The Perfect Game That Wasn't

[cubsoxbull]

Bud Selig needs to step up, and award a perfect game to Armando Galarraga. Isn't that what the integrity of the game is all about ? The kid pitched his heart out and the ump made a bad call. The ump admitted he missed the call. What more do you need to hear Bud Selig ?

[Sudzny]

Now you went and did it, you're gonna get me started on a rant. That call last night was an utter travesty. That ump should be fired. Yes, I understand he is human, and humans make mistakes, but he is paid to make close calls and that was NOT EVEN CLOSE. Umpires are hired and retained on their ability to make the close calls correctly, and that was gross incompetence. Even the Organist in the third tier could see that guy was out.

As if it wasn't an egregious enough call in general, when it's 26 outs into a perfect game, only the 21st in the history of the modern league, you make DAMN SURE you see the play at first. Get your nose an inch off that bag and you make sure you see who's foot touches when. If there was ever a better argument for instant replay challenges in Baseball I don't know what it is. Hell, you watch the replay, even the guy running look surprised when he was called safe. Galarraga put on a good face tonight, the night after, but that was agent/management induced crap. That kid was robbed plain and simple.

[cubsoxbull]

I will admit the kid had alot of class, and I agree it's a travesty.. Why is there a commissioner who doesn't look out for the integrity of his sport ?

[Sudzny]

Originally Posted by cubsoxbull

I will admit the kid had alot of class, and I agree it's travesty.. Why is there a commissioner who doesn't look out for the integrity of his sport ?

He's too busy looking out for the integrity of naming rights. Selig has been an empty shirt for years now and needs to go. I've always felt that playing in the league for a certain number of years should be a requirement to be commissioner. Owners would be pissed, but screw 'em, they're making enough anyway. No one understands the integrity of the sport more than the players. I'm starting a campaign, Cal Ripken Jr for commissioner!

[Hawkeye]

The unthinkable happened.


In my opinion, Bud Selig is upholding the integrity of the game. In baseball, the umpire's call on the field stands. The game has made a conscious decision to hang on to a greater human element than the other major sports. Whether instant replay should become part of the game, is a different conversation, albeit a good one.

Jim Joyce should not be fired. He is a highly regarded, conscientious, umpire, who made a bad call. He was devastated and apologetic after he saw the replay. In fact, he has handled himself with as much class and humility as AG has. I think what happened today in Detroit before the game between these two men, the other umpires, and the crowd, all thrown together in this impossible set of circumstances, may be remembered years from now as much as the call.

[slowmover]

That's what I want in an Ump. A guy who calls it the way he sees it without regard to the impact the call will have on the game. ANYBODY who has ever been a ref or ump in any sporting event has done the same thing, made a mistake.

As for instant replay, that's what baseball needs, something to make the game even longer.

[Sudzny]

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. When you watch the replays of that call, it was blatant. It was not jsut a bad call, or questionable call, it was an incompetent call. Umpires at that level cannot make that kind of mistake. Is it an almost inhuman standard, perhaps, but that is what officials at that level should be held to. They have theoretically proven themselves to be exemplary judges of the game in the development leagues an minor leagues to obtain that position and they should be required to maintain that level of excellence which earned hem the spot in the first place. You want to make the game shorter and more efficient, get rid of the commercials, don't shun technology which could help make ruling on the field more accurate and just.

[ANONONE]

Originally Posted by Sudzny

Sorry, but I respectfully disagree. When you watch the replays of that call, it was blatant.

That is just it. . .you are watching replays, most likely slowed down, focussed, and in HD.

In reality it was a bang-bang play.

I defy you to try it in real time with the naked eye.

I applaud the ump in this case. He stuck to his guns and thought he made the right call. When it was slowed down for him, in multiple angles, he agreed he blew it and was a man about taking the blame.

The problem with Selig reversing the call, is the precedence--big stinky can of worms there. Besides, if you were to break down film of the entire game (or any game) you could find several errors. This would not even be talked about if it happened in the third inning on the third pitch to the second batter. It was the drama of it being at the end of the game that put it on the map.

As to bringing instant replay to baseball, it still would not matter. They WILL NEVER allow video for balls and strikes and calls of out or safe as those are judgment calls and will not be reviewed. Even the NFL does not overturn judgment calls.

