Umpire costs Tigers Pitcher a Perfect Game!

[krcit]

I'm from Cleveland also and think it was a bad call and he deserved the no hitter. Unfortunately umpires are only human and make mistakes like the rest of us. He owned up to it and admitted it.

I don't think it should be overturned by Selig though. Once the precedent is set it could easily come back to haunt them if down the road a team misses the playoffs or division by a game and a call earlier in the year cost them that game. At that point it is not just the loss of a stat but real money.

As for replay, baseball games are way to long anyway, that last thing we need is every judgment call being reviewed.

 

[J Le]

Saw this a few minutes ago and than read this thread...
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/baseball/al/2010-06-03-1021181861_x.htm

 

[daughtersrus]

Despite it all, we're left with the commissioner overruling an umpire and that's a dangerous precedent to set.

I do believe that this will make it easier for everyone to accept using replays in baseball.

They were talking about this on WGN radio this morning here in Chicago. One caller said that perfect game thrown by Larsen in the World Series really wasn't because some of the pitches called strikes by the ump were really balls.

Baseball is a "human" game with mistakes. If the commissioner overrules this one, should he review the tapes of other games like the one in '56?

 

[WDWorBUST]

Does it suck - yes! No question about it.

However, until you step out on that field and umpire a baseball game you really don't have room to badmouth the umpire. Umpires are human too - and as a fastpitch softball pitcher throughout high school and into college I can say that plenty of them ticked me off and I saw many bad calls. BUT - they are human and can make mistakes.

My DH umpires little league......there are times that the other umpire(s) disagree on a call (when it's a judgement type situation, not a black and white rules situation) - but they talk about it after the fact and let them know "hey, we think you missed that call". It's kind of like parenting....during a game those umpires are the authority figures and to have one overturn anothers decision isn't going to do anything except undermine the others authority and make things worse. (Just like if mom tells the kid yes after dad has already said no) The same if they overturn this particular call....I have no doubt in my mind that it would cost Jim his career in the long run to have the call overturned.

As a former pitcher I think I can come pretty close to knowing how disappointed Galarraga must be and I feel for him. But he even recognizes that to make a mistake is human and it happens.

As far as arguing with an umpire and talking smack - I think that just shows a total lack of class from a player. However, I also feel like that is the coach's job to stand up for his players....but let's face it - no umpire is ever going to change a call because a coach got all up in his face - if anything he is going to eject him if he crosses the line. BUT....it's all just a show to support the players anyway.

So in the end - it's just really sad situation that in this case that one mistake caused such a difference in the statistical outcome of the game. It's just really unfortunate.

 

[krcit]

I think this kid(Galarraga) has shown such class and grace and should be extremely proud of himself. Some of these people who are freaking out(on Facebook, TV) should take a lesson from him. It truly stinks that the official perfect game was taken away from him but what a lesson he is teaching young athletes.

 

[Golf4food]

Yea, I was pretty ticked too and I don't follow the Tigers at all. If this doesn't make a case for some kind of limited replay system in the game, I don't know what does. Selig has always maintained it would hurt the "history" of the game, but this ump's bad call prevented history from being made with 3 no-no's in a month!

The uproar will be pretty strong on this one, IMO.

Ditto.

As anal as baseball is about stats vs other sports (errors on fielders instead of charging a pitcher with a hit, for instance, whereas any interception in football hits the QB only even if another player caused the interception through their own error) I can't believe they don't allow a way to fix this type of situation.

Give the man his perfect game!

 

[Jennasis]

Instant replays would NEVER work for baseball. The games are already like 3+ hours long. We start reviewing everything and the games would take all day!

If the commish overturns this call, it opens up the flood gates for other things to be reviewed after the fact..UNLESS, they make some kind of special allowance for the review since changing the umps call will have no effect on the outcome of the game>

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I respect the opposing opinions but stand by mine. When the ump himself says he was wrong it should be looked at. I don't know about the game in the 50s but here it is about a stat, not a game outcome and the ump admits he was wrong. I think for the sake of both of these men it shoud be overturned.

 

[LisaR]

What it wrong with people? Now the ump's family is receiving threats from strangers. I love baseball more than any sport but it is just a game. A mistake was made and everyone involved has handled it professionally. Change the call or let it go but threaten the ump's family?? Come on!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

What it wrong with people? Now the ump's family is receiving threats from strangers. I love baseball more than any sport but it is just a game. A mistake was made and everyone involved has handled it professionally. Change the call or let it go but threaten the ump's family?? Come on!

Not at all surprised but sad all the same. Sick really. It is just a game.

 

[Mermaid02]

It's a shame- but that's baseball. No instant replay and there shouldn't be one. Can you imagine every pitch being scrutinized? The games would take FOREVER. It's imperfect, that's the game, that's the way it should stay.

 

[LisaR]

It's a shame- but that's baseball. No instant replay and there shouldn't be one. Can you imagine every pitch being scrutinized? The games would take FOREVER. It's imperfect, that's the game, that's the way it should stay.

