Botched perfect game




















Add Galarraga to that display. Sure, the inclusion will require an explanation for museum visitors, but provide a video clip right there next to the pitcher's cap, spikes and photograph.

Let people see for themselves why the man deserves to be included even though the box score from last night's game will forever say otherwise. Also, before we get back to our regular programming, I found this passage from a Sports Illustrated account of umpire Jim Joyce's apology to be the embodiment of class and sportsmanship:.

He probably feel more bad than me," Galarraga told Fox Sports Detroit. I understand. I give a lot of credit to the guy saying, 'Hey, I need to talk to you because I really say I'm sorry. You don't see an umpire after the game say 'I'm sorry. Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, after seeing a replay of the call Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, said of about Joyce, "It happened to the best umpire we have in our game. The best. And a perfect gentleman. Obviously, it was a mistake.

It was a perfect game. Still, Harwell's reach went beyond simply calling Tigers games. By all accounts — and that's no exaggeration; I really mean ALL accounts that I've ever heard or read — Harwell was a cut above. His voice was comforting, but it was Harwell's kindness, gentleness, humility So why, not even 30 days after burying this man whose memory we'll cherish, do we behave in precisely opposite the manner he would have in regards to Joyce's mistake and Galarraga's "shoulda-been" perfect game?

Just imagine Harwell behind the microphone for last night's game. He would've been devastated. He would've been heartbroken for Galarraga, no doubt. Ultimately, though, he would've understood that Joyce simply missed a call.

At perhaps the worst time possible, yes, but it was still a missed call. Ernie would've known immediately recognized how crushed Joyce, whose reputation as an umpire is very solid, must have felt inside — and how tortured he'd feel in the coming days, months, years.

Even before Joyce's reaction after the game. I take pride in this job and I kicked the crap out of that call , and I took a perfect game away from that kid over there who worked his butt off all night. Ernie would see that wasn't a man trying to deflect the blame. No, he owned the blunder and felt awful about it. And he apologized to Galarraga, both privately and publicly. Galarraga, despite his sadness, forgave Joyce.

So why can't we? Ernie Harwell died and more than 11, people paid homage to him in person , millions more paying their respects in their own hearts. It was really a beautiful moment, all of Michigan paying respects for the passing of this man who impacted entire state in his own unique way. Bud Selig should overturn the play and award Galarraga the perfect game. If you start retroactively changing calls and changing results, well, our father and we would really like our World Series title, thank you.

This speaks to our need for bloodlust and vengeance and, even in the angry airspace of Twitter, this had pretty much calmed down after Joyce made his statement. But the idea that firing an umpire after a bad call would ultimately lead to better umpiring rather than worse umpiring is a little crazy. There is just something slightly untoward about this small, human moment, in which two men, one perfect and one far from it, show compassion, empathy and warmth to each other … and we turn it into a screaming match about baseball bylaws and old-school versus new-school values.

Yesterday was one of those magical and painful nights that only baseball can give us. Forgive us: We came away unimpressed. Though: If there was one good thing that came out of it, never before have more James Joyce lines been quoted on Twitter.

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