…right up around the top will be the blown call that just cost Armando Galarraga, pitching for the Detroit Tigers, a perfect game. The 27th batter for Cleveland was out at first by a step, a fact that was evident to everyone in the field and in the stands and the announcers calling the game (and made abundantly clear on the replays). The only one who was unaware of it was the first base ump, who called him safe.
The ump may have to get out of Detroit very, very quickly.
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Best part? He’s scheduled to be behhind home plate tomorrow night in Detroit.
While his current whereabouts are unknown, Jim Joyce (the ump in question) has allegedly already apologized to Galarraga, admitting that he blew the call.
Whatever happens next (Baseball gaining instant replay? Can Selieg reverse the call and award the perfect game?), I’m sure it will be quite a while before Joyce works another came involving the Detroit Tigers.
Instant replay, FTW. What, are they concerned it’ll slow down the game even more? MLB takes forever to adapt to any sort of change, but if you have a technological advantage with instant replay why don’t they flippin’ use it?
Of course, do the managers get challenge flags or something? In football, you lose a time out if your challenge is overturned. Do you put a guy on base if your challenge is wrong?
Some people are contending that Selig should do exactly that. I don’t know that he has the power to do that. But it would certainly be a special cases situation: A ruling that only impacts on a record and doesn’t not affect the outcome of the game. Maybe a case could be made for it.
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“Some people are contending that Selig should do exactly that…. Maybe a case could be made for it.”
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In my opinion it’s a slam dunk no-brainer that that is precisely what should happen… I mean, come on, the play wasn’t even close.
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Especially given that Cleveland didn’t subsequently do anything of note—like get “another” hit or score a run, let alone come back to tie or go ahead—there’s absolutely no reason whatsoever for the commissioner to NOT step in and reverse the call, thus awarding the deserved perfect game.
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And if the rules and guidelines of the commissioner’s post don’t permit that for some reason, well, then quite simply it’s time to change those rules!
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Personally, I’m for instant replay in MLB under various parameters and conditions—which needn’t be all that complicated—with even some flexibility on the part of the umpiring crew (or chief) as to how and when to apply it. Adopting the NFL’s stolen USFL policy of coaches/managers having a set number of official replay challenges (probably two per 9 innings with maybe a bonus one for extra innings) would not be horrible either.
…Just to be perfectly clear, I have no rooting interest in either team here. I’m a life-long Phillies fan since the early 70s, don’t even follow the American League except I admit I always root against the Yankees come late September and into October (or beyond if necessary).
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Also, I certainly wouldn’t call for any extreme league action against the umpire, like suspension or firing or anything like that. (And most DEFINITELY would never condone any sort of fan or player vengeance.) Hey, sometimes even the best can just simply suffer from inadvertently misfiring neurons, it happens.
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Even the umpire has since admitted he blew it, so I can’t see the harm in retroactively changing the official call, declaring it “perfect game over.” In fact I see only upside beneficial P.R. in such a move.
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Would it set a precedent? Maybe. But would setting a precedent of actually getting an obviously initially botched call in such a significant situation eventually right be a bad thing? I don’t think so.
Peter, I’m not sure that Selig had the power to call the All-Star Game even though it was tied, but he did, which actually is a precedent he can use. (And while he’s at it would it kill him to also reinstate Pete Rose?)
I’m getting an SNL John Goodman Referee Pitman Show flashback:
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Audience Member #3: Yeah, uh, hi, great show. I saw the last game, and I just want to know, do you find it helpful to keep your head up your rear end? I mean, why during the game? It seems that during the game you want to have your head, you know, out and in the open air so you can see the plays. I mean, is it comfortable, or is it for the warmth, or what?
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Rock Clark: How about it, Ref? Your head inside your rear end?
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Referee Pitman: [ thinking ] No. No, nope, never done that. I wouldn’t even know how to go about it, it’s an interesting position, but, uh.. nope.
Problem with changing the result to award the perfect game is that a lot of other records – some tied in to the stats of baseball as a whole – would have to be changed.
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Bill Veeck once sent a midget to the bat.
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There was a call for that at-bat to be expunged from the records.
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Veeck made the point about statistics.
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It wasn’t expunged.
If Selig retroactively reverses the umpires call and awards a perfect game to Galarraga, then I fully expect him to reverse Don Denkinger’s call in the 1985 World Series and award the ’85 Championship to St. Louis. Wonder how THAT would fly in Kansas City.
As much as I feel for Galarraga, Selig can’t go back and change an umpire’s call after the game is over. It opens up too many opportunities to retroactively change baseball history and outcomes. What should have happened was the umpires should have conferred and reversed the call themselves. Or the official scorer should have ruled error, preserving at least the no-hitter. But they didn’t. And it’s too late now to ethically do anything except make sure it doesn’t happen again.
If Selig retroactively reverses the umpires call and awards a perfect game to Galarraga, then I fully expect him to reverse Don Denkinger’s call in the 1985 World Series and award the ‘85 Championship to St. Louis. Wonder how THAT would fly in Kansas City.
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Well, first of all, there’s an excuse for missing a call, but no excuse for rolling over and dropping the 7th game 11-0, so the Cards need to get over their bad selves.
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Second, I was VERY specific in what I said: The case to be made is that it relates ONLY to a record and does not impact on any other aspect of the game. The next Cleveland batter lined out, so his stats wouldn’t change. Cleveland lost the game, so that wouldn’t change. The pitcher’s ERA wouldn’t change. No major stat that’s measured at the end of the season would change, nor would it have an impact on the team rankings at the end of the year. The only thing that would be impacted is that baseball, as a sport, would have one more perfect game. That is an achievement, and that is to betterment of baseball.
