Pitcher Armando Galarraga's response to umpire's blown call that robbed him of a perfect game

[Amerigo Vespucci]

VIDEO @ the URL below.

Armando Galarraga is all class after blown call loses his Perfect Game

By John Amato Thursday Jun 03, 2010 7:15pm



You've probably heard about umpire Jim Joyce's blown call at first base that robbed Tiger pitcher, Armando Galarraga of a perfect game. Joyce came out immediately and denounced his call saying:

Joyce ruled Cleveland's Jason Donald safe at first base, but later said he got it wrong. Even in the sports world, where bad calls are part of the mix, this one reached way beyond the lines: the perfect game that wasn't.

"It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the out of it," a distraught Joyce said Wednesday night. "I just cost that kid a perfect game.

What I found astonishing was Armando's class in the face of losing his place in baseball history as the 21st pitcher to have ever thrown a perfect game. (This non-perfect/perfect game will probably be one of the most talked about calls for a long time.) He stood there with grace and dignity after the game and forgave Joyce because he saw the deep regret and shame that Joyce had felt. The quality of the video isn't good, but it still shows the character of Armando Galarraga.

Galarraga: He really feel bad. He probably felt more bad than me. And nobody's perfect and we'll all human. I really give that guy a lot of credit to tell me, 'I need to talk to you "You don't see an umpire after the game come out and say, 'Hey, let me tell you I'm sorry,' That don't happen.

He felt really bad. He didn't even shower.

Thursday's afternoon game in Detroit saw Joyce and Galarraga coming together before the game and Joyce looked like he had tears in his eyes.

[Brickbat]

1. "He felt really bad. He didn't even shower."

LMAO. Seriously, though, it's nice to see this being handled with class from all involved, and it's too bad that handling it with class is newsworthy instead of the norm.

[lumberjack_jeff]

3. "Felt bad"? He probably smelled worse. n/t

[xchrom]

2. a great communication between two real Gentlemen.

awesome.

[gratuitous]

4. I watched the replay (we all have)

And having some experience as an umpire (though nowhere near the major league level), I'm pretty sure I know why Joyce made the call he did, and it was because the ball nestled high in the web of Galarraga's glove. On a bang-bang play like that, with everything in motion, the appearance of the ball so high in the glove looks like a bobble. Based on that, I believe Joyce made his safe call. Joyce could have/should have waited a moment to make the call, especially since Galarraga held up his glove immediately afterward to show that he had secured the ball properly. But what's done is done.

Now, based on that, I think the official scorekeeper should charge Galarraga with an error. After all, the throw beat the runner, but the umpire ruled the runner safe based on the perceived bobble (which didn't actually happen). Galarraga gets a no-hitter, loses the perfect game, and he becomes an anomaly in baseball along with Ernie Shore.

[Romulox]

5. Mr. Galarraga's stock is through the roof with me.

Mr. Illitch surrounds himself with gentlemen athletes. Kudos to Armando Galarraga and the Detroit Tigers! :thumbsup:

[cbdo2007]

6. All of the MLB can learn a lot from him.

I can only imagine if this were Roger Clemens or whoever else and you know that within five minutes they would be all over every station saying they were robbed and threatening legal action and stuff.

He may not be in the history books for his "near" perfect game but his legacy to the MLB may be even greater.

[underseasurveyor]

7. Why can't they just reverse the call even post game?

Galarraga could have his prefect game. It's my understanding that reversing the all wouldn't have changed the outcome anyway. We've seen the video, we saw the guy was tagged out, we all know it was a bad call... so why not just reverse it and give the guy his due?

Still both of these guys have a lot of class.

[MilesColtrane]

8. ¡Viva Armando!

:applause:

[Octafish]

9. ''Nobody's perfect.''

Galarraga is as close as anybody around these days.

[damntexdem]

10. He wasn't robbed of a perfect game. He had that.

Instead, MLB was robbed of recording its third perfect game of this young season -- and unless the ruling is reversed, will be robbed of some fan interest. Why follow a game whose ruling body lacks integrity?

[hughee99]

11. But then we wouldn't have any games to follow. n/t