Baseball must add replay to avoid more ‘imperfect’ games
Armando Galarraga smiles at the absurdity of umpire Jim Joyce's call.
It’s funny how baseball gets picked on sometimes for being like the stodgy old coot on the front porch who never wants to see anything change. Fact is, when the sport does make a change, it usually gets it wrong.
It instituted the sport’s first full-time part-time player (designated hitter) and then compounded this mistake by sticking it in only one league. It foolishly tried to add meaning to the All-Star Game by giving the winning league home field advantage in the World Series. And, of course, the one time owners actually were unified and determined to change baseball’s economic system, they colluded. Not smart. Also not legal.
Well, baseball does need to change one thing. Now. It needs to add television replay to make up for the human mistakes of umpires.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga threw a perfect game against the Cleveland Indians Wednesday night. The only guy who didn’t realize it was first base umpire Jim Joyce, who will not be remembered as fondly as James Joyce.
On what should have been the 27th out following the 27th Indians’ batter of the game, this is what happened: Jason Donald hit a ground ball to first base. The Tigers’ Miguel Cabrera fielded it to his right. He tossed the ball to Galarraga, who clearly got to the base before Donald. The side view at the end of the video below will show you just how close this play wasn’t.
Take a look:
People make mistakes, and to Joyce’s credit, he admitted his blunder: “I just cost that kid a perfect game. I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.”
But the problem is that baseball’s officiating crews have a history of being the most obstinate, arrogant and even obnoxious of the four sports’ officials.
Too many umps believe they are the show. This is not a new observation. It’s just too accurate and has gone on for too long.
Baseball umpires don’t want controversial replays shown on stadium video boards because it might make them look bad. They hated it when officials started using technology analysis of ball-and-strike calls with things like “QuecTec” and “Zone Evaluation.”
Football uses replay to correct mistakes all the time on the most crucial of plays: touchdowns and fumbles. Hockey uses replay to confirm (or negate) goals. Basketball uses replay to adjust time remaining on the play clock. Baseball is stuck in the era of the sundial.
If it takes an embarrassment like this to convince baseball to add replay for close calls — and force umpires to bury their egos — then at least the sport finally will have moved forward.
But Galarraga will still have to settle for throwing baseball’s most perfect imperfect game.
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159 comments Add your comment
Kane337
June 2nd, 2010
11:54 pm
What other sport has instant replay ruined their game? Hmm, can’t think of one.
Nick
June 2nd, 2010
11:56 pm
Jeff come on now. I usually side with you, but to say umpires do not want controversial calls shown on the big screens is insane! That is a baseball rule, not an umpire rule. If they were the show then would they not indeed want the replay shown instantly to everyone in attendance so they can prove their power?
I like what you did with the story, but do not make things up…
Ross
June 2nd, 2010
11:59 pm
I think the Commissioner has to make a special edict for this, and award the perfect game, even though it wasn’t that way on the field. Also – if this isn’t an out, it’s an error, so at the very minimum, he deserves a no-hitter. Just a real tragedy!
Nick
June 3rd, 2010
12:02 am
And since when did you meet an umpire who wanted to steal the show? Stop spitting out what the ESPN critics are saying and wise up.
Replay has nothing to do with slowing down the game. It has everything to do with what a previous commentor said. Do you really want replay in a 12-0 game between 2 last place teams at 1230 in the morning in the 8th inning? Not even close. You can not have replay for every close call. What will then be the point in even having officials. Just let some guy in a box watch and signal on the screen safe or out based on what the camera showed.
Baseball is great because it is not perfect. Everything has to go absolutely right for it to be a perfect game. And tonight it did not. I give the batter props for hauling butt down the line and making it interesting. I do not see anybody complaining that he tried to ruin the perfect game.
You want to go down in history you have to have luck on your side. Tonight was not meant to be. Simple as that…
Ross
June 3rd, 2010
12:04 am
One thing that struck me – the kid handled it magnificently – that grin will always stay in my mind! – and I thought of Tiger Woods, huffing and puffing and pouting over one blown putt when he’s ahead by 5 strokes – what a contrast.
Dale Murphy for Governor
June 3rd, 2010
12:15 am
Shut up Ross! What do Tiger have to do with this? Hater.
