Dear Mr. Selig, make this game perfect
by Kurt Mensching on Jun 3, 2010 6:18 AM EDT
in Detroit Tigers Analysis
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PrintDear Commissioner Selig,
This should be a proud moment for baseball.
Not one, not two, but three perfect games thrown inside a month's time. That's historic.
We should be celebrating what an incredible performance Tigers starter Armando Galarraga threw -- 27 Indians up, 27 Indians down -- in just 83 pitches. It was an extraordinary day.
Unfortunately, we're all watching as one of your umpires, Jim Joyce, has the worst call of his life replayed again and again and again on television.
We're looking at headlines on the major sports sites that read "Perfect Crime," "Perfection Ruined," "Perfectly Awful," "Perfect Heist," and the like.
Joyce knows it. In an act of class, Joyce spoke to the media briefly after the game, saying:
"Biggest call of my career, and I kicked the shit out of it. I don't know what to do. I just cost that kid a perfect game."
It was an extraordinary day, indeed. Now, it's time to make some history of your own, Mr. Selig.
Every replay clearly shows the 27th out was made. An emotional Joyce acknowledged his mistake. Everyone on the field, everyone in the media, every one of your millions of fans knows what happened on Wednesday night at Comerica Park.
Now you must step in to declare that Galarraga pitched the 21st perfect game in the history of the MLB. Anything less just continues to mock your sport and results in another black eye for a league that has taken it on the chin repeatedly during your time as commissioner.
Sadly, I know how this will turn out.
In the near future, everyone will acknowledge Galarraga's perfection. Even you, privately. At some point, the 22nd perfect game will be pitched. The umpires will get it right. And a pitcher will go into the history books on Galarraga's line.
In later years, Galarraga's feat -- never placed in the history books due to a single lapse by one of the steward's of the game -- will be lost.
You will, of course, will start work to expand instant replay to fix the kind of egregious, game-changing mistakes that happen far too often in your sport.
But it's too late for Galarraga and for the Tigers fans.
That's too bad. We should be celebrating Galarraga today.
Instead, I'm writing about you.
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I want to agree with you so bad Kurt, really, I do
but maybe I spend too much time around lawyers and casebooks.
I just don’t know if that’s a precedent I want to see set. I guess if you only used it for perfect games and no hitters. Just seems like it could be too easily abused. I want it so bad for Armando, though. And for the 17,000 fans who were there.
I do hope that this, at the very least, leads to instant replay. Baseball, you have no reason not to.
Baseball isn't Common Law
Precedent does not matter in baseball, except in the misty-eyed way that history permeates the game.
The power is vested in the commissioner to change any statistical outcome by fiat. I believe that judgment of history can keep this power from being overused in the future.
It is well to remember, after all, that this entire body of casebooks and precedent that define Common Law began with a king (Henry II) who was simply too busy to dole out justice in every case, and thus empowered members of his court to go out and “try it based off of the ones you saws me do.”
Step back from the menusha of law and remember what purpose the Law serves: Justice.
Baseball isn’t so developed. It’s still barely past the Angevins. Selig can overturn this, and the game will be stronger for it. And if you show me another instance in baseball history where overturning it does so little harm and so much justice, I’ll be in favor of reversing that as well.
When the weird turn pro, the going get tough.
Well said
you’ve almost convinced me
Rooting for Tiger stripes, not pinstripes
by JerseyTigerFan on Jun 2, 2010 11:22 PM EDT up reply actions
I think that is the key point
It would do no harm if the game is perfect or not. It won’t affect the standings, as the Tigers still win. It won’t affect anyone’s RBI count, as the final score will be 3-0. It’s just a minor statistical point that has a lot of historical importance because it’s rare, but that’s it.
"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero
Science nerd and proud of it!
Actually the key point is doing what's obviously right.
This is totally a pragmatic argument, and thus has the same weaknesses of pragmatism in general.
I’m not saying it does no harm, because reversing a call at the commissioner level does interfere with the integrity of the game some. I do not take that lightly. My point is that the amount of integrity damage done by changing the call is smaller than the integrity damage done by letting it (and by default, the next at-bat) stand.
