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xX-TSK-Xx
06-02-2010, 09:24 PM
Umpire: 'I just cost that kid a perfect game'

Associated Press

DETROIT -- Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers lost his bid for a perfect game Wednesday night with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that first base umpire Jim Joyce later admitted he blew.


First baseman Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded Jason Donald's grounder to his right and made an accurate throw to Galarraga covering the bag. The ball was there in time, and all of Comerica Park was ready to celebrate the 3-0 win over Cleveland, until Joyce emphatically signaled safe.

The veteran ump regretted it.

"I just cost that kid a perfect game," Joyce said. "I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay."

"It was the biggest call of my career," said Joyce, who became a full-time major league umpire in 1989.

Tigers manager Jim Leyland immediately argued the call and was joined by several of his players after the final out. Galarraga was trying to pitch the third perfect game in the majors this season.

Galarraga (2-1) was in complete control throughout the night. Then Donald's groundball became the flash point of the night, and perhaps the season.

After center fielder Austin Jackson made a spectacular catch on Mark Grudzielanek's leadoff fly in the ninth and Mike Redmond grounded out, Donald came up with two outs.

Galarraga caught Cabrera's toss and smiled, knowing what he'd just done. He held up his glove hand and started to make an out call with his right hand.

And then Joyce made his call. Galarraga looked stunned and Comerica Park went silent in disbelief. A couple of Tigers put their hands to their heads.

Galarraga quietly went back to work as the crowd started to boo. Cabrera continued to argue the call as Galarraga quickly retired Trevor Crowe for the one-hit shutout.

Joyce faced a group of hostile Tigers -- led by Leyland -- between the pitching mound and home plate after the final out and was booed lustily by the crowd of 17,738 as he walked off the field.

"I don't blame them a bit or anything that was said," Joyce said. "I would've said it myself if I had been Galarraga. I would've been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me."

Roy Halladay of the Philadelphia Phillies pitched a perfect game Saturday night at Florida, and Dallas Braden of the Oakland Athletics did it against Tampa Bay on May 9. Until then, there had never been two perfect games in the same season in the modern era.

Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez pitched a no-hitter, too, at Atlanta on April 17.

Galarraga struck out three and walked none, and was a most unlikely star. He was recalled from Triple-A Toledo on May 16 after pitching poorly during spring training, losing out in a competition for the final spot in the rotation to Dontrelle Willis, who was traded Tuesday, and Nate Robertson, who was dealt to Florida toward before the team broke camp.

The 28-year-old native of Venezuela had success in 2008, going 13-7, but he had done nothing quite like the masterful performance he had against the Indians.

He started with a 2-0 count against Crowe, then attacked the strike zone and kept most of the weakly hit balls on the infield.

Cabrera hit his 15th homer to give Detroit a 1-0 lead in the second inning and Magglio Ordonez had an RBI single in the two-run eighth.

Fausto Carmona (4-4) pitched well. He gave up three runs -- two earned -- on nine hits and no walks.

The Indians came close to getting a hit twice before their disputed single.

Galarraga almost became the first Tiger to throw a perfect game. Justin Verlander threw the sixth no-hitter in franchise history on June 12, 2007.

http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300602106

If anyone has not seen the video, click on the link. The runner was so clearly out. Man, you can't help but feel for this guy. :doh:

Nadroj 20
06-02-2010, 09:27 PM
You have to feel for the pitcher and also for the ump imo. He knows he made the wrong call and he feels bad for it. Tough Situation for both parties

Carolina Steelers
06-02-2010, 09:32 PM
I just saw the replay it wasnt even close IMO you would think with a perfect game going the umpire world have leaned towards the out call, look like he was going to pump his fist for the out call then he called him safe. Once the umpire sees the replay hes going to feel awful!!

Hindes204
06-02-2010, 09:36 PM
Man, I'd be pissed

Galax Steeler
06-03-2010, 04:22 AM
That was a very bad call. I know the umps only a split second to make calls on the field but that wasn't even close.

venom
06-03-2010, 12:56 PM
It was sad to lose a perfect game that way . The scene I will remember from the game is after all was done , the entire Tiger team was taking their turn yelling at the Ump and he just stood there with his hands on his hip. That scene reminded me of the movie Airplane when the passengers took their turn hitting that lady who had to get off the plane as she was getting slapped and punched.

suitanim
06-03-2010, 01:56 PM
I could see this if it was a team like the Yanks (a team who DEFINITELY gets more than their fair share of calls in their favor), but the Indians are practically already mathematically eliminated from the playoffs...the worst part is, there's no way to ever undo this horrible mess.

