Galarraga's Perfect Game

[BoredBozirini]

Who else say the travesty done by Jim Joyce?

Instant replay should be used in every single game of baseball as it is evident that umpires suck balls.

[QuantumTrickery]

Everybody makes mistakes, even umpires.

Its so easy for people to villainize the decisions that other people make, especially from the outside.

I think Joyce feels bad enough as it is, without the many boos and threats I'm sure he is going to receive from fanatics.

Maybe actions like these will cause changes to happen, like instant replay.

Either way, I don't know whether i feel worse for Galarraga or for the nonsense Joyce will have to deal with.

[Charisma Veteran]

That was just painful to see the perfect game taken away from him like that. Blah.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

Even Leiland was quick to point out how good of an umpire Joyce is. The guy made a bad call at the worst possible time and has already admitted his mistake. It really sucked to watch it as it happened, but once emotions calm down, you can feel bad for Joyce, too.

[BoredBozirini]

Nah, **** Joyce.

He's supposed to be a veteran. He knew a perfect game was on the line.

1. It was not a close call at all.

2. If it were a close call, you give the benefit of the doubt to the pitcher.

The only good thing out of this is that instant replay will be used for every game now (hopefully), but nothing compares to poor Galarraga's stolen perfect game.

No matter how much Joyce apologizes, what is done cannot be undone. So with that said, **** Jim Joyce.

[Det. Sonny-Crockett]

The Play

VIDEO

[name in use]

Instant replay is likely not going to be used because of this one incident. Do you remember how many calls were blown in the 2009 postseason? One game during the regular season will not change it. While Joyce blowing the call sucks huge balls, it's going to happen. Should we institute replay to make sure everything in basketball and other sports is correct? No, it wouldn't be practical. It would drag on the game for hours. Selig won't allow this to happen on his watch. Baseball fans are lucky to have the limited replay that they have.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

Nah, **** Joyce.

He's supposed to be a veteran. He knew a perfect game was on the line.

1. It was not a close call at all.

2. If it were a close call, you give the benefit of the doubt to the pitcher.

The only good thing out of this is that instant replay will be used for every game now (hopefully), but nothing compares to poor Galarraga's stolen perfect game.

No matter how much Joyce apologizes, what is done cannot be undone. So with that said, **** Jim Joyce.

Even Jim Leiland said he had no idea what the correct call was before seeing the replay. The reason? Umps listen for the sound of the ball hitting the glove and feet hitting the bag. The ball was snow coned, so it never made a sound and, thus, would appear to get to Galaraga later than it did. Also, close calls at first go to the runner. That's the rule, not vice versa.

On top of that, you can question Detroit's defense. They had Cabrera playing much further off the base than a normal infield setup. If he had been playing a normal distance from the bag, there's a good chance he would have been able to cover first and the 2nd baseman could have fielded it.

[BoredBozirini]

Even Jim Leiland said he had no idea what the correct call was before seeing the replay. The reason? Umps listen for the sound of the ball hitting the glove and feet hitting the bag. The ball was snow coned, so it never made a sound and, thus, would appear to get to Galaraga later than it did. Also, close calls at first go to the runner. That's the rule, not vice versa.

On top of that, you can question Detroit's defense. They had Cabrera playing much further off the base than a normal infield setup. If he had been playing a normal distance from the bag, there's a good chance he would have been able to cover first and the 2nd baseman could have fielded it.

Umps have their eyes too. On the previous play he should have noted that the ball did not make a sound.

Now, I know rules say one thing, but we all know that umps do whatever they want (like calling this runner safe when he was clearly an out). And in a situation like this, a perfect freaking game, you give the benefit of the doubt to the pitcher.

If umps go only by the sound of the ball and the runner stepping on the base, then hire legally blind umps so there is nothing to argue about.

You can argue how Detroit's defense was positioned, but even so the runner was an out by a step.

So I still say that Joyce can go **** himself. Sadly the Commissioner is a ***** and won't do right on this situation.

