Perfect games are rare

[sntslilhlpr6601]

He sure is a class act.  Don't everybody go bashing the umpire Jim Joyce just yet.  He apologized in tears to Galarraga after the game and was absolutely distraught about it.  This is a guy who has umpired since 1989 with many many postseason games and a few World Series under his belt.  He's human, he blew it and he felt terrible about it afterward and even admitted that he blew that one, so at least he manned up to it. 

The wife, who is a huge baseball fan also, and I were talking about it last night and we both agreed that 9 times out of 10, even if the runner is a hair safe in that instance the call is most likely going to go to the pitcher with the perfect game on the line.  Nobody knows what he was thinking when he called Donald safe but it happened so time to move on with it I guess. 

What's truly weird about all of this is that it would have been the third, yes third perfect game this year and the 21st in the modern era, to have 3 in one season would be remarkable.

Good post.

The umpire, the manager, and the players all handled this with class. Its amazing how many who have nothing to do with this are acting like children.

[Saxman]

What I'm afraid of is that it's going to result in replay intruding even FURTHER into the game. It's bad enough they brought it in for home run calls, now its just going to spread even FURTHER. How long before it shows up for Ball and Strike calls? that Quiztech system a couple years ago screwed things up bad enough, now imagine if you got guys calling for Replay on strikeouts!

People are complaining about games being too long as it is, and they think Replay is going to HELP that?!

And I'm getting a kick out of people pushing for Selig to reverse the call and award the Perfect Game anyway.

You know what? I'm sorry, but the call should stand. Period. This isn't a rule violation. There was no official protest. This isn't the official scorer botching the result of a play, giving an Error when it should have been a Hit. The precedent is that the call should stand, and if Selig overrules the umpire in THIS case you're going to have a HUGE can of worms opened.

The umpire screwed up a call at first base to rob a pitcher of a perfect game? Well, what about 1985? A bad call at first robbed St. Louis of the World Series. Should they overrule that call as well and award St. Louis the Series? What about the Cubs in the 2003 NLCS with a possible bad (non-)call on fan interference? If Selig goes against the previously established precedent--a blown call stands. Period--that's EXACTLY the sort of thing you're going to start getting from people.

[Spikes]

I really wish the MLB could re-rule the call. It's not like it affected the overall game.  He was literally robbed of a perfect game.

[Saxman]

I really wish the MLB could re-rule the call. It's not like it affected the overall game.  He was literally robbed of a perfect game.

[mechanic]

That was really close but clearly out, he had the perfect viewing angle to see it. Maybe the pressure on the umpire is more about not being seen to go easy on them when a perfect game is looming. So he was almost waiting for a chance to show he was fair but it backfired. I don't know much about baseball.

[B17Skull12]

The umpire screwed up a call at first base to rob a pitcher of a perfect game? Well, what about 1985? A bad call at first robbed St. Louis of the World Series. Should they overrule that call as well and award St. Louis the Series? What about the Cubs in the 2003 NLCS with a possible bad (non-)call on fan interference? If Selig goes against the previously established precedent--a blown call stands. Period--that's EXACTLY the sort of thing you're going to start getting from people.

Then whats the point of even trying to finish Game 5 of the 08 world series?  sometimes a call needs to be made, even if it doesn't affect the outcome in the end.  This call NEEDS to be over turned.  This single call is hurting the integrity of the game more than replay would.  This isn't just an isolated incident either.  Umpires inthe past 2 years have gotten an ego  and began to think they are above baseball.  The ejections this year have been absolutely LUDICRIOUS!  Anyone catch that Roy Ostwalt ejection?  And all this umpiring problems started last year with Phil Cuzzi missing that double by a foot!  That should have been a wake up call, but of course baseball is once again lagging behind.  I catch myself asking why baseball is lagging behind football sometimes, and this is exactly why.  I understand human element, but in todays day and age, beliefs have changed from trusting humans, to get it right all the time, which i see no logical flaws in.  Replay needs to take examples from basketball here.  Can't challenge fouls can you?  Same thing in baseball everything is fair game except balls and strikes.  At this point in time, out of all 4 major sports, Bud Selig is by far the WORST comminioner out of Hockey, Football, and Basketball.

Ok done ranting ill be sure to put my flame suit on now.

[trax1]

What I'm afraid of is that it's going to result in replay intruding even FURTHER into the game. It's bad enough they brought it in for home run calls, now its just going to spread even FURTHER. How long before it shows up for Ball and Strike calls? that Quiztech system a couple years ago screwed things up bad enough, now imagine if you got guys calling for Replay on strikeouts!