BuddhaBus
06-03-2010, 04:59 PM
At least the guy manned up and admitted his mistake. He even went to the pitcher face to face and apologized for it. He was so upset he was supposedly crying about it. You have to respect that nowadays since most people just make excuses, blame someone else or act like they did the right thing even though all evidence points to the contrary. So my hats off to the guy for taking the heat and being a man about it. I wish there were more people in the world like him, especially the sports world. I'm lookin' at you, "Cowboy". :applaudit:

ALLD
06-03-2010, 05:58 PM
"Always keep you eye on dey ball. You be berrry berry happy. Jackie Smith, he no keep his eye on dey ball. Lynn Swann, he keep his eye on dey ball and he berry berry happy."
-Chico Escuela

The pitcher got robbed.

steelerdude15
06-03-2010, 07:27 PM
That's pretty upsetting to be honest. I would be really upset if I was the pitcher.

xX-TSK-Xx
06-04-2010, 01:13 AM
I feel like Selig should step in and overturn the call. Sure it won't feel as sweet to Galarraga but it should be about getting it right. That would probably be in best intrest of both Galarraga and Joyce.

The WH
06-04-2010, 04:03 AM
I feel like Selig should step in and overturn the call. Sure it won't feel as sweet to Galarraga but it should be about getting it right. That would probably be in best intrest of both Galarraga and Joyce.
Best not open that can o' worms.

suitanim
06-04-2010, 01:08 PM
There's just no good way to do that without setting bad precedent. This is the exact same reason why the NBA games the officials were betting on can't be touched, and why the NFL tossed out all the evidence against the Pats that they were cheating...once you start down the road of righting wrongs, it quickly becomes impossible. How many games do you strip? Playoff wins? Championships? If you strip the championship, who gets it? Nobody?

That's why the NBA and NFL just buried the issue and moved on...

By the way, Galarraga got a free Corvette, and the ump did totally man up in every way he could. Yeah, it ain't a perfect game, but they both handled it really well...

The WH
06-04-2010, 01:12 PM
Bud Selig could turn this stain into a shining moment in MLB and run it into the ground. There is so much sportsmanship involved in what has happened.....it's unprecedented.

Godfather
06-04-2010, 02:13 PM
There's just no good way to do that without setting bad precedent. This is the exact same reason why the NBA games the officials were betting on can't be touched, and why the NFL tossed out all the evidence against the Pats that they were cheating...once you start down the road of righting wrongs, it quickly becomes impossible. How many games do you strip? Playoff wins? Championships? If you strip the championship, who gets it? Nobody?

That's why the NBA and NFL just buried the issue and moved on...

By the way, Galarraga got a free Corvette, and the ump did totally man up in every way he could. Yeah, it ain't a perfect game, but they both handled it really well...

This would be a lot easier to fix, though. The batter was out. That would have ended the game...it ended one batter later anyway.

It's not like undoing the tuck rule or Spygate where you have no idea what would have happened--the only thing that would be affected would be a couple of guys' batting averages.

X-Terminator
06-04-2010, 04:29 PM
There's just no good way to do that without setting bad precedent. This is the exact same reason why the NBA games the officials were betting on can't be touched, and why the NFL tossed out all the evidence against the Pats that they were cheating...once you start down the road of righting wrongs, it quickly becomes impossible. How many games do you strip? Playoff wins? Championships? If you strip the championship, who gets it? Nobody?

That's why the NBA and NFL just buried the issue and moved on...

By the way, Galarraga got a free Corvette, and the ump did totally man up in every way he could. Yeah, it ain't a perfect game, but they both handled it really well...

I agree. At least, if nothing else, this may finally get expanded instant replay into MLB, something that has been LONG overdue.

tube517
06-07-2010, 04:10 PM
Selig won't do it because he's an ass clown. He already set the precedent of "changing" rules in the '08 World Series. Worst commissioner in any sport in my lifetime.

suitanim
06-07-2010, 04:12 PM
It's the right call...if they start down this road ANYTHING can be called into question.

This protects the integrity of the game.