Umpire ruins perfect game, yet looks good compared to the commissioner
On Wednesday night, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga threw a perfect game. Only he didn’t. At least, he won’t get credited with having thrown one. With two outs in the ninth inning, Cleveland infielder Jason Donald hit a bouncer that first baseman Miguel Cabrera had to range to his right to field. Field it he did, and he tossed to Galarraga, who was covering first. The throw beat the runner by a step and the game should have been over and the perfect game complete. It was not to be. Umpire Jim Joyce, stationed at first base for the evening, inexplicably called Donald safe.
After a vociferous argument, play continued. The next batter grounded out and the game was over. The amazing part happened after that. Joyce, a twenty-two year veteran as a Major League ump, admitted that he blew it. He was clearly devastated by his error and what it had cost this young pitcher. All parties handled it very well, considering the difficult situation. The final move would be in the hands of Bud Selig, the commissioner of the league.
Selig, as he has done so often, failed to impress. Here was a situation where not only did all parties agree an error had been made, but nothing at all would be harmed by changing the result. If anything significant had happened after the blown call to change the game, Selig would have had no possible options. Nothing happened, though. A single ground out. It is within the jurisdiciton of the commissioner to change this call. Despite the recent spate of perfect games, we are talking serious baseball history here. Jim Joyce had to make an instantaneous call and got it wrong. Bud Selig, with the better part of a day to think about it, also got it wrong. He has no excuse.
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Allan, good post on what has been of the more – if not THE MOST – discussed topic of the day.
I can’t help but thing this single story will give you material for BOTH “Good Sports” and Bad Sports.” Selig would provide a dood example of the latter … a good example of the fomer would come the next day’s exchange between Galarraga and Joyce, behind the plate before the start of the next game.
My sister was at the game. She said she’s enever heard such a loud and sustained “boo” from such a large group of people.
This game will be even more famous because it was an “almost perfect game” than it would have been if he’d actually pitched the perfect game.