Oakland Athletics left-hander Dallas Braden on Sunday became the 19th pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game. Braden accomplished the feat against the best-in-baseball Tampa Bay Rays, retiring all 27 hitters to step up the plate in a masterful performance. While the Rays were also on the wrong end of the majors’ last perfect game (Mark Buehrle, July 2009), turning the trick against that type of offense made it all the more impressive.

Tampa Bay currently ranks third in baseball, and second in the American League, with 174 runs, led by a lineup that boasts stars such as Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, Evan Longoria and Ben Zobrist. On Sunday, though, Braden had the aforementioned group’s number, even forcing Longoria to try to break up the perfection bid by attempting to bunt for a base hit; as Kevin Kaduk points out, to some thats constitues breaking another unwritten baseball rule. He was in total control all afternoon, working ahead in the count and throwing 77 of 99 pitches for strikes.

Prior to the perfect game on Sunday, Braden was best known to baseball fans for the lingering feud between him and New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez. On April 22, Braden accused Rodriguez of breaking one of baseball’s unwritten rules by crossing directly over the pitcher’s mound on his way back to first base after a foul ball. The action did not sit well with the young hurler, who, despite having fewer than 20 wins for his career, was perfectly comfortable calling out one of the greatest players in baseball history for stepping on HIS mound.

Never one to take the high road, A-Rod then pointed out that fact, brushing Braden aside as a pitcher “with only a handful of wins.” While true on its surface, it was certainly an arrogant, asshole comment, nothing short of what was expected from a player who used to have a picture of himself as a centaur hanging on the wall. Since it is so easy to hate A-Rod, most non-Yankee fans sided, at least initially, with Braden.

The story did not end there, however, as Braden poured more flames onto the fire during an interview with Mychael Urban of CSN Bay Area last week. Urban interestingly baited the pitcher, inferring that people from the 209—Stockton, California—do not take crap from anyone, regardless of their stature. Braden then delivered the following quote:

"There are things that are going to have to happen. Out of respect to my teammates, out of respect to the game. I think he's probably garnered a new respect for the unwritten rules and the people who hold them close to their game. But I think you're right, we don't do much talking in the 209."

To which A-Rod responded with a gem of his own: "I really don't want to extend his 15 minutes of fame.” Of course, Braden’s 15 minutes of fame is going to last a whole lot longer than anticipated. Indeed, while he still has only 18 career victories, he will now forever hold a a special place in baseball history after joining such an exclusive club.

But the best taunt of all during the affair came courtesy of Braden’s grandmother, who was in attendance for the perfect game; quite an excellent Mother’s Day gift, one could say, topping even this thoughtfully written card. Indeed, Peggy Lindsey, who raised Braden following the tragic death of his mother in high school, delivered a quote that would rival that of Mr. Laser Show, Dustin Pedroia, telling Rodriguez off. “Stick it, A-Rod,” is the direct quote that she gave to A's beat reporter Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle.

It was the perfect quote, at the perfect time, to cap off a perfect game, making it easy to see where where Braden got the guts to call out A-Rod in the first place. Inevitably, the New York media quickly went to A-Rod for his response following the Yankees' loss to the Boston Red Sox last night. In a rare occurence, he actually displayed a little class, calling “Uncle" and hopefully ending the feud once and for all. Or at least until the A’s come to New York and Braden takes the mound at Yankee Stadium in a few weeks.

Either way, it was an excellent day for the Braden family and quite a story.

See previous tauntr .gif images: Ryan Howard, Dez Bryant, Trevor Hoffman, Tasered Phillies Fan, Kobe Bryant, Ben Roethlisberger, Dustin Pedroia Laser Show, Jeff Baker, Dustin Pedroia Laser Show, Take Two.