TRAVESTY in Detroit Tigers' Galarraga Perfect Game bid

[o-BacklasH-o]

Well I'm sure you're going to see the replays. The final batter of the game Galarraga gets a ground ball to first, he goes to cover the bag, throw and step on the bag beats the runner by two steps. Jim Joyce (Ump) calls him safe. Galarraga retires the next batter for the "28th" out of his perfect game. If this is not appealed and granted as a perfect game this is a travesty to the sport. How do you miss a call like that? Galarraga may have snowconed it a bit, but even a snowcone counts. Unreal call. I'm livid for the Tigers, Galarraga, and their fans.

 

Just simply unbelievable on what should have been the final out of a PERFECT GAME. How in the name of God do you even call safe if it was close, much less being beat by 2 steps?! That's utter classless by the ump. At least he stuck around and took his lashings from Leyland and the Tiger players. Galarraga didn't say a word, just a look of disbelief.

[Prane]

Everybody makes mistakes Lash. I have been following this all day and the Ump took Armando aside after the game and apologized. He has been apologizing to everyone all day. He wants Bud Selig to overturn the call. I feel so bad for him because of the drama this is causing. If this doesn't get overturned his life is going to be a nightmare for years.

[[-VR-] Tool_Minion]

AP reports Selig WONT OVERTURN it.

 

 

My god.

[DK_DevilJack]

This will be the only thing Jim Joyce gets remember for now. Feel bad for the kid he deserved it in every way.

[SgtJoeFriday]

Sucks! The poor kid, gets /6'd out of a perfect game.

 

ON the more somber note, it CAN'T be overturned. IF it is overturned, next thing you know there will be videos of a game in 1976 that needs to be reviewed. Whole seasons will change. It is sad, but it can't be changed now.

 

If they'd incorporate and instant replay or an NFL "challenge" kind of thing, to prevent this in the future, but the past is going to stand.

[GeneralSarcasm]

I heard an interesting comment on sports talk radio about this:

 

Jason Donald, the guy ruled "safe", has a 2 game hit streak now due to this. What if he were to go on to

break Joe DiMaggio's consecutive hit streak record? I bet they would overturn that! I think they should

reconsider overturning, ONLY because it was the last out of the game (special circumstance). If they don't

so be it, but it's crazy that this pitcher will lose a spot in history because of this... would have been what

#21 perfect game ever, out of how many thousands of games played? Might be the hardest thing to do

in baseball.

[Prane]

I understand why Selig wouldn't do it but that really sucks for Galarraga. As a consolation though the Tigers bought him a corvette and gave it to him at the game today. The ump was there working the game and he and Armando shook hands and everything.

[o-BacklasH-o]

To be frank, Selig's excuse is a load of crap. He just doesn't want to give the players a leg to stand on in terms of the UMP's being brutally bad of late. This game will be the turning stone into inducing instant replay in a more expanded role in baseball (beyond just homerun calls).

 

Sgt.JoeFriday ]

ON the more somber note, it CAN'T be overturned. IF it is overturned, next thing you know there will be videos of a game in 1976 that needs to be reviewed. Whole seasons will change. It is sad, but it can't be changed now.

 

Yeah? Tell that to the committee in the 90's that overturned 50 no-hitters well after the fact. There have been SEVERAL calls reversed by the commissioners office over the years (See George Brett Pinetar incedent as one example). Selig could have done the right thing here, but he didn't want to show up his umpires.

 

As far as Joyce...I didn't post here in the days following it, but I said it in an ongoing thread on the VR forums. Joyce really did the right thing. That day he really apologized and MANNED up to his blown call. It was a touching moment when they shook hands and Galarraga presented the Tigers' lineup the next day. I wish some umpires would be as big of a man as Joyce. A lot of umps refuse to watch video of calls they've blown, out of pure stubbornness and an unwillingness to admit they were wrong.

 

I'm still torn on instant replay. If they did something like Football, give one or two challenge flags per game to each manager that could work. The big thing is the prolonging of the game. I really like an idea I heard of adding a 5th umpire to the crew, who will stay upstairs and be ready to review every play as it happens. He then can relay his findings down to the head of the crew on field. This nullifies the need for any type of challenge system. Very quick and painless way to get things right. Bob Brenly says it best...The human element doesn't belong in the game if the human element is WRONG.