Losing perfection in Music City

NASHVILLE, July 30 - Sometimes your best just isn't enough.

Nashville Sounds starting pitcher Gary Glover was perfect for 4 1/3 innings tonight in a game against the AAA Sacramento River Cats. Glover faced the minimum before allowing a walk to right fielder Matt Watson in the fifth.

No harm done. Designated hitter Shawn Garrett lined to left and shortstop Andrew Beattie flied to center. Still no hits and no runs.

But the Cats unloaded for five runs on five hits in the sixth to dismantle an otherwise stellar effort by Glover as the Sounds lost a heartbreaker, 5-3, at Greer Stadium in front of the season-high crowd of 12,344. So it goes in this grand old game.

Most of the fans were church folks who showed up for John the Baptist Bobblehead Doll night. Sadly, it didn't come with a detachable head and a silver platter.

The Sounds are contemplating building a new stadium downtown in a couple of years. It would be a true shame.

Greer Stadium is cramped and falling apart, but it's hard not to love the place. Anytime your scoreboard is shaped like a guitar, you know you've got something special.

Before the game, we joined Sounds season ticket holder Kurt Pickering in the stadium restaurant, four floors above the field. The restaurant features large glass windows that give diners an impressive view of the field. You can stay there the entire game if you wish, as long as you buy 10 bucks worth of food every hour.

If the Smokies had such a setup in Kodak, I would be there every night. And probably weigh about 300 pounds.

The season high crowd didn't seem to mind much that the Sounds had gone down to defeat. Glover provided enough excitement for five innings to satisfy even the purist of fans.

Most stayed for the Saturday night fireworks. I slipped quietly into the night, headed toward LaVergne and my laptop computer, to file a story.

Along the way, my thoughts turned to perfection and the lack of accomplishing it. And how one bad inning can ruin your evening.

Even if you've just pitched your heart out.