[Sudzny]

Originally Posted by ANONONE

That is just it. . .you are watching replays, most likely slowed down, focussed, and in HD.

In reality it was a bang-bang play.

I defy you to try it in real time with the naked eye.

I applaud the ump in this case. He stuck to his guns and thought he made the right call. When it was slowed down for him, in multiple angles, he agreed he blew it and was a man about taking the blame.

The problem with Selig reversing the call, is the precedence--big stinky can of worms there. Besides, if you were to break down film of the entire game (or any game) you could find several errors. This would not even be talked about if it happened in the third inning on the third pitch to the second batter. It was the drama of it being at the end of the game that put it on the map.

As to bringing instant replay to baseball, it still would not matter. They WILL NEVER allow video for balls and strikes and calls of out or safe. those are judgment calls and will not be reviewed. Even the NFL does not overturn judgment calls.

You're right, I probably could not make that call with the naked eye in real time. Which is just one of the many reasons I am not, nor will I ever be a major league umpire. Again, umpires are hired for their abilities to make those calls correctly, not because they love the game, not because they try real hard. As far as instant replay, I agree it will never apply to balls and strikes, but I disagree on out and safe, those are not at all judgement calls, there are clear rules. If a player on the defending team has possession of the ball, and steps on the bag at first base before the batter, he is is out.

[ANONONE]

They WILL NEVER use replay to decide which got there first, the runner's foot on the bag or the ball into the glove.

You are dreaming if you think they will.

They won't even allow the footage to be shown in a stadium during the game, there is no way the umpire union will let them use it, even after this huge brouhaha.

[Hawkeye]

I do think there should be more accountability for MLB umpires. It's a long, hard, road to get there, and only a couple make it a year. But once you're there, it's almost impossible to lose your job or get demoted. Eric Gregg was consistently bad for several years before he retired.

I believe there is a difference between a mistake and incompetence. Jim Joyce made a mistake. If you listen to the post game interview, it was an honest mistake. He saw what he saw, and he truly believed he made the right call. Incompetence is evidenced by a pattern of mistakes. Jim Joyce is not incompetent, and he manned up when he realized that he'd blown the call. He even offered to file an appeal on himself, which was denied. He did everything he could do.

This could be the best thing to happen for Armando Galarraga. There have been 20 perfect games, and I can't remember a handful of the pitchers, but everyone is going to remember Armando. I can see envision these two men sitting together 20 yrs from now, signing autographs at a card show.

[tsrv4me]

The Electronic technology is available for most sports to do away with Umpires ,referees ,ETC and only use the guy watching the monitor to call everything after slow motion instant replays ....But no one is going to do that ...How often have you seen instant replays in football...and the guy looking at them still cant get it right ...and professional basketball has turned into rugby matches ..... guess we all have to suffer with official incompetence ...and we shall remain PERFECT in all that WE do and every call we make .....of course we never miss a call sitting in the recliner with a beer and our faithfull dog at our feet .....T

[Jasser]

I'm not sure what I think about the commisioner not reversing the call. I think is stinks for AG, but I can also see how reversing it could open up a can of worms.

Yes, even umpires get it wrong and this ump showed a lot of class. He was even tearing up after the fact.

Here is my problem. It was a bang bang play, but in that situation, I think he should have given it to the pitcher. I mean you're throwing a no hitter, it's the end of the game, and a close play. When it's a close play, in real time, you have to give that to the pitcher.

[Judge Smails]

I think Jasser is kinda where I was at. If this call is the first out of the second inning of any old game, he probably punches him out. Given it was the last out of the perfect game, he tries to "protect" the game integrity by a vigorous and decisive safe call, but then quickly admits he was wrong.

I would not have been troubled if he reacted to the moment and called him out for history. But if the guy was safe, I suppose some would be screaming the other way.

Replay could overturn if such a thing existed, but I don't think Selig can overturn it. Plus he is a freaking idiot.

[Hawkeye]

As a final chapter to this story, ESPN The Magazine took a confidential poll of 100 major leaguers, asking them to pick the best and worst umpires in the game.

Here is the story:
http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ml...ory?id=5281467

The winner? With 53% of the vote, Jim Joyce.