Baseball takes a hit either way. The smaller hit, I argued, is to reverse the call. In the future, when, say, Yankees fans are going bonkers because a Game 7 playoff game was decided by a strike unfairly called a ball, baseball can say “okay dudes, is it taking away a perfect game on the last out of the game when the guy was out by a yard? No. Go polish your 27 rings, you ponce.”*
*I have a private theory that all organizations use random Yiddish words when they are angry.
When the weird turn pro, the going get tough.
Nor does it affect Cleveland's world.
…and I don’t think pitching a Perfect Game is anything close to being minor. This call is sickening; the Commissioner needs to do something unprecedented and reverse this call. Justice is at stake and baseball will be better for it. If Baseball installs the Instant Replay rule, then it’s a precedent that will bear no strength or reason—it will be mute. Commissioner be a man and take a stand.
Let's try it in a court
This is just a thought exercise, and not related to baseball’s decision-making process, but let’s try this as a legal case under Michigan law:
- A batter is considered “out” if a defending player touches 1st base in possession of the ball before the batter reaches 1st base.
- The call on the field by a competent umpire was “safe.”
- The defendant (Galarraga) is entitled by right to a trial by jury, i.e. the case cannot be thrown out solely due to precedent of supporting all on-field calls made by umpires.
- The circumstances of the event (e.g. that it was the last out) and the consequences of the verdict (whether a perfect game is awarded, whether events of the game after the call are entered into the record books) are inadmissible and prejudicial: the case must be decided solely on the facts presented as evidence. In other words, we are only determining the correctness or incorrectness of the call at 1st base in a vacuum, and the jury is tasked with deciding ONLY whether or not the runner was truly safe.
- The umpire (the arresting officer) testifies that he believes he made the wrong call due solely to human error, that it was the worst call of his career, and that he feels terrible that he made that call.
- Credible video evidence from multiple, high-resolution cameras trained directly on the event clearly show that the runner was out.
Now find me a jury in the state who would not rule in favor of the defendant.
When the weird turn pro, the going get tough.
Why?
No one is arguing that the call was correct. You’re misunderstanding my legal analogy.
If we want to play the “impose the legal system on baseball” game, Jim Joyce is the trier of fact. He’s the circuit court, and he held a bench trial and he got the verdict wrong. He’s not the “arresting officer”.
To continue the analogy, if baseball were a legal system, Galarraga would be entitled to appeal Joyce’s verdict. He most certainly would win any appeal in front of any appellate court with jurisdiction.
The problem is that baseball doesn’t have an appellate court, and it doesn’t have any precedent for overturning such calls. Maybe it should, I don’t know. But it doesn’t at the moment.
The only reason I brought up law in the first place was to explain my thought process of why I thought overturning the call would be a bad idea. I absolutely agree that the call was egregiously wrong. I just don’t know that baseball currently has a framework to do anything about it.
In short, I’m not sure what your point is. We all agree the call was wrong.
okay
I get your analogy now.
I thought you were making reference to the the circumstances being inadmissible.
So my thought exercise was pretty useless, except for one nugget of awesome: it unearthed in your response the key problem leading to the miscarriage of justice: the lack of an appellate court. In this instance, Selig is the appellate court. It goes back to my MLB-as-Common-Law-Under-Henry II analogy: lacking appeals, the king is the ultimate appellant. It is the greatest argument yet for why Selig should (still) reverse the call.
A week ago Saturday lastly
My ears were assaulted quite ghastly
When I clicked on a link
Before stopping to think
I wound up at a song by Rick Astley
If they update the rules to the 21st century, they won't have to worry about setting a "precedent"
Besides, Selig can limit the precedent if he declares that this is a unique situation and a key part of the decision to correct the record is that the outcome of the game is NOT at stake.
Mixed feelings on this.
No matter what Selig does, this will never be right. ‘Mando will never have that moment where he embraces his catcher and the entire teams piles on. He had his beer shower, but I’m certain it didn’t feel quite the same as it would have.
Proud of everyone tonight. ’Mando, Leyland, Jackson (whose freaking amazing play will now be forgotten), and everyone in the clubhouse. Loved watching Laird give it to Joyce after the game. Way to give ’Mando the beer shower he deserved.
by rcpratt on Jun 2, 2010 10:37 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
It was a perfect game
who ever pitches one next will be #22 because Armando got #21. I was there. I saw it. History. Awesome. Amazing.