People are complaining about games being too long as it is, and they think Replay is going to HELP that?!

And I'm getting a kick out of people pushing for Selig to reverse the call and award the Perfect Game anyway.

You know what? I'm sorry, but the call should stand. Period. This isn't a rule violation. There was no official protest. This isn't the official scorer botching the result of a play, giving an Error when it should have been a Hit. The precedent is that the call should stand, and if Selig overrules the umpire in THIS case you're going to have a HUGE can of worms opened.

The umpire screwed up a call at first base to rob a pitcher of a perfect game? Well, what about 1985? A bad call at first robbed St. Louis of the World Series. Should they overrule that call as well and award St. Louis the Series? What about the Cubs in the 2003 NLCS with a possible bad (non-)call on fan interference? If Selig goes against the previously established precedent--a blown call stands. Period--that's EXACTLY the sort of thing you're going to start getting from people.

I don't agree with you on some of that Saxman, I think MLB needs to introduce replays to the game, now I'm not talking about balls & strikes, I'm talking about things like if the guy caught the ball, or if a player was tagged out, every other major sport has brought in replays now, NFL, NHL, & the NBA, it's about time they caught up with other sports.

I do agree with you as for going back & over turning the call, no I don't think that should happen, whats done is done but maybe this will be what it takes to bring replays to the game, to avoid mistakes like this in the future.

And yeah this is weird about the number of perfect games thrown this season already, it's the season of the pitchers duels.

[Saxman]

Then whats the point of even trying to finish Game 5 of the 08 world series?  sometimes a call needs to be made, even if it doesn't affect the outcome in the end.  This call NEEDS to be over turned.  This single call is hurting the integrity of the game more than replay would.  This isn't just an isolated incident either.  Umpires inthe past 2 years have gotten an ego  and began to think they are above baseball.  The ejections this year have been absolutely LUDICRIOUS!  Anyone catch that Roy Ostwalt ejection?  And all this umpiring problems started last year with Phil Cuzzi missing that double by a foot!  That should have been a wake up call, but of course baseball is once again lagging behind.  I catch myself asking why baseball is lagging behind football sometimes, and this is exactly why.  I understand human element, but in todays day and age, beliefs have changed from trusting humans, to get it right all the time, which i see no logical flaws in.  Replay needs to take examples from basketball here.  Can't challenge fouls can you?  Same thing in baseball everything is fair game except balls and strikes.  At this point in time, out of all 4 major sports, Bud Selig is by far the WORST comminioner out of Hockey, Football, and Basketball.

Ok done ranting ill be sure to put my flame suit on now.

How does Replay or overturning calls help reign in the umpires with the itchy ejection trigger finger? I agree, ejections are out of hand. It's absolutely STUPID that you brush a guy's jersey and get tossed, with warnings to both benches. The solution is the fire the umpires and replace. There's certain umpires I can't STAND (I HATE Angel Hernandez. Seems like whenever there's a bad call that names come up. He once called a bases-loaded Balk against St. Louis when the opposing batter had been granted Time Out!) The solution isn't to take away their ability to exercise their judgment. The solution is to boot the guys executing BAD judgment.

I don't agree with you on some of that Saxman, I think MLB needs to introduce replays to the game, now I'm not talking about balls & strikes, I'm talking about things like if the guy caught the ball, or if a player was tagged out, every other major sport has brought in replays now, NFL, NHL, & the NBA, it's about time they caught up with other sports.

I do agree with you as for going back & over turning the call, no I don't think that should happen, whats done is done but maybe this will be what it takes to bring replays to the game, to avoid mistakes like this in the future.

And yeah this is weird about the number of perfect games thrown this season already, it's the season of the pitchers duels.

Blown calls have been part of the game for almost 200 years--some of them VERY prominent--and you expect me to believe that ONE bad call is going to hurt the integrity of the game? And I'm speaking as someone whose team was victimized by the one of the worst calls of all time (I'm looking at YOU, Denkinger). I think the fans need to take a little lesson from the players: Was it unfortunate? Yes, but you have 162 games in the season and we need to move on.

And the beauty of baseball is that it's NOT the NFL, NHL and NBA. Baseball is its OWN game, and that's part of why I love it. The history and tradition matter, and there's other things that are FAR more badly in need of fixing than being able to call an office in New York for every little dispute between the foul lines.

