In case you missed it, one of the worst blown calls in history occurred last night and now the debate starts about whether or not Bud Selig should reverse the call.
Let’s set the seen: Detroit Tigers’ pitcher Armando Gallaraga was one out from a perfect game. Cleveland Indian Jason Donald hit a week bouncer to first base, Miguel Cabrera fielded it cleanly and made a perfect toss to Gallaraga who was running to cover first base. Gallaraga stepped on the bag well ahead of Donald and began to celebrate his perfect game. Only one problem, despite beating Donald to the bag by almost a full step, first base umpire Jim Joice inexplicably ruled Donald safe. The call and the perfect game both blown.
Now I recently wrote an article that was fairly critical of umpires, but to Joice’s credit, not only did he publicly admit he made a mistake and felt bad he cost Gallaraga the perfect game, but he had the man-berries to call Gallaraga and personally apologize. I think that in it self says a lot about Joice as a man and about that way the MLB and Bud Selig should handle this situation.
Analysts everywhere are calling for a change in the way Major League Baseball does instant replay and want to expand it beyond just homerun calls. That’s fine if this situation happens again, but what about Gallaraga and his perfect game? Should Bud Selig reverse the call?
I’m on the fence on this one. On one hand, Gallaraga pitched a great and deserves the perfect game. That shouldn’t be taken away from him because of a bonehead call. There is no doubt that Donald was out and the game should have been over, perfect game in tact. On the other hand, human error has always been a part of the game and if this call were to be reviewed and over turned I think that sets a dangerous precedent. Where would you draw the line? Fair or foul calls? Plays at home plate? Plays at first would definitely have to be eligible. And would the calls be reviewed by the umpires on the field or would the league handle it after the game ends?
I’m going to have to say that these things should be handled on a case by case basis. Lets look at the circumstances and the effects of changing this call. The batter after Donald, Trevor Crowe, quietly grounded out to end the game. If the call were reversed, Donald gets an out instead of a hit and Crowe’s average goes back up a little because his out would have never taken place. No runs would be taken off the board, no other stats other than one hit would be taken away. There is really no harm that can be done by changing Joice’s call.
While I know it may open up pandora’s box, I think the call should be changed. This discussion involves preserving a piece of baseball history. Its not an out at the end of a 5 to 3 game, we are talking about a perfect game here. If its a 5 to 3 game and Donald reaches on the same bad call and its follow up by an out to end the game then there would be no reason to change the call, that’s just common sense.
That’s why you can’t set a concrete standard for reviews and changed calls. You would have to use common sense and consider the situation and the consequences of changing a call in each individual case.
I think this was the perfect situation. Pun intended.
We just wrote an article and pretty much all agreed that they way to remedy bad calls to to have officials face the media.
Good call or bad the umps, refs, so on and so forth should be held accountable for what they did. But that doesn’t change the call and it never should.
Calls have been writing history in sports for decades. Human judgement both good and bad have helped write records and destory achievements and this is part of what we love.
The call should stay and he will go down in history as the only pitcher to throw a 29 out perfect game whether he is officially recognized for it or not.
The game is in to books and should stay that way. I feel bad for Gallaraga that he lost his perfect game in a way he couldn’t control. But he got was we expect. An apology from an ump which almost never happens.
Let’s not let the exception write the rule.