Welcome to Detroit, NO sissies allowed
Selig =
Worst commissioner in the history of baseball.
by Sutelc on Jun 2, 2010 10:43 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
There have been so few, so it's hard to argue but the first was the worst.
Kennesaw Mountain Landis. Most people focus on his miscarriage of justice in banning Jackson and Weaver, but his real crime was in being Factor Numero Uno in depriving the game of many of the best baseball players in the world because of the color of their skin.
As much as steroids (which I do lay at the feet of Selig) will remain a black mark on baseball, the travesty of segregation will remain the game’s greatest sin. And that is all on Landis. May he rot.
When the weird turn pro, the going get tough.
That goes to NHL douche-tool Bettman
Or Stern of the NBA (mainly because NBA refs suck!)
by DetroitTigersGeek on Jun 2, 2010 11:26 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Betteman
I hate him. He’s a bastard coated bastard with bastard filling.
President, Vice President and Secretary of the Casey Crosby Fanclub.
Assist. Editor, Minor League Division, Bless You Boys
by David Tokarz on Jun 3, 2010 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions
I'm so proud of my nephew-in law
From Facebook (Stephen is his 12 year old son)
“tried to turn tonights Tiger game into a teachable moment for Stephen. Told him calls aren’t always going to go your way, but the best thing Galarraga did was take the ball, get back on the mound, and get the last out. Of couse, I’ve been online listing to people bitch for the last 90 minutes.”
"I see great things in baseball. It's our game, the American game. It will repair our losses and be a blessing to us." Walt Whitman
The Decision Before Baseball
Option 1: Reverse the call and deal with the fallout.
Option 2: Let this remain a career-defining embarrassment to one of baseball’s (normally) good umpires, and watch as this moment becomes the turning point for when fan opinion on Instant Replay went from buzz to NCAA Football Playoff pitch.
I don’t think anyone — not even the Indians — would mind if this was reversed. I bet if you asked him, Jason Donald would gladly give up the hit.
If I was in Selig’s shoes, I would err toward justice. Then, every time a jerk like me yells at him to institute replay he could point at this and say “well we got the call right in the end, so what’s your point?”
When the weird turn pro, the going get tough.
Even donald looked embarassed
He was holding his head after the call
Reyes, Thole, Wright, Beltran, Bay, Davis, Martinez, Tejada...
by Stephen Schmidt on Jun 2, 2010 11:31 PM EDT up reply actions
I want Zumaya to pitch a 100 Fast ball into the umps face for blowing that CALL!!!…Armando you pitched an Amazing game that was the first Perfect game I watched !!!!…THANK YOU!!!!
P.S MLB needs to do something about this
Semir
Take a breath
He made a bad call and admitted as much. Wishing violence upon him does not speak well of you, or Tiger fans in general.
by tbliggins on Jun 2, 2010 11:44 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
AHHHHHHHHHH
my power finally freaking came back on.
now I just have to say.. sigh. we know armando was perfect. that’s all that matters. whatever happens.
Director of the 2010 Free Casper Wells campaign
No Run Support
I hope this means that Armando
Will stop overthinking so much and forgetting how to pitch when he gets into trouble. I hate it when he slows to a snail’s pace instead of pitching the way he can.
Although this game will do nothing to help him figure out how to handle men on base, though.
"While there's life, there's hope." --Cicero
Science nerd and proud of it!
Armando strikes me as a very smart person, and I think you nailed it on the head
Smart people have a tendency to overthink situations (I know this from personal experience). And smart does not necessarily equal confidence. Hopefully, this game gives him a great big heap of confidence that he CAN be successful.
Doña of the VZ Mafia
by SabreRoseTiger on Jun 2, 2010 11:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Sorry about your power
I had to bash my head into a nuclear plant a few hours ago, based on something I saw at the tail end of a baseball game. Didn’t mean to cause trouble.
When the weird turn pro, the going get tough.
Thanks Kurt
night after night I am impressed not only with your baseball acumen, but your ability to write cogently and effectively. Part of me hopes that Mr. Selig sees the wisdom of your words, but another part fears the ramifications if he does.
Either way, I love the Tigers!
Rooting for Tiger stripes, not pinstripes
I’m still beside myself over this. Well aware it’s just a game, etc etc etc, but . . . ugh. I still feel sick to my stomach.
