Umpires have blown calls in crucial situations since the beginning of baseball. One of the most egregious occurrences happened during a June 2010 game between the Detroit Tigers and the then-Cleveland Indians.
Tigers starter Armando Galarraga was one out away from pitching a perfect game. Cleveland hitter Jason Donald hit a groundball to the first baseman, who flipped it to Galarraga for the final out.
But first-base umpire Jim Joyce ruled Donald safe, thus blowing the call. Confirmed out through instant replay, there was talk about still crediting Galarraga with a perfect game.
However, life isn’t fair. Nobody is perfect, and you can’t change the past. Armando Galarraga shouldn’t be awarded that perfect game.
Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Indians, June 2, 2010
Embed from Getty ImagesThat June, the Tigers were playing the Indians (at the time) in a regular-season game. Taking place at Detroit’s Comerica Park, Armando Galarraga made his fourth start of the season. The Tigers gave Galarraga three runs of support thanks to a homer by Miguel Cabrera, an RBI single by Magglio Ordonez, and a run scored on an error by Shin-Soo Choo.
Galarraga had been cruising all game long. When the ninth inning began, fans, players, and broadcasters knew they were witnessing something special.
No Indian hitter had reached base. Centerfielder Austin Jackson preserved Galarraga’s perfect game by making an over-the-shoulder catch, robbing Mark Grudzielanek. This play has since been compared to DeWayne Wise‘s leaping catch at the wall to preserve Mark Buehrle’s perfect game. Galarraga then got catcher Mike Redmond to ground out to first base, putting the Venezuelan on the brink of history.
One Fateful Night In June
Jason Donald hit a soft ground ball to first baseman Miguel Cabrera, who ranged over to his right to grab it. Cabrera tossed it to Galarraga, who was covering first base for what appeared to be the final out.
Lo and behold, first-base umpire Jim Joyce inexplicably ruled that Donald beat the throw. But instant replay confirmed that Joyce had blown the call. Ultimately, Galarraga settled for a one-hitter after getting the final out on Trevor Crowe to third base.
Though, that was just the beginning of the chaos that ensued over the blown call. The big story wasn’t the call; it was how it was handled by the Tigers, Galarraga, and Joyce.
Aftermath Of An Imperfect Game
Embed from Getty ImagesSports sometimes have a way of bringing out the worst in people, as Joyce received numerous death threats from angry fans. Despite the error, the class, humility, and sportsmanship shown by everyone involved were praised by people both inside and outside baseball. The event also strengthened the case for an expanded use of instant replay. In the end, then-commissioner Bud Selig never credited Galarraga with a perfect game despite pressure to do so.
Pandora’s Box
Now, it’s been 14 years since Galarraga’s imperfect game. So much has been discussed and written about that unfortunate night. That single game has been dubbed many titles over the years. ESPN came out with a documentary about it, and many are still pressuring current commissioner Rob Manfred to overturn Joyce’s call. But people should stop the outcry.
If MLB were to overturn Joyce’s call, it would open Pandora’s box, setting a dangerous precedent. It would raise questions about other games with poor calls from umpires.
Should Milt Pappas be given a perfect game instead of a no-hitter because the umpire blew two straight strike calls? What about ruling fan interference on Steve Bartman in Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS? The answer to these questions is simply no.
Life isn’t fair. Nobody is perfect. You can’t change what happened in the past. After all, it would just be more detrimental to the people involved if MLB overturned a 14-year-old blown call.
Forgotten
Embed from Getty ImagesGalarraga gained a lot of notoriety after the game. But unless you were a baseball die-hard or a Tigers fan, you probably didn’t know who he was. Before his imperfect game, he was just another starting pitcher in Major League Baseball.
After 2010, Galarraga went on to pitch for the Arizona Diamondbacks and Houston Astros over the course of two seasons. He finished his career 23-34 with an ERA of 4.78. But had that game not happened at all, Galarraga would’ve been forgotten and buried among the many other players fortunate enough to play in the MLB.
You Can’t Change The Past
Embed from Getty ImagesIn life, you can’t go back in time and change the past. Armando Galarraga’s imperfect game is no exception.
It would be meaningless to credit him with a perfect game 14 years after it happened. Changing Joyce’s call after the fact would be a risky decision, potentially asking many unnecessary questions that baseball might not be able to answer.
The impact of that game and the lessons it provided are still being felt today — blown call stings. We just have to accept that life isn’t fair, nobody is perfect, and the past can’t be changed.
For more on baseball, check out Belly Up Sports and follow Eric Katz on Twitter/X. Featured images from Getty Images