If they ever allowed instant replay, they would have to stipulate that it can not be used to dispute the strike zone. They could put rules in place that allow each team to only dispute one call per game or they could make it so that replays were only allowed to be called by the home plate umpire. There is a way to allow replays without letting it get out of control.

 

[redbirdgrad]

They could add replay on a limited basis - kind of like hockey does (where they review calls in one central studio in Toronto) - maybe each team gets one request for review per game.

I don't think they should overrule the call from yesterday, calls happen in every game that are incorrect. If on the last play yesterday the runner was safe and the umpire called him out - would people be calling for a review and reversal of the perfect game? Would a reversal happen - no.

 

[Buckalew11]

Sad really, but the pitcher handled it so classy. Very impressive.

And yeah, the ump is only human and made a mistake. A HUGE mistake but still a human mistake.
He reviewed it and saw it was a mistake. Admitted it publicly and privately--but honestly, what else was he going to do?? It wasn't even very close, the review was so clear...he HAD to admit it--if he argued it, he'd have been a fool!
I know he feels terrible. I feel badly for him.

 

[Dismagic1]

I don't think there should be replay except in the cases of a disputed home run or disputed fair ball.

I also think that there are some times in life when saying that someone made a mistake and let's just move on just doesn't cut it and this is one of those cases. The umpire cost the pitcher "immortality." His name would have lived forever in baseball, and now unfortunately, probably won't.

If MLB won't overrule the play, then I feel that some disciplinary action should be in order for Joyce, a week suspension that is made public. Something along those lines. You just cannot miss that call and I know he is human but still can't miss that call. Its his job to get that call right.

 

[declansdad]

I don't think there should be replay except in the cases of a disputed home run or disputed fair ball.

I also think that there are some times in life when saying that someone made a mistake and let's just move on just doesn't cut it and this is one of those cases. The umpire cost the pitcher "immortality." His name would have lived forever in baseball, and now unfortunately, probably won't.

If MLB won't overrule the play, then I feel that some disciplinary action should be in order for Joyce, a week suspension that is made public. Something along those lines. You just cannot miss that call and I know he is human but still can't miss that call. Its his job to get that call right.

You don't suspend an official for missing a call on a bang-bang play, especially not for a week. That is a bit harsh.

 

[LisaR]

I don't think there should be replay except in the cases of a disputed home run or disputed fair ball.

I also think that there are some times in life when saying that someone made a mistake and let's just move on just doesn't cut it and this is one of those cases. The umpire cost the pitcher "immortality." His name would have lived forever in baseball, and now unfortunately, probably won't.

If MLB won't overrule the play, then I feel that some disciplinary action should be in order for Joyce, a week suspension that is made public. Something along those lines. You just cannot miss that call and I know he is human but still can't miss that call. Its his job to get that call right.

Suspension isn't going to change a thing. It isn't like he made the wrong call on purpose. Umpires make the wrong call all the time but it isn't generally as costly as this one. Just because this one was more significant, doesn't justify a suspension.

 

[Metsfan520]

I don't think there should be replay except in the cases of a disputed home run or disputed fair ball.

I also think that there are some times in life when saying that someone made a mistake and let's just move on just doesn't cut it and this is one of those cases. The umpire cost the pitcher "immortality." His name would have lived forever in baseball, and now unfortunately, probably won't.

If MLB won't overrule the play, then I feel that some disciplinary action should be in order for Joyce, a week suspension that is made public. Something along those lines. You just cannot miss that call and I know he is human but still can't miss that call. Its his job to get that call right.

MLB already has instant replay for disputed home runs. Have had that since August 2008, I believe.

Wow, do you get suspended for 1 week when you make a mistake at work? That's a bit harsh, especially since he has apologized to the pitcher & he's owned up to his error. The pitcher has forgiven him.

and BTW, it appears that Selig will not be overturning the call.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5248118

 

[Toad_Passenger]

I don't think there should be replay except in the cases of a disputed home run or disputed fair ball.

I also think that there are some times in life when saying that someone made a mistake and let's just move on just doesn't cut it and this is one of those cases. The umpire cost the pitcher "immortality." His name would have lived forever in baseball, and now unfortunately, probably won't.

If MLB won't overrule the play, then I feel that some disciplinary action should be in order for Joyce, a week suspension that is made public. Something along those lines. You just cannot miss that call and I know he is human but still can't miss that call. Its his job to get that call right.

I don't know if pitching a perfect game is a 1-way ticket to immortality. There have been pitchers who've thrown no-hitters, then disappeared into obscurity forever. Anyone have the names of Kevin Gross or Tommy Greene on the tips of their tongues whenever they talk about baseball? How about Perfect Game pitcher Mike Witt?

 

[crashbb]

I don't know if pitching a perfect game is a 1-way ticket to immortality. There have been pitchers who've thrown no-hitters, then disappeared into obscurity forever. Anyone have the names of Kevin Gross or Tommy Greene on the tips of their tongues whenever they talk about baseball? How about Perfect Game pitcher Mike Witt?

Or Roy Halladay who did it on Saturday.