//In the near future, everyone will acknowledge Galarraga’s perfection. Even you, privately. At some point, the 22nd perfect game will be pitched. The umpires will get it right. And a pitcher will go into the history books on Galarraga’s line.
In later years, Galarraga’s feat — never placed in the history books due to a single lapse by one of the steward’s of the game — will be lost.//
Sadly, you’re 100% correct.
by ivantopumpyouup on Jun 2, 2010 11:24 PM EDT reply actions
I completely agree!
There’s no need to follow traditions, this is ludicrous.
What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say "fuddle duddle" or something like that?
There’s never been anything even remotely close to a situation like this. He’s probably afraid it would open a whole can of worms. but I say if this douche had the audacity to declare an All Star game a tie…then he can and should award Galarraga a perfect game.
It would also take the hook out of Jim Joyce.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
I can honestly say
That I feel worse now than I did after game 163. There was no guarantee anything would’ve come of that win. Honestly, that Yanks probably would’ve manhandled us just like they did to the Twins.
But the outcome of tonight’s game would’ve been certain. The 21st perfect game in the history of baseball. A sure thing much better than just maybe we could’ve made a playoff run.
i disagree with overturning the call
bad calls happen. sucks. sometimes they go our way (denard span drop). sometimes they don’t.
i’m happy the tigers won
I disagree with that
In all of Baseball 100+year their has been only 21 Perfect Games thrown. 21 Total Games out of I’m guessing based on lazy math near 400,000 played. And for this to be decided not by some unlucky bounce some crazy thing the players on the field did but rather some ump who blew the biggest call in the regular season. To cost some one a place in the history book because some one not even playing the game makes a decision is wrong on so many levels and isn’t and should never be what sports is about. And for this to happen to some one with so much heart that he doesn’t even argue for a second or complain once about being screwed six ways to Sunday is a crying shame. If there was ever a time for a call in any game to be overturn it is this one
how many other calls would we need to fix?
umps influence games all the time. i’m not sure, but i think bad calls happen frequently. sometimes they cost a team a game, a chance to go to the playoffs, a rare accomplishment, etc. where do we draw the line? should we go back and replay the twins game with the denard span drop? or was that “less important?”
i agree that sports isn’t about bad calls but bad calls happen all the time. “hand of god,” “tuck rule,” all of these things. it happens. should we do instant replay for everything? if we did, i wonder if we’d feel we’ve neutered our enjoyment.
i also was trying to estimate total baseball games played, i was guessing 300k.
by redwingxviii on Jun 3, 2010 10:07 AM EDT up reply actions
Another Comment
I posted this farther down, but I don’t see a reason to take it to that extreme, this is a perfect game blown by a clearly bad call that doesn’t change any part of how the game ended except for one stat which would get his name on the history book. It’s not like it changed who won it removed a hit from one player in return for being the 21st person in all of baseball to throw a perfect game, where does the harm in terms on effecting the game come from, their isn’t one.
As far as other calls which as nothing to do with this one change in stats and stats alone, is they all suck, but unless all that’s needed is a stat change that doesn’t effect nothing but which ever record that’s on the line (Polanco getting an error but later it changing comes to mind as something that was changed after the fact and had no out come on the game it’s self)
This will never be a perfect game
And it is a travesty. It will always be remembered for the Jim Joyce call, regardless of what Selig does. Not to mention the sheer joy of the moment will have never been. It may be a perfect game in history, but not in feeling.
by nicolas08 on Jun 2, 2010 11:29 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
Who umps tomorrow?
I was talking with my dad after the game, and he mentioned something very interesting.
Jim Joyce is the scheduled home plate umpire tomorrow.
Does he even show up, or will MLB bring in another ump for the game?
I'm guessing Joyce doesn't do it.
He’s going to be a mess for the next 14 hours until the game starts. He’s not going to be sleeping tonight. He’ll be in no shape to work tomorrow, especially behind the plate.
Selig has a lot to think about tonight, but the first thing I’d do if I were him is to tell Joyce to take the day off.
if he is the class guy they are making him out to be he umps
He deserves to be booed unmerciful by a full house tomorrow.
Reds fan here, your guy got screwed
"I don't challenge Murphy, even if he's 0 for 20. Not him, not ever." - Mario Soto
Somewhat poetically,
James Joyce suffered from eye problems for much of his adult life and eventually went blind. I think even he could have made the OUT call that Jim Joyce botched so egregiously.
