Accepting imperfection
Count me among those who think that Armando Galarraga’s imperfect perfect game should stand as it is. I’m not an anti-replay Luddite and would welcome the expansion of replay and technology in sports. But I’m also a believer in leaving the game as settled on the field – imperfections and all – and recognizing (and even appreciating) that sports serves up crap sandwiches at the worst possible times. Just mention the Jasper Sanks play to a Georgia fan or bring up the 1972 Olympic basketball gold medal game to anyone old enough to remember. Working to improve and avoid blown calls is the objective, yes, but the calls still stand.
I expect over the next day or so we’ll get plenty of stories bringing up other huge blown calls. SEC football fans submit the 2009 season. Oklahoma has a tape of the 2006 Oregon game ready. Baseball historians will point to Don Denkinger’s call in the 1985 World Series. There’s an entire book devoted to the subject. This 28-out game will stand alongside the Fifth Down Game. They’re all infamous, but they’re also still on record.
Galarraga won’t have his name added to the short list of perfect game hurlers, but he’s now on a list of one. That won’t help or change that fact that he had a perfect game yanked from him, but his place in baseball immortality is set. So, for better or worse, is the place of umpire Joyce. It’s a good postscript to this story that the umpire and pitcher handled this about as well as one could expect. I can’t imagine had this ump been Joe West.
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UGA69Dawg
June 3rd, 2010
6:47 pm
Your so right Joyce will be forever the umpire that blew the perfect game. Shame too since he is probably one of the best.
Bulldawg
June 4th, 2010
2:28 am
There were so many calls of balls and strikes that went his way.
A call after 26 outs goes not his way.
The game stands.
But, it is obvious that baseball will have to do replays. There problem is that where they need replays most is balls and strikes; and, that is not even something you can argue with them about.
Balk calls.
Lack of balk calls.
Foul over the bag and then called fair over the bag on the corners.
Foul Pole calls.
The ball hit a fan calls.
The play at 2nd base on double plays where the player never is on the bag.
Same plays at 1st base.
Throwing a player or coach out, when they were right and the Umpire thinking everyone is there to watch just him.
How some players get less than expanded strike zone and others get nothing but expanded strike zone.
Ball caught when it touched the ground calls.
Doctoring the baseball calls when they all do that.
Errors charged when the play was a hit.
Hits given when the player obviously could have made the play and was expected to.
Drugs they all took for years and years and still just lie about it.
All the players they refuse to put in the Hall of Fame.
Many of those they did put in the Hall of Fame.
Plays where everyone in the world knows the pitcher hit him intentionally and it is not called.
The lame way they do throw pitcher out after he hits a batter once warned.
Home run over the line or not calls.
If you stop and think about it, the whole entire game of baseball is imperfect.
What Galarraga should have said was the umpire is not wrong. There were a lot of calls that went my way tonight, and that was one that did not. We won the game. That is what I am paid to do. He is one of the best umpires, and proves what a great man he is too every day all day. It was not a perfect game. There have been 2 other perfect games already in just April and May alone this year. Mine was not. Baseball is a team game not about me personally. I am a young guy who tried to do well, and I believe I did my part for the team today. But, I, and the rest of the world have forged a huge bond that will last into Eternity with this fine man and umpire.