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THAT is how Selig can sign off on it; he has broad discretion when it comes to matters that are for the betterment of the game. This blown call is a black eye for the game; reversing it hurts absolutely no one.
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Well then it’s not a perfect game, because Galarraga will have faced 28 batters.
If you want to change the official scorer’s ruling to and nullify Donald’s hit, I’m down with that. At least that gives Galarraga his no-hitter. But you can’t retroactively say Donald’s at bat didn’t happen or doesn’t count. It did happen. The perfect game is gone
What you suggest would be nice, and reasonable, so it is not going to happen.
The perfect game record may be gone but everyone knows it was pitched, and in less than 90 pitches, very impressive.
But you can’t retroactively say Donald’s at bat didn’t happen or doesn’t count.
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You’re right. I can’t.
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But I think Bud Selig might be able to.
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Pardon my ignorance, but given that everyone including the ump in question realizes how bad a call it was, is there any kind of sanction or suspension or red mark or dunce cap or anything that will be given to this ump?
No, nor should there be. I mean, if malicious intent could be proven, then yeah. “Dear Diary: Well, I did it. I made sure no one threw a perfect game against Cleveland on my watch. Three cheers and a Tiger for me!” Short of that, you can’t start sanctioning or suspending umps for making honest mistakes.
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MLB grades umpires on a yearly basis and those grades affect post-season assignments and contract renewals. This mistake will go on Joyce’s record. As I understand it, though, Joyce is one of the highest regarded umpires in MLB, so I doubt it will affect his grade that much.
“The ump may have to get out of Detroit very, very quickly.”
I believe that umpire Jim Joyce will be calling balls & strikes behind the plate today of the Cleveland/Detroit game.
I think it’s admirable that, in the face of this mistake, the pitcher, his teammates and the umpire have all responded with class. Compare that too any number of other sporting situations where it would be an invitation to tantrums, fights, weeping, etc. Baseball comes out of this looking pretty good.
Given the depressing amount of property damage which has followed soccer (football) and even some hockey games, baseball’s record is indeed one to be proud of. Almost more impressive is the umpire’s public admission that he screwed up. Anyone want to nominate him for President? A politician who would own up to their mistakes? That would be an improvement.
IF (big word there) baseball does decide to broaden the involvement of instant replay, I like Terry Francona’s idea on the subject.
Have an umpire sit somewhere in the park observing the game that can watch the replay(s) and make a decision at a moment’s notice when needed to avoid any major game delays.
*UPDATE!*
While watching the afternoon game between the Red Sox and Oakland A’s, Bud Selig has issued a statement saying he will NOT be reversing the call from last night’s game.
However he will be “reviewing umpiring policy, the possible use of instant replay, and other related factors in this matter”.
Well, crap.
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Yeah, I like Francona’s idea, also. I mean, it’s not like MLB can’t afford a fifth umpire per game… plus it would make reviewing calls that much faster. I was *at* that Sox/Oakland game today, and the wait when they went in to review Scutaro’s homer was interminable (time goes by a LOT quicker at home, with the announcers talking about it and showing replays from various angles…). If there was already somebody in the booth who could quickly queue up the footage, that would be so much easier. This would also make it easy and possible to quickly check a call like last night’s.
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I also had the idea of each manager getting a limited number of replay review requests (The 3Re!), though I was being stingy at 1. And they don’t roll over to the next game if you don’t use it lol
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I saw an idea I particularly liked last night, and calling it a 28-out perfect game. You couldn’t really mark it an error to preserve the no-hitter (E-1? No, pitcher covered first perfectly. E-3? No, first baseman fielded and threw the ball perfectly. E-4? Well, maybe. Second baseman shoulda been going after that ball, from what I can tell, not the first baseman… even if that’s not his usual position. E-U(mpire)? Sadly, doesn’t exist…)
heard some interesting points on Fan590 Toronto: while it may be right to change the call, it could set a bad precedent for anyone to want a call changed post game. However, while there is an implication MLB may look at adding more instant replay (thank God, I say) some caller was saying instant was terrible because human error is a part of the game to keep it pure. I say…uh, what the heck? to that sentiment.
I’ve never bought the ‘human error’ aspect of the argument. After all, the game is supposed to be about the players, not the umpires, so why allow an umpire’s egregious mistake (unintentional or otherwise) affect the outcome of the game?
Ken Levine’s take on the incident.
Ken “…is an Emmy winning writer/director/producer/major league baseball announcer.” He has “…been the radio/TV play-by-play voice of the Baltimore Orioles, Seattle Mariners, San Diego Padres. Currently Ken is the host of Dodger Talk after every Dodger game on Talkradio 790 KABC, Los Angeles.”
So I think he has some significant credentials to give his opinion a little more weight than mine (although he does admit that his opinion seems to be in the minority in baseball media circles).
Maybe because Jim Joyce was apologetic afterwards, Tiger fans actually applauded him the next day when he was announced along with the umpiring crew. He made a bad call, but a bad call like that happens all the time. It’s not like he overturned a call made by the THIRD BASE UMPIRE on the other side of the diamond, or threw out a player for looking at him the wrong way. I’d rather have Jim Joyce umpiring a baseball game than Joe West!
P.S. Am I the only one who sees the irony that the umpire who just made the most notorious bad call since the 1985 World Series is named after a famous Irish writer with very poor eyesight?