Kind of like Ulysses too
I mean the original one, only except if Odysseus made it all the way back to Ithaca and had the archery tournament and won it, except the judge then said that a different arrow that was obviously off-center was the winner, and then one of the douchenozzle suitors ended up sleeping with Odysseus’ wife.
Of course, had that happened, Homer’s editor would have made him change the ending…
When the weird turn pro, the going get tough.
Crap.
The Tigers official scorer was just on MLB Network and said after watching the replay that Galarraga didn’t juggle the ball, so he couldn’t change the call from a hit to an error.
That wouldn't have been the right thing to do anyways.
Calling this perfect game a no-hitter would have been a crime. I would have been seriously pissed if that happened.
that would just make it a no hitter
they allowed the 28th batter to come up and make an out.
"I don't challenge Murphy, even if he's 0 for 20. Not him, not ever." - Mario Soto
Hello SabreRose and Baroque!
For some reason my userID from last year (2008philz) expired, and I had to get a new one. Just wanted to let you know I’m pulling for the Tigers this year in Philadelphia!
Yes, this hurts.
Boy-howdy, it hurts a lot.
But, we’re Tiger fans.
We know what hurt feels like.
All of us who endured the 2003 season, and those 119 losses, went through six months of torture and near-infamy as our team was the laughingstock of the baseball world. I was at Game 162 on that Sunday afternoon, and as the Tigers beat the Twins, it sounded in that stadium like we’d just won the pennant.
I’m too young to have been around for this, but a year after winning the 1967 riots, the 1968 club pulled together and won the World Series. Black or white, you were a Tiger fan, and while the city wasn’t (and isn’t) perfect, that team helped to heal some of the wounds inflicted the year before.
Add to that the overall deline in manufacturing — cars in particular, obviously, but it all adds up — and Detroit is a place which has known true pain. And yet, the city soldiers on, making the best of the situation time and again.
Continue to hold your head high, Armando: you were magnificent. We all know it, and you showed your class in your words after the game. (So did Jim Joyce, for the record.) I’m not sure how this will all shake out in the end, but we (and he) will make the best of the situation.
Go get ’em, Tiger.
by frisbeepilot on Jun 2, 2010 11:51 PM EDT reply actions 1 recs
They're replaying it right now
Doña of the VZ Mafia
by SabreRoseTiger on Jun 3, 2010 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions
sad moment for baseball ethics
If Joyce knew there was such animosity towards his call why didn’t he ask one of the other umps for a ruling?
However, to address this article: He’s right. Selig should make this right. It wasn’t even close. I’m sure if Inge was asked to surrender his put out stat to allow for the perfect game, the answer would be a resounding YES. If Trevor Crowe was asked to surrender his stat as last out of the game, I’m sure he’d agree also. All to preserve what should have been. These actions would be by men of ethics, professionals in every sense. Men who understand the importance of the event. Mr. Selig could only hope to possess a minute amount of those qualities. Making this right, “calling it as he sees it” would go a long way towards that end. We, as baseball afficianados, mavens, full time and part time fans; the people who make the game happen, await your decision…
by getalifeyouboobs on Jun 3, 2010 2:18 AM EDT reply actions
He said it in his remarks.
He thought he was safe. He thought he beat the throw, and he was sure of it.
It wasn’t until he saw the replay that he realized he was wrong.
Three things:
1 – it takes a lot for an ump to admit he was wrong.
2 – If he was so sure on the field, why would he consult the other umps?
3 – if there was ever a catalyst for expanding replay, this is it. And I’ll be surprised if its not in place for next season (if not a change at the all-star break).
Does it really matter?
We’ve already been robbed of the joy and celebration of a perfect game, we wouldn’t get it if Selig decided to announce that it would be changed.
Honestly
the celebration doesn’t matter to me. Galarraga deserves to go down in MLB history as #21. That’s really all that matters to me.
Welcome to Detroit, NO sissies allowed
Yes
What I want is for Galarraga to get his deserved recognition.
Doña of the VZ Mafia
by SabreRoseTiger on Jun 3, 2010 8:01 AM EDT up reply actions
This Changes The Integrity Of The Game
Yes, we’ve all seen the instant replays over the years. We’ve all heard the arguments about the “human element”. But the human element is essentially flawed, and so when the common people can see the lack of fairness, that is when change must be made to happen. If this game we love continues by the old rules, it will lose its base of support.