And not to mention all the other bad calls umps have done this season. There is a desperate need of young talent among umpires because these old meat bags don't have good reflexes anymore.

[Roguefoxx]

I feel absolutely sick for Galarraga. He is an absolute professional and reacted as such, but he has got to be heartbroken now that he has had a little time to think about it. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity that has only been accomplished like 20 times in about 120 years. It's what every pitcher dreams about in their career but the select few are able to accomplish. For Galarraga to be robbed of this by such a horrible call on such a crucial play is a travesty.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

You are being way too emotional about this to warrant much more debate, but bad calls happen and this one happened at a really bad time. Look back to '96 and Jeter's homerun that really wasn't (I'm a Yankee fan, btw).

As for your argument about it being a perfect game and the benefit of the doubt, you can't change the rule like that. You can argue about umps doing whatever they want, but they actually don't. They have rules of the game to follow and the rule, technically, says that a tie goes to the runner; perfect game or not. You can't change the rules based on the context.

[BoredBozirini]

As for your argument about it being a perfect game and the benefit of the doubt, you can't change the rule like that. You can argue about umps doing whatever they want, but they actually don't. They have rules of the game to follow and the rule, technically, says that a tie goes to the runner; perfect game or not. You can't change the rules based on the context.

If they call non-home runs home runs, if they call pitches that are clearly balls strikes, if they call runners that are clearly out safe... umpires do whatever they want.

Of course I'm emotional about this. Its a perfect game, its only been done 20 times in the history of baseball.

I wouldn't be so ****ed off if it were a close call, but even fans from Cleveland knew the runner was out. Even the runner knew he was out.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

Those aren't examples of umps doing whatever they want. Those instances are clear cut cases of human error. Just like a pitcher will never finish a complete season with a 0.00 ERA or a position player with a 1.000 AVG, so goes umpiring. People make mistakes.

[Roguefoxx]

People do make mistakes, but it's just plain stupid when we have the technology to quickly and effectively review critical plays like this to not do so.

[Deathray]

The umpire apologized and the pitcher seems to have accepted it, since it wasn't a bs apology. Move on

[name in use]

On top of that, you can question Detroit's defense. They had Cabrera playing much further off the base than a normal infield setup. If he had been playing a normal distance from the bag, there's a good chance he would have been able to cover first and the 2nd baseman could have fielded it.

The 2B should have gone after that, Cabrera could have cost them the perfect game in what he did.

Also, is no one up in arms about how a blown call last night cost the Twins an extra innings against the Mariners?

Where is the reaction to that?

[chicken-royal]

Still can't believe it. :no: This is exactly why video replay should be used for big calls.

[musicman]

You are being way too emotional about this to warrant much more debate, but bad calls happen and this one happened at a really bad time. Look back to '96 and Jeter's homerun that really wasn't (I'm a Yankee fan, btw).

As for your argument about it being a perfect game and the benefit of the doubt, you can't change the rule like that. You can argue about umps doing whatever they want, but they actually don't. They have rules of the game to follow and the rule, technically, says that a tie goes to the runner; perfect game or not. You can't change the rules based on the context.

There is no rule that states that a tie goes to the runner.

[bangbang023 Veteran]

There is no rule that states that a tie goes to the runner.

But that's how it ALWAYS goes. Seriously, if the Ump think it's a tie, it will always be awarded to the runner. Context doesn't belong in the decision.

[musicman]

But that's how it ALWAYS goes. Seriously, if the Ump think it's a tie, it will always be awarded to the runner. Context doesn't belong in the decision.

No it doesn't ALWAYS go that way. An umpire does not stand out there and think "Oh that looked like a "tie"" and call the runner Safe. A "tie" is just not possible to see. I've been umpiring everything from Little League to college ball for 20 years and I've always been taught unless the runner beats the ball, call an Out. And I guarantee you that the MLB guys have been trained the same way.