The Oakland Athletics pitcher threw the 19th perfect game in Major League Baseball history and the first on Mother''''s Day, retiring all 27 batters he faced in a 4-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays.

The 26-year-old left-hander thrust his fist into the air when Gabe Kapler grounded out to shortstop to end the game. Braden was immediately surrounded by teammates and soon found his way into the arms of his grandmother, Peggy Lindsey, who was ushered onto the field by security.

The two of them shared an emotional moment near the third-base dugout. The more she cried, the tighter he held her.

"There was nothing I could say to tell her how I felt," Braden said Sunday evening while celebrating at a friend''''s home in Stockton. "I just had to grab her and hug her and let her know how much I needed her."

Lindsey helped Braden overcome a troubled youth to reach the big leagues. His parents separated when he was young, he had an estranged relationship with his father, and his mother, Jodie Atwood, died of cancer when he was a senior at Stagg High School in 2001.

"Mother''''s Day is rough, as is the night before," Braden said. "It''''s always rough on me whether I''''m pitching or out on a fishing boat somewhere. I struggle with these days, but on this day it''''s nice to be able to do this, and it''''s dedicated to the sacrifices two extremely strong women made to get me here today. In this life my grandmother was here to see it, and in her next life my mother was here as well."

Lindsey said she was overcome with emotion as she embraced her grandson after the game.

"I was just feeling a whole lot of pride, and thinking his mom should have been there and how proud she would be if she was here to share this with us," Lindsey said. "Everybody is so proud of Dallas, and he''''s just an amazing young man. He makes us proud, he''''s a good person and he loves what he does. He loves baseball, and he''''s good at it."

Braden etched his name into baseball lore as one of 19 pitchers who have thrown a perfect game, joining the likes of Cy Young, Don Larsen, Sandy Koufax and Randy Johnson. He is the first A''''s pitcher to throw a perfect game since Jim "Catfish" Hunter did it against the Minnesota Twins on May 8, 1968.

Facing the team with the best record in baseball, Braden struck out six and walked none. He gave up no runs, no hits and no one reached base on an error.

Twenty-seven up.

Twenty-seven down.

Braden''''s repertoire included a fastball, change-up, breaking ball and cutter. He said there was nothing to indicate he might make history while warming up before the game.

"I''''m not a guy who throws 94 mph and all of a sudden I''''m feeling 97 in the bullpen," Braden said. "I''''m just hoping my change-up or my curve ball is working because if it''''s not it''''s going to be a long day and I''''m going to be pumping your gas tomorrow."

Rays leadoff hitter Jason Bartlett, a St. Mary''''s High School graduate, lined out sharply to A''''s third baseman Kevin Kouzmanoff in the top of the first. Kouzmanoff made another nice play on a slow roller off Bartlett''''s bat in the fourth and caught Carlos Pena''''s foul pop-up while falling into the third-base dugout in the eighth.

Willy Aybar lined out softly to first baseman Daric Barton for the first out in the ninth. Dioner Navarro lined out to left fielder Eric Patterson for the second out, and Kapler grounded out to shortstop Cliff Pennington for the final out.

"I''''ve got eight guys behind me making plays, and this definitely is not mine. It''''s ours," Braden said. "The defensive play has been nothing short of spectacular during my time here, and to have them once again show up and go above and beyond is more than a guy like me can ask for."

Sunday marked the first day of a new "209" promotion at the Oakland Coliseum. Braden worked with the A''''s front office to reduce ticket prices in Section 209 when he pitches.

Braden was nominated for community service awards last year after sponsoring two local Little Leaguers who are growing up in a single-parent home. He wears a jersey that prominently features the numbers 209 - the area code in Stockton - while collecting and serving food to the city''''s homeless on Thanksgiving.

Braden often discusses his upbringing and credits blue-collar people in the Stockton community for helping him don a crisp white jersey on game days in Oakland.

"I''''ve been raised around Joe the ditch digger longer than I''''ve been around Joe Millionaire," Braden said. "I co-mingle with these people on a daily basis. These are the people who have made this city what it is, and these are the people who have made me who I am. I know I wouldn''''t be half the man I am today without all the help and support I''''ve received, and I just want to thank everyone for helping me get here."

Contact reporter Jason Anderson at (209) 546-8283 or janderson@recordnet.com. Visit his blog at recordnet.com/sportsblog

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