We’ve seen changes such as the expansion to 162 games, the asterisk for 61 home runs, the division system, playoffs, and designated hitter. We are still dealing with the result of years of performance enhancing drugs and how the writers will decide on Hall of Fame selections.
Lack of decisive action by baseball on this issue will lessen the integrity of the game we all love. The question is, if, and when such action will take place.
I'm a Rays fan and I'm still in disbelief
I was absolutely mortified to hear about this.
I can’t imagine how Galarraga or you Tigers fans must feel.
"i shovel ppls stuff 4 money but da mexicans r fierce competitioin."
Well said Kurt
This is such a unique circumstance that I don’t worry about setting a precedent here. The play occured on what should have been the final out of a perfect game. The call was 100% clearly wrong. The next batter grounded out. The outcome of the game would not be affected by giving Armando a perfect game. Either way, the Tigers win 3-0.
Armando, the Tigers team and organization, the fans, Jim Joyce and even the Indians would all be in favor of giving him the perfect game.
I wouldn't care
If this did set a precedent, let it be know that for any player who goes 9 2/3 inning with a perfect game and on the final out the call is blown by the ump then it will still be called a Perfect game.
I’m so tired of hearing how X can’t happen because the Y extreme will happen. No it won’t this is a special event, people seem to want to take everything to the extreme to prove some point about why it shouldn’t happen. This is a hopefully once in a lifetime event that needs fixed it’s that simple. Any blown call that prevents history should be fixed that’s all that’s to it nothing more nothing less
Congratulations Armando
Not only for the 28-out perfect game, but for handing this sharp stick to the eye with an unbelievable grace and maturity. Were it me, I know I wouldn’t have taken it in stride.
so tired
I was thinking when I woke up this morning, dang you guys. game 163 and now this… we’re bonded as friends for life after going through this kind of stuff.
Director of the 2010 Free Casper Wells campaign
No Run Support
One precedent for this
Didn’t MLB overturn the call in the George Brett pin-tar bat situation? I know there is some risk in overturning a call in any game but this is a pretty simple one in my opinion and Selig and co. should do the right thing by giving Armando his proper place in history.
I can't believe I ate the whole thing!
by tigerfaninChicago on Jun 3, 2010 9:47 AM EDT reply actions
Exactly
The ump in that game got the call wrong (HR nullified, Brett out) and the commish over-ruled that to set it right.
Same should happen here.
The ump actually got the call right in that game due to a little-known rule. The call was overturned on an “integrity of the game” ruling, and the pine-tar rule was late officially changed.
by HawkeyeEdward on Jun 3, 2010 9:55 AM EDT up reply actions
LATER changed. It’s too early in the morning and I can’t spell yet.
by HawkeyeEdward on Jun 3, 2010 9:56 AM EDT up reply actions
I was actually reminded of that this morning
This actually happened about two weeks before I was born, so I’m not really the foremost expert on it, but I think the wording they used in overturning that call was something about misinterpretation of the rules (plus, it was a different commissioner). However, with all the talk about “dangerous precedent,” I would think that game would be more dangerous than this one because it essentially gave the Royals a win. Overturning Jim Joyce’s call would not affect which team won the game. Therefore, I think that, if anything, it would strengthen the argument to give Galarraga his due.
Doña of the VZ Mafia
by SabreRoseTiger on Jun 3, 2010 9:52 AM EDT up reply actions
Baseball Should Right This Ship
If not already, but some time today Bud Selig is going to sit down with his staff and going over last nights baseball business. Everyone will be in agreement that the ump blew the call and Mondo should be credited with a perfect game. But, because of the history of baseball, Selig & baseball will not over rule the game results and that is the sad part. Baseball needs to grow up and come in to this century. Selig is suppose to maintain the “integrity of the game”. By not overruling what happened last night, that will cheese people off more and question the integrity of the game even more. Some times in our lives we need to look at what happend and not the rules themselves. Baseball & Selig would get more integirity and respect if it reversed this call and RIGHT NOW. Not tomorrow, or next week. Baseball please do the right thing. And, I would say this about any pitcher that this happened to. Im not saying it because its our pitcher. Mondo you pitched one hell of game last night. It belongs in the history books.
