Wow, almost another perfect game. It would have been the third of this young season (it's only June 3rd if you've lost track). But, alas, no perfect game here. Detroit Tiger's pitcher Almando Galarraga's was called off on account of some new rules I seem to be unaware of.
See, the way I've always played is that when the ball is in your glove and you put your foot on first base before the runner gets there, the runner is out. At least, that's the way I've played for the last 19 years. We even use that rule in my Adult Recreation Softball League, where there are plenty of ridiculous rules and regulations that no one agrees with. We have a second home base specifically for runners, and a line to stand behind in the outfield for female batters. Insane much? Yeah, I think so.
But even our insane league still uses the basic rules of baseball. The defense steps on the base with the ball in his glove, and sorry batter, but you my friend are out. And in this instance, it's out number 27: game over. Galarraga gets his (rightful) perfect game and is forever commemorated in the record books. There's a "Happily Ever After," the back cover is closed and the light is turned off on the nighttime story.
Joe Joyce was the umpire that incorrectly called the runner safe. He immediately went into the clubhouse and rewatched the play. He got it wrong. He knows it. He feels awful, downright atrocious that he stole a perfect game from a young man. His anger built while talking about it. I give him props. What umpire admits he got a call wrong? No one ever says "wow, I screwed up there." Maybe they do at home with their significant others, but no umpire goes on tape and admits to a nation of screaming baseball fans that he was in fact terribly mistaken. Joyce, I commend you.
Doesn't make it right though, as much as Joyce wishes everything were. Commisioner Bud Selig refuses to overturn the call and give Galarraga the perfect game. Shame on you, Selig. This young man did something so rare in sports, something so, well, perfect. He deserves to have his name go under the title "Perfect games pitched." But it unfortunately won't. The story ends there, and the lights go out. But this bedtime story doesn't end with a simple ending that leaves you with a smile as you fade off to sleep. No, it leaves you confused and wondering why perfection was unfairly stolen. And that won't help put you to sleep at all...
As much as i feel that Galaraga had his perfect game stolen on a botched call, the fact is that baseball was meant to be called by the umpire, in all they're screw ups. Plus if Selig were to overturn the call, Galaraga would go down into the history books as the guy who technically threw a perfect game, but didn't.
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