Armando Galarraga got robbed!

[Heeko]

Should have been yet another perfect game this season. This story is posted on mlb.com.

DETROIT -- Tigers right-hander Armando Galarraga nearly made history, and might have anyway. He fell one batter and a disputed call shy of a perfect game, settling for a one-hitter in a 3-0 Tigers victory over the Indians on Wednesday night at Comerica Park.

What would've been the third perfect game this season and the first in Tigers history instead ended up with a controversial ending when rookie Jason Donald hit a ground ball to first with two outs in the ninth inning. Miguel Cabrera fielded it towards the hole and flipped to Galarraga covering first, but first-base umpire Jim Joyce ruled Galarraga didn't have his foot on the bag.

Replays showed Galarraga had his foot on the bag before Donald got there. The play was ruled an infield single, breaking up the no-hitter as well as the perfect game.

Galarraga retired Trevor Crowe to preserve the shutout, but Tigers players Gerald Laird and Jeremy Bonderman took a detour from the postgame celebration to have words with Joyce, as did manager Jim Leyland.

 

[Adam]

Totally agree. Joyce made a boneheaded call that will live in infamy. I saw the replay. I can see how, in real time, the play looked close. However, an umpire has to take into consideration what is at stake in a situation like this. You have to give the nod to the pitcher. You just do. Even if MLB ends up reversing the decision or something like that, it will still be mired in controversy.

 

[FlockOfSeagulls]

really unfortunate 🙁 but Joyce did man-up by personally apologizing to Galarraga and Leyland. He also released a statement saying he screwed up

 

[TheTickleMonster]

However, an umpire has to take into consideration what is at stake in a situation like this. You have to give the nod to the pitcher. You just do. Even if MLB ends up reversing the decision or something like that, it will still be mired in controversy.

Okay, I'm sorry to say this, but you don't. That's wrong of you to say. You don't give consideration to the pitcher just because he might get a perfect game if you don't think it happened. No way. As much as I wish the umpire did. You don't have to give the nod to the pitcher if the umpire thinks he was safe. Let's say the the guy got to first and he was safe. The other team whomever the tigers were playing, they suddenly start scoring and they win the game. If the umpire would have gave the nod to the pitcher even though he thought the runner was safe because it would give the pitcher a perfect game, that would have cost the game for the other team. That obviously didn't happen, but it could have. That's why you don't just give "the nod" to the team just because they might do something special if you think it did indeed go the way you called it. It's not right to do that. I can go on, but I'll stop here.

 

[Cy/MiG]

Joyce was wrong, owned up to it to both Galaragga and Leyland after the game and then even had the guts to admit it on live radio.

I think he made a terrible call, but admire his admission of guilt.

Just a terrible situation, but handled with class by all those involved.

 

[Mitchell]

I saw the replay. The runner was definitely out. It's a most unfortunate situation, but, at least Joyce admitted his error, and wasn't like some umps, who think they're the almightlys of the game.

Human error is a part of life. It's too bad that this error had to cost Galaragga a perfect game.

Mitch

 

[Adam]

Okay, I'm sorry to say this, but you don't. That's wrong of you to say. You don't give consideration to the pitcher just because he might get a perfect game if you don't think it happened. No way. As much as I wish the umpire did. You don't have to give the nod to the pitcher if the umpire thinks he was safe. Let's say the the guy got to first and he was safe. The other team whomever the tigers were playing, they suddenly start scoring and they win the game. If the umpire would have gave the nod to the pitcher even though he thought the runner was safe because it would give the pitcher a perfect game, that would have cost the game for the other team. That obviously didn't happen, but it could have. That's why you don't just give "the nod" to the team just because they might do something special if you think it did indeed go the way you called it. It's not right to do that. I can go on, but I'll stop here.

I worded my post in a poor manner. In no way do I think an umpire should give a "nod" to a pitcher if he thinks the runner beat the throw. I do think that, if he thought it could have gone either way, then yeah... give a break to the guy on the verge of history. Sadly for Joyce, that replay shows a runner that was clearly out. Galaragga has shown class, but the ump knows he's going to be hearing about it for a long time from fans that aren't so forgiving.

 

[TheTickleMonster]

I worded my post in a poor manner. In no way do I think an umpire should give a "nod" to a pitcher if he thinks the runner beat the throw. I do think that, if he thought it could have gone either way, then yeah... give a break to the guy on the verge of history. Sadly for Joyce, that replay shows a runner that was clearly out. Galaragga has shown class, but the ump knows he's going to be hearing about it for a long time from fans that aren't so forgiving.

yeah, he should not give the nod to the pitcher if he thinks the runner beat the throw, but yet you're saying he should have given the nod to the pitcher, but the umpire thought the runner beat the throw. And yes, he didn't. The umpire made a mistake, but the "replay" is in slow motion, real life isn't. And the angle the umpire was at might have been bad too. the umpire thought the runner got to the bag, he thought the pitcher didn't have his foot on the bag before the runner got there. Like I said (even though he was wrong) He thought the guy was safe so he shouldn't have given the nod to the pitcher.. It may suck, but real life comes at you quicker than an instant replay and sometimes you're going to make bad calls because of it.

 

[Adam]

yeah, he should not give the nod to the pitcher if he thinks the runner beat the throw, but yet you're saying he should have given the nod to the pitcher, but the umpire thought the runner beat the throw. And yes, he didn't. The umpire made a mistake, but the "replay" is in slow motion, real life isn't. And the angle the umpire was at might have been bad too. the umpire thought the runner got to the bag, he thought the pitcher didn't have his foot on the bag before the runner got there. Like I said (even though he was wrong) He thought the guy was safe so he shouldn't have given the nod to the pitcher.. It may suck, but real life comes at you quicker than an instant replay and sometimes you're going to make bad calls because of it.

At the time I made the posting, I was not aware of Joyce's stance on the play. I had no idea whether his logic was that the runner was safe without question, of if he thought it could have possibly been called an out. This is the last thing I am going to say on this topic. Too much debating on the TMF and it gets rather silly.

 

[theticklingmaster]

Galarraga got robbed, but he & umpire Joyce handled the situation very well. I fault Bud Selig the most for not overturning this into a perfect game - especially since the umpire admitted he blew the call & that the correct call would have instantly ended the game as a perfect game.