Do nothing Selig will be in action again
Jim Joyce ruined what should have been a historic night for Tiger baseball. Armando Galaraga showed tremendous class and is to be congradulated for pitching an incredible game. We all know the commissioners office will do nothing. This on the heels of another umpire on an ego trip when he threw Roy Oswalt out of the game the other night. Too many umps are trying to be bigger than the game and I am sick of it. I have the MLB Package and watch an incredible number of games and there continues to be an increase in umpire show-boating. Selig for once in your life do something positive and make last night a perfect game!
How Selig Can Do This
I just wrote a lengthy post discussing precedent and so forth, but I think that a simple change to the rules could allow for this:
Rule 10.23 – Perfect Games
(a) definition of perfect game
A perfect game may also be granted by the Commissioner of Baseball, or a duly appointed review committee if, and only if, the following circumstances are in place.
(b) A Pitcher has thrown a Perfect Game through 26 batters;
© On a batted ball in play, the 27th batter is ruled safe by an umpire even though video review of the play after the fact shows conclusively that the player was ruled safe by error;
(d) The subsequent 28th batter makes an out to end the game.In this, and only this situation, a Perfect Game will be granted to the pitcher through the following mechanisms:
e) The official scorer will rule an error on the umpire for the 27th batter, denoted “E-U”;
f) The pitcher will be credited with recording on Out on the 27th batter;
g) The pitcher will be credited with a Perfect Game in which he recorded 28 outsReview of plays for Umpire Error can only be made after the game has been completed and cannot affect the Win-Loss outcome of the game.
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I plead with you Mr. Selig you have the power to overrule any umpires decision for baseballs sake -now, you have a step -up to the plate for all the fans , millions of people who love this game of baseball, so fix it, yes umpires are human but, clearly this decision made by an umpire is not human – it wasn’t even close at IB, beside, the umpire in question was clearly look at either guillen or cabrera not at IB, then Jim Joyce never saw the play then too late a mishap occur…..I am been umpire for 22 years not in the major leaques but, every umpire know that you must watch the play in front of you, clealy Mr. Joyce didn’t do what an umpire was commissioned to do carnel sin.
by '' spiderman '' on Jun 3, 2010 10:32 AM EDT reply actions
Send lawyers, guns, and money
(1) They really shouldn’t “overturn” this. I mean you really can’t go back…..have a celebration……pretend it wasn’t a blown call……even if it “is” overturn do you think it will change how he feels? He’ll likely always be listed in the perfect game list anyway and folks will pound their chests and say “I know he threw a perfect game.” I dunno, I wish they’d give it to him too, but it would feel hollow either way.
(2) Bettman MUCH worse than Bud.
(3) At least I haven’t seen any “DETROIT REALLY NEEDED A PERFECT GAME AS A CITY” stories.
you had me at the Warren Zevon reference
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by rock n rye on Jun 3, 2010 12:07 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
it isn’t a question of right or wrong but,common sense, as a commissioner of baseball get in the curmistances clearly a ‘’perfect game’’ was thrown, what’s the use of a baseball commissioner then?
by '' spiderman '' on Jun 3, 2010 10:56 AM EDT reply actions
As I type this, breaking news that MLB is reviewing the call...
I was sick to my stomach last night. A complete travesty for Armando. But what struck me was how Galarraga handled the whole situation. What class! He has immediately become My Tiger. After having a night to sleep on this, I feel that because of this robbery, Galarraga gets to be part of baseball history (noone will forget this) as the guy who pitched a 28 out perfect game and got hosed. To reverse the call does not give him back the celebration he deserved last night nor does it change the minds of all involved knowing it was a perfect game. Let it go and the next time Galarraga takes the mound, give him the standing ovation of a lifetime.
If there was any justice in the world...
MLB will announce before the first pitch of our game this afternoon that the call was reversed and Armando indeed gets credit for the perfect game.
Hey, how did the Indian runner get on third anyway? Watching the (second) final out of the game, I see he was running home from third. W’hoppen?
actually Aramndo was is such a zone
he pitched to batter 28 from the wind up
but yea asshole indians
Rooting for Tiger stripes, not pinstripes
by JerseyTigerFan on Jun 3, 2010 11:18 PM EDT up reply actions
the bigger question is Major Leaque Umpires Association what are they going to do?
by '' spiderman '' on Jun 3, 2010 11:06 AM EDT reply actions
Joyce behind the plate for today's game
Now to make it worse I read that Joyce is scheduled to be behind the plate today! Wonder how fast he’ll be throwing Tigers out of the game when they say something to him today? MLB should remove him from the crew while they are in Detroit.