The call was horrible. You have to give that call to the pitcher. For 26 batter before the blown call not one of the professional players on the Indians team could get a hit. Then on the last play of what would be an historic feat, the runner gets the call? The only way the Indians should have been rewarded with a hit was for it to be clear and indisputable, anything else is an out in my eyes.
James
June 3rd, 2010
12:16 am
I do not even watch that much base ball at all.. heck, I rarely do what so ever.
Hell I dont even watch sports at all in fact.
I must even admit that this is just a horrid mistake that must be corrected.
boots
June 3rd, 2010
12:27 am
Correct the call – give him a perfect game. No reason in the world not to. Do the right thing, baseball. First, you let steriods ruin the game. Then you rob Hank Aaron of the legit record. Let’s see you get it right for once.
PaulyIcecubes
June 3rd, 2010
12:32 am
Did anyone else notice that Miguel Cabrera was about 20 further over than he should have been while fielding that ball? That’s a routine grounder for the second baseman. The runner would have been out by 10 feet if Cabrera had played his position properly.
PaulyIcecubes
June 3rd, 2010
12:32 am
*20 FEET further
Michael
June 3rd, 2010
12:39 am
It’ll never happen.
Willy
June 3rd, 2010
1:03 am
You people are stupid. First of all, the game’s been played that way for how many years> This isn’t the first time it’s happened. Secondly, what more human of a moment can you possibly ask for than for the umpire to come out and proclaim his guilt and sorrow at missing such a huge call. That is the game, I think, in its purest form.
You can’t make every call a perfect call. Every umpire has his own strike zone, that’s a huge part of the game. They sometimes make bad calls, but at least we have somebody to blame for them and, bless-fully in this case, someone to own up to it. You can’t fix that and you shouldn’t want to. Its perfect.
Scooter
June 3rd, 2010
1:07 am
The TV analysts bug me. I must have heard 20 of them tonight say that, “Nobody feels worse about it than Joyce”. How many people said, “Nobody feel worse about i tthan Les”, when Les Miles made those bonehead decisions at the end of the Ole Miss game? How many said, “Nobody feels worse tha Billy”, after Bill Buckner made that error in the ‘86 World Series? Every weekend ESPN show replay after replay of screw-ups by players and coaches, but let an ump screw the pooch and its all, “To his credit”. Joyce should either be suspended by MLB or sent to the minors for a few weeks. During a perfect game the players are sharper. Look at the plays on ground balls. Look at the throws. Look at the catches (like the one in Center field). Joyce should have been at his sharpest. Enstead, he acted like a texting driver and missed the call. With no punishment, umps are bound to repeat the same mistakes. I feel bad for everyone involved, including Jim Joyce, but there has to be professional accountability. Hell, the league charges fans enough to go to the game. There is nothing wrong with fans calling for accountability.
TheAntiMe
June 3rd, 2010
1:07 am
Jeff come on now. I usually side with you, but to say umpires do not want controversial calls shown on the big screens is insane! That is a baseball rule, not an umpire rule. If they were the show then would they not indeed want the replay shown instantly to everyone in attendance so they can prove their power?
I like what you did with the story, but do not make things up…
I hate to break this to you, Nick, but 15 to 20 years ago when stadiums were first equipped with the large screen matrix boards, the entire umpire crew would walk off of the field if a close play was replayed on the large screen and it showed the umpires were in error. True fact.
wxwax
June 3rd, 2010
1:17 am
Maybe now, Joyce will shave off that dumbass Orange County Chopper mustache.
Willy
June 3rd, 2010
1:18 am
And let me say that baseball umps MUST be arrogant. They are in line to get more flack than anybody (save tennis judges). I’ve never heard anybody say baseball umps think they are the show, though. Your whole take on this bit is just self eating logic, as is your habit. But I don’t know why I’m writing this because, unlike Mark Bradley, once you’ve written your piece and obligatorily read the first few comments, your day is done.
You’re getting old Schultz. It shows – and it ain’t gracefully.
fayncdawg
June 3rd, 2010
1:34 am
Jesse James must have pictures of Don Denkinger and Jiom Joyce on his wall!
