Umpire steals perfect game from Armando Galarraga

[17 Seconds]

2 outs in the 9th, perfect game going. Dude hits a weak chopper towards the hole on the right side, Cabrera fields it and throws it to Galaragga covering first to complete the perfect game.

 

Except Jim Joyce called him safe. Replay show it wasn't even close. He beat him by almost a full step. Foot was right on the middle of the bag.

 

Yikes

[NYCubsFan38]

Absolutely unbelivable.. Miguel didn't let him hear the end of it the entire next at bat and I don't blame him. That's really sad.

[Pushfrog98]

My wife even said, "How is that guy not out!?" and she doesn't follow baseball much.

[Little Slide Rooter]

If I work at the hotel that the umpire crew is staying at, I send out an anonomous tip to the city of Detroit saying exactly where Joyce is staying and let them have their way with him. I hope that the image of that baserunner being out by about a foot, and Im sure it will be shown to him haunts him for the rest of his days.

[radarluv1]

Actually I feel bad for the ump. Do you think he wanted to be in that position?

I was hoping the scorer would call that an E1 on the 'bobble'.

[chasinf5s]

just another step towards replays

[Jon]

Actually I feel bad for the ump. Do you think he wanted to be in that position?

I was hoping the scorer would call that an E1 on the 'bobble'.

It sure looked like Joyce knew he effed up. He took a like of crap from Cabrera during that last AB, too.

[BCVM22]

The play in question:

 

http://i.imgur.com/kBUSO.jpg

 

 

I dunno if I feel worse for Galarraga for losing the perfecto or for Joyce for what's going to happen to him.

[Mark Priors Calves]

every umpire's worst nightmare.

[Mark Priors Calves]

griffey's gonna be pissed about this.

[J.R.]

Gary Bettman's gonna be pissed about this.

[erik316wttn]

Steve Bartman's gonna be pissed about this....

 

ok, I'm lost...

[Sammys Boombox]

Should have been 3 perfectos in less than a month (and 4 in less than a calendar year). That would have been amazing.

[erik316wttn]

Should have been 3 perfectos in less than a month (and 4 in less than a calendar year). That would have been amazing.

 

It is 3 perfectos in one month, no matter what Jim Joyce says.

[OleMissCub]

Actually I feel bad for the ump. Do you think he wanted to be in that position?

I was hoping the scorer would call that an E1 on the 'bobble'.

It sure looked like Joyce knew he effed up. He took a like of crap from Cabrera during that last AB, too.

 

ya that seemed like one of those situations where you take one for the pitcher and get tossed bitching at the ump. I think that may have been what Miggy was trying to do because he was certainly giving him a solid stream of griping.

[NCCubFan]

The play in question:

 

http://i.imgur.com/kBUSO.jpg

 

 

I dunno if I feel worse for Galarraga for losing the perfecto or for Joyce for what's going to happen to him.

You shouldn't feel bad for Joyce. He deserves everything he gets. Something like this is unforgivable.

 

I really think in a situation like this Selig (or somebody in his office, such as Bob Watson) should have the authority to overrule the umpire's incompetent call and award Galarraga with the perfect game he in reality did pitch. It's not a judgment call, like the ball 4 call in Milt Pappas' almost-perfect game. In this case the batter was clearly, objectively out; no judgment involved whatsoever. The umpire was factually wrong.

[erik316wttn]

The play in question:

 

http://i.imgur.com/kBUSO.jpg

 

 

I dunno if I feel worse for Galarraga for losing the perfecto or for Joyce for what's going to happen to him.

You shouldn't feel bad for Joyce. He deserves everything he gets. Something like this is unforgivable.

 

I really think in a situation like this Selig (or somebody in his office, such as Bob Watson) should have the authority to overrule the umpire's incompetent call and award Galarraga with the perfect game he in reality did pitch. It's not a judgment call, like the ball 4 call in Milt Pappas' almost-perfect game. In this case the batter was clearly, objectively out; no judgment involved whatsoever. The umpire was factually wrong.

 

I wouldn't call it "unforgivable". Sure, people would say it was a crappy call if it came, say, in the 5th inning of a tie game, but it wouldn't be "unforgivable."

 

However, I agree with the rest of your post.

[witty alias]

I was surprised Gallaraga stayed so calm. I wonder how Zambrano would have reacted?

[OleMissCub]

You shouldn't feel bad for Joyce. He deserves everything he gets. Something like this is unforgivable.

 

exactly. Look, if a team is being "perfect gamed" with 2 outs in the 9th, then they are defeated and deserve to lose. Any questionable call needs to go to the pitcher's team. I know that umps are supposed to be completely unbiased, but they know what is going on in the game 99% of the time.

[Sammys Boombox]

I was surprised Gallaraga stayed so calm. I wonder how Zambrano would have reacted?

 

Joyce would no longer have his head attached to his body.

[Wilson A2000]

Can you protest a call like that? I would not be surprised if Selig overturned the call.

[erik316wttn]

You shouldn't feel bad for Joyce. He deserves everything he gets. Something like this is unforgivable.

 

exactly. Look, if a team is being "perfect gamed" with 2 outs in the 9th, then they are defeated and deserve to lose. Any questionable call needs to go to the pitcher's team. I know that umps are supposed to be completely unbiased, but they know what is going on in the game 99% of the time.

 

No matter the game situation, getting the call right should always take priority.

 

This line of thinking has always baffled me. I'll watch games where a young pitcher is nibbling at the corners and not getting strike calls, and the announcers will say something like "He hasn't earned that strike yet." A strike is a strike no matter the situation. An out is an out no matter the situation.

 

The call was blown and the umpire was clearly wrong and there's no debating it. But this whole "well, he was doing good so he deserves the benefit of the doubt" stuff is just wrong. The correct call should always be made without exception. Period.

Edited June 3, 2010 by erik316wttn

[erik316wttn]

Can you protest a call like that? I would not be surprised if Selig overturned the call.

 

I would. It would mean he actually grew a spine.

[Derwood]

if Selig overturned the call, he'd probably put a frigging * next to it in the record book

[erik316wttn]

I would have all the respect in the world for Jim Joyce if he personally contacted the Commissioner and ask that his call be officially overturned.

 

It's not a guarantee that Selig actually would, but I'd respect him for asking for the right thing to be done, rather than dig in his heels and refuse to admit he was wrong.