It takes something special to single-handedly ruin a perfect game. Especially when you're not on either team. First base ump Jim Joyce took it upon himself to call Jason Donald safe on the potential last out of Armando Galarraga's finest hour and spoiled history for a young pitcher and fans everywhere. Why is anyone's guess.
In real-time it looked close. But in that situation, the 27th out of a perfect game, it's an easy call. You call out unless Galarraga had dropped the ball. Joyce tried to out think himself and the entire ballpark. Just call the guy out. Based on the situation, it was the worst call I've ever seen in a baseball game.
Joyce made a mistake, he admitted as much. But what concerns me is how someone with 22 years of experience can be so removed from the situation that he makes up a safe call. And he double-clutched on it, too. He looked like he was going to punch him out only to come with "Safe!"
Maybe this will get instant replay in baseball, finally. Maybe it will open enough eyes that the powers-that-be will decide, "Okay, let's try this out." The NFL is laughing at MLB.
Don't give me this "human element" is a part of baseball argument. There is no need for a human element when it comes to out/safe, fair/foul or catch/no catch. In those cases there's a clear answer everyone can see two seconds after the play. This isn't 1935 anymore. The human element will always remain with balls and strikes. You don't think Jim Joyce wishes he could have reviewed that call to make sure he got it right?
Suggesting MLB and Bud "I have no idea what the hell is going on" Selig should come out and overrule the call granting a perfect game is ridiculous. Can't happen. If you do that, what else are you going to give back? Selig can't reverse a call and say, "Whoops, we missed that one, but I'll make it better." If he did that he would be conceding the instant replay argument (which he should anyway). You can't change a call from safe to out the next day. The play's over. The system screwed Galarraga and baseball history.
It truly was an embarrassment to baseball. Joyce should be fired. If someone in a public position makes one egregious error, even if it was a one-time incident, they get fired. The call at first base was that bad. It was equal to a talk show host saying something inappropriate and getting canned (like Don Imus and "nappy-headed hos".)
After 22 years, Joyce had a long run, but is clearly no longer capable of making good decisions. When someone can no longer perform their job, they are released, terminated, fired. Hell, offer him a severance package. Just get him off the base paths.
Wake up, Selig. Put in replay so it can start to be fine-tuned. It's not going to be perfect right away, but you have to implement it now. For the players, managers, fans, and umpires sake.
First off its great to see the former professional baseball player and pride of UNI Baseball actually commenting on baseball. I have never been so pissed off from seeing a highlight in my life. Im glad I didnt see it live....i may have beat my wife. You hit it on the nose Big Z...how the hell does a guy who has been umping professionally for 22 years, not to mention training at lower levels for X amount of years screw something like this up. You call him out first, and if you screw it up that bad, then reverse it. If I were Galarraga, I would have thrown the ball at him, beat his ass on the field, spit on him, then kicked him. The best part about this, is the runner's reaction. He stopped, put his hands on his head, looked at his 1st base coach like what the hell just happened. He was even shocked. This incident, combined with Ken Griffey Jr, the legend, retiring in the worst fashion imaginable, could be the saddest day in baseball I can remember in my lifetime. Hats off to how Galarraga handled it though, smooth as ice, didnt cry about it. I think it made him look better in this whole situation.
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