Tim Pilgram
June 3rd, 2010
2:24 am
What a SHAME!!… you honestly have to see it to believe it.. First time I saw it, I was like… no way, and the replay… confirmed it. I’m honestly surprised buddy didn’t get beat down hard… check out the HD video of the blown call here: http://www.lionsdenu.com/umpire-ruins-perfect-game/
Honestly, I am still giving him the perfect game, Congrats Gallaraga… now Selig NEEDS to overrule the call and award it!!!!
jeminal
June 3rd, 2010
2:35 am
This should be reversed..
Worse than some of the blown calls during the World Series Last Year
BOYCOTT TV BASEBALL
BOYCOTT ALLSTAR GAME
BOYCOTT ATTENDING …. MLB MUST BE SENT A MESSAGE
REPLAY MUST BE EXPANDED
… Its a shame this record lifetime achievement and players excitement will
never be realized as the other two this year.. DAMN SHAME.
Legend of Len Barker
June 3rd, 2010
2:36 am
If you had instant replay, that would be one of the few calls that is open and shut. Say runners are at first and third when the batter is called out trying to stretch it into a double with two outs. The runner on first has not scored and is only midway between third and home when the batter is tagged out.
However, replay shows the shortstop missed the tag on the hitter trying to get the double. What do you do with the runner that has not scored? Remember, he was only midway between the bases. You cannot assume that he would have scored.
Way too many intangibles in baseball to have a totally proper replay system.
Someone mentioned Hrbek. That was not in game seven. It was in either game one or two as there was a huge banner at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium declaring “Hrbek is a jrk” in game three.
Eric Gregg also says “hello” from beyond the grave and reminds you of game seven of the 1997 NLCS.
Baseball has been at a worse point with owners. At the turn of the century (1900s), there was conglomerate baseball where men were allowed to own more than one team. The Cleveland Spiders and Baltimore Orioles were both raided of talent and killed in order to feed bigger market teams. Then again, that’s essentially what happens now, only without multiple ownership.
Bubba
June 3rd, 2010
5:41 am
Yes, replay is just what we need to slow baseball games down even more. Review every play. Every ball and strike. The games are far too fast now. We should aim for the cricket model, where games can take several days to complete.
bob
June 3rd, 2010
5:55 am
If he had made the right call, one seventh of all perfect games ever would have happened within the last month. Seems like umps are calling more strikes to speed up the game.
bob
June 3rd, 2010
5:59 am
And congrats to Ump on admitting his error, not that he really had a choice. We all miss a call or two in life.
Riordan
June 3rd, 2010
6:37 am
Drew Coble was wrong in the Series in ‘91. That’s what he’ll always be known for. Sorry, Jim Joyce, you just joined the club.
jeffrey d
June 3rd, 2010
7:00 am
I think I’m the only one who feels bad for Jim Joyce. It’s not like he intended to screw up, and his master plan to rob a kid of a perfect game is now complete. He’s human, and in a split-second, he made a bad call.
And I don’t know how people are saying it’s “not even that close!” You know when I found out the runner was out? When I watched the replay. Watch the video at 1:07….you mean to tell me that after watching once, you can say that the ball clearly was in Galarraga’s glove and his foot was on the bag before the runner got there?
I feel horrible for Galarraga too, but I think most of America considers that he threw a perfect game last night anyway.
jeffrey d
June 3rd, 2010
7:02 am
And what the heck is with all this “We need to keep the human element in baseball!” As if the players will be replaced by robots or something?
MitchC
June 3rd, 2010
7:31 am
Jeff, I saw the replay. The batter was definitely out. Galaragga was denied a perfect game. I feel bad for him, because how often does that happen to a player in a game.
I dont know if you read Phil Niekro’s book, Knuckleballs, from 1985, but, he describes how, while a member of the Yankees that season, then AL Ump Vic Voltaggio blew a crucial call during the pennant race, as the Yankees were chasing Toronto for the AL East title.
Also, too many of the umps are like sacred cows. It seems like they cant wait to eject players and managers, because they have the power to do so.
It would be nice if baseball allowed replay, but, if I know Selig, he probably won;t do so.
TommyJack
June 3rd, 2010
7:47 am
The question is, how was this call missed? You see bang-bang plays all the time that can understandably be missed. But THIS one? Sheesh.
Happy2