If the umpires are screwing up, can them and find guys who do a better job. Ditch the DH. Raise the mound. Enforce the uniform code. Restrict the body armor guys can go to bat with (Studies showed that Bonds gained a mechanical benefit from his Bionic Arm armor). Give the pitcher back the plate and let them actually pitch inside without being tossed for brushing a guy's jersey. Hell, contract a couple teams or reorganize them into AAA. These would do FAR more to restore the game than replay.

[trax1]

I don't think that adding replays on things other then balls & strikes would hurt the game, it would just improve it by making blown calls a thing of the past.  I don't think it would add much time to games either because how many times do you see a call in a game that is in need of a review.  I bet that most players in the game would welcome it as well, I'd be interested in a poll if they could on how they would feel about it.  They've already taken one step towards this with reviewing home run calls.  Just my 2 cents, but I'd like to see it, and not because of this blown call, but for all of them that happen.

[WMLute]

<--still mad about the blow call in the 1985 world series that cost the Cardinals the series.

this one was almost as bad.

[Saxman]

<--still mad about the blow call in the 1985 world series that cost the Cardinals the series.

Same here. And yes, replay would have made a difference. But I STILL disagree with its use in baseball. It doesn't belong. I don't care WHAT the other sports are doing. Baseball is NOT other sports. It's baseball.

Technology does NOT always make things better. To quote Al Hrabosky, the only thing MLB has done for pitchers in the last 20 years is that little plastic thingy behind the mound for them to clean their spikes with. And an old-fashioned tongue-depressor STILL works better.

[lowZX14]

Alright, now that I've collected my thought some I'll spill them out to you all. 

1.  The human element of the game makes it what it is.  Replay needs to stay in it's capacity as reviewing questionable home runs which is still iffy in my book but I think it really has more to do with the added aesthetics with major league parks now that make it a little harder to tell if a ball has actually gone over or not.  It should NEVER be used for balls and strikes for any reason and I don't see it ever getting to that point.  Having a replay for close plays such as the one the other night should still be kept out in my book.  If it wasn't for the fact that it was the final out in a perfect game, unless you watch MLB Network 24/7 like I do, you probably would have never heard about that blown call.  It sucks that it happened in that situation but it is what it is.  Everyone involved from both teams to the players to the umpiring crew has moved on from it, everyone else needs to also.  Selig did say yesterday that they will evaluate the use of replay and other features more but I'm still not a big fan of it.

2.  Selig already said that he wouldn't reverse the call and I fully agree.  Like Saxman said all it will do is open a huuuuuuuuuuuuuge can of worms.  Just the same as 99 times out of 100 a manager going to argue a call with an ump won't change it, it will sure make them think about it next time they're in that spot.  Calls should not be reversed whatsoever and a ruling not be made by MLB unless the game is being played under protest for some reason.  It's also funny that most people don't know the rules for a protest.  They don't understand that a game can only be protested on a rules violation or misapplication of the rules by an umpire and not on a judgment call by the umpires. 

3.  I agree that the ejections this year have been absolutely ridiculous.  Case in point the game the other week with the White Sox and I can't remember who where Buehrle was called for a balk twice in which case neither one was resulting in good ole Ozzy being tossed as well as Buehrle by none other than Jerry West who like Angel Hernandez is just a trouble maker.  Both of them need to be offered an early retirement and moved on out of town.  Jerry West used to be good, now he's a joke.

I hope everyone saw the action prior to the Tigers/Indians game yesterday.  Jim Joyce was behind the plate fighting back tears.  Galarraga came out for the pre-game meeting at the plate with the lineup and gave it to him, just a huge display of class by everyone involved.  I'm a die hard Braves fan, who is atop the NL East btw if you haven't noticed, but I was proud of the Tigers' franchise and fans yesterday, everyone acted remarkable.

[Wayout]

These two did more to improve the image of Detroit than anyone has in the last 10 years.

[greens]

All i got to say is move over bartman go BOSOX!!!

[Serenity]

I don't know jack about baseball, but I wanted to say, when I first watched the clip, when the Ump called safe, I was expecting the pitcher to go BERSERK. And... he didn't. And then the coach, or the manager, or whatever he was walked over, and I was expecting raging and screaming. And... he didn't. And in that I was truly amazed at the class those two showed in those moments. I don't know that I could be so strong in character as to react as well in a similar situation.

So,  to all involved there. VERY well handled.