White Sox pitcher Philip Humber made an appearance on the “Late Show” with David Letterman Monday night to celebrate his perfect game.

After spending a couple of minutes discussing his pitches – he topped out at 94 mph on his fastball – they had the usual give and take about the historical moment.

“If I were you, I’d retire now,” Letterman quipped.

Humber’s short stay with the Mets came up briefly as Letterman asked how that went.

“Apparently not too well,” Humber said, “they got rid of me.”

Humber then read off the ceremonial “Top 10” list of “thoughts that went through his head during the perfect game.”

We won’t spoil the Top 10 without you watching the video clip here, but one of our favorites is No. 7: “Thank goodness I drafted myself for my fantasy team.”

-Chris R. Vaccaro

It didn’t take 15 seconds before you heard Ozzie Guillen drop an f-bomb. Then he dropped another. And another. That’s the expected and obvious first impression of “The Franchise: A Season with the Miami Marlins” on Showtime, which debuts Wednesday, July 11.

Last year the San Francisco Giants were featured on Showtime’s version of “Hard Knocks,” a series HBO has perfected with the NFL.

The sneak peak episode offered this weekend to Showtime customers provided an insider’s look at main moments and issues surrounding the Marlins early in the 2012 season, specifically opening night at their new ballpark and the cultural blunder Guillen made when he said he loved Fidel Castro.

Guillen set the tone in an initial meeting with the club where he said last year and previous seasons mean nothing, referring to their “ugly ass ballpark and ugly ass uniforms.”

“When you win, everything is beautiful,” he told the team, “even your wife likes you a little better.”

In that speech, team owner Jeffrey Loria clocked Guillen with saying the f-word 97 times.

“That’s the only way you get their attention,” Guillen joked.

Naturally, the teaser episode touched on the acquisition of Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle, Carlos Zambrano and Heath Bell.

In the short amount of time you see them interacting, Jose Reyes and teammate Hanley Ramirez seem to be getting along, which is contrary to the reports that Ramirez was steamed about having to play third base.

“We’re always going to be together,” Ramirez said, “like Dwayne Wade and Lebron.”

The most emotional aspect of the episode was Guillen confronting his five-game suspension, talking with the media about his Castro remark and seeing team president David Samson actually issue the suspension in Guillen’s office. After his press conference at the ballpark, Guillen was shown in the hallway breaking down in tears.

There’s no denying Guillen is as colorful a manager as you can find in baseball, if not all sports. Stay tuned to the real season debut in July to hate or love the flamboyant baseball personality.

“We want people to hate this f**cking ball club,” he said. “When people hate somebody it’s because they’re f**cking good.”

To view clips from the show, click here.

-Chris R. Vaccaro

Prior to Saturday’s pitching gem, Philip Humber had never thrown a complete game in his 29 previous Major League starts. So Humber rang in the distance game on the mound with the grandest of performances, throwing the 21^st perfect game in baseball history.

Humber threw 96 pitches and struck out 9 in the 4-0 victory over Seattle at Safeco Field. This was the first perfect game since Roy Halladay achieved the honor with the Phillies in 2010 against the Marlins.

While teams like the Mets, who traded Humber to Minnesota in the deal for Johan Santana in 2008, have never thrown a no-hitter, let alone a perfect game, the White Sox have had success in recent years with outstanding pitching performances. Former White Sox great Mark Buehrle, now a starter with the Marlins, met his match with perfection in 2009 against the Rays. Way back in 1922, Charlie Robertson also threw a perfect game for the White Sox against the Tigers.

Humber, now 1-0 in two starts this season, was a first round draft pick by the Mets in 2004 and is the seventh ex-Met to throw a no-hitter or perfect game.

To see a complete list of all 21 perfect games in baseball history, click here.

To have an inside look at history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.

-Chris R. Vaccaro

In keeping with the pastime of baseball, Topps Pennant will be bringing you daily historical posts about the game and its greatest moments. Here’s what happened on April 19 …

Baseball Jersey Boys style

In 1956, the Brooklyn Dodgers beat Philadelphia, 5-4, in a 10-inning battle at Roosevelt Stadium in what was the first major-league game ever held in New Jersey. According to NationalPastime.com, legendary Brooklyn catcher Roy Campanella tied the game in the 10th inning with career hit No. 1,000.

Welcome to the bigs, Anaheim Stadium

Ten years later in 1966, the champaign bottle was cracked at Anaheim Stadium in California as the Angels, in their second year as a franchise, hosted the White Sox in the first game at the new venue. The Angels lost, 3-1, but Rick Reichardt put his name in the history books as the first player to hit a home run at the ballpark. This game also featured Tommy John and Tommie Agee.

One hall of a game

Future National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees and baseball legends Cal Ripken Jr. and Wade Boggs played against each other in the longest game in professional baseball history in 1981. During an international League game between the Rochester Red Wings (Ripken’s squad) and the Pawtucket Red Sox, the clubs played 32 straight innings until 4:07 a.m. The game was suspended with a 2-2 tie and finished later in the season with Pawtucket eventually winning in the 33rd inning, spread across three days. The behemoth of a game was played at McCoy Stadium in Pawtucket, R.I.

Mets set club record for homers

At Philadelphia’s Citizens Bank Park, the Mets set a franchise record for home runs in a game as the Amazin’s recorded seven in a 16-4 victory against the Phillies in 2005. Homering in the game for the Mets: Reyes (2), Diaz (2), Wright (Grand Slam), Piazza and Mientkiewicz.

Ripken finally makes it to the DL

Some thought Lou Gehrig’s record of consecutive games played would never be broken. Ripken shattered that mark and finished with a number of 2,632. While the streak ended in 1995 -on his own terms, not injury-, he played until 2001 and made it to the disabled list for the first time in his career during the 1999 regular season. A sore back was the culprit that finally took the Ironman out.

*The source of today’s historical notes is TodayInBaseballHistory.com.

To have an inside look at history, check out the new Topps Pennant app today.

-Chris R. Vaccaro