There won't be any issues.
Aside from the outburst right at the end of the game (i.e. when emotions were highest) the entire Tigers organization has handled this with class.
There won’t be any problems today.
Armando is
delivering the lineup card to the homeplate ump, Jim Joyce today. Classier and classier by the minute.
Welcome to Detroit, NO sissies allowed
Don't do it, Kurt!
I’m telling you, as tempting and seemingly justified as your idea is, you’d be opening up the biggest box since Pandora’s. Where would it end? Which calls get reversed and which don’t?
Let it lie. It sucks, but everyone knows the kid pitched a perfect game. Most importantly, Galarraga knows and will know in his heart forever.
People really should stop pretending that we're messing with a constitution here...
the decision is not placed within the hands of a committee. There is no voting process based amongst a court that derives it’s decisions from history. There is one man who makes the decision and there is one man who makes the vote.
And the truth is that this issue is black and white. The choices are opposite and clearly defined. Selig can make the right choice, or he can make the wrong one. He can give definition to a players career defining moment, or he can choose to blindly believe that doing so creates some sort of precedent.
But the point is that baseball is not a legal system. The issues are legal or illegal. The issue is right or wrong. The wrong choice is to deny a player his place in history amongst baseball’s greatest.
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Selig is going to issue a statement today.
As he should, regardless of what, if anything, he decides.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/baseball/mlb/06/03/selig.reverse/index.html
o have I understand baseball is all about history and it would be great ta Tiger pitch a perfect game...
But overturning this and calling it a perfect game doesn’t really do anything. The Tigers still won, Armando pitched a heck of a game, and now we do it all over again today.
I don’t think it is sad for Armando because I think he knows how well he pitched and he knows he deserved the perfect game, and if he believes that, that’s all that matters.
My two favorite teams are the Tigers and Brewers. Drunk tigers. That sounds about right.
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It is what it is
but in this case they need to step in and make it right
"When I played pro football, I never set out to hurt anyone deliberately - unless it was, you know, important, like a league game or something." ~ Dick Butkus
by Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. on Jun 3, 2010 12:35 PM EDT reply actions
Not sure what this all means
But here’s a link on yahoo about Michigan’s electives trying to get MLB to make it a Perfect Game http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=Aj9DMrN0sV.4rIsxGL9yuwkRvLYF?slug=ap-joycescall-granholm
I don't see why
It can’t be get instant replay and reverse the game.
The call was wrong → Get instant replay.
It was a perfect game → Overturn the game to make it perfect.
DO BOTH.
It’s not really opening Pandora’s box if you just incorporate Instant replay.
Screw the human element.
humans make mistakes thats why there’s replay to make wrong things right.
Football’s got it right. Give the manager a challenge a game and restrict what you can challenge.
Selig gets it wrong again
He’s the worst commissoner baseball has ever had. I agree with Tora, football has it right. Do something similar. This is not 1900 baseball anymore. If you wanted to keep the sport pure then the DH should never have been implemented. I will hate Jim Joyce forever. But to all the quacks out there harassing his wife and kids, get a life and leave them alone. they had nothing to do with it.
Well here's the deal....
The commissioners’ would have dealt with this as follows:
(1) Stern would have fined Leyland and the Tigers’ for protesting the call. He would have said it was the right call because of a “bobble.” He also would have said there is no gambling in baseball.
(2) Bettman would have ignored everything and given Sidney Crosby an award.
(3) Goodell would have righted the ship and granted the perfect game. He’s the only proactive commish in any of the biggie sports. Although, maybe there’s a cricket commish. I would be in favor of one if there isn’t. The ashes must be respected.
As a Tigers fan, here's I feel:
Galarraga says it was a perfect game.
Joyce says it was a perfect game.
Selig says it was a perfect game.
The only place it won’t be a perfect game is the official book, which also says that dirty cheater Barry Bonds is the all-time home-run king so fuck that noise.
It was a perfect game.
by Terrence J. Lynch on Jun 3, 2010 5:03 PM EDT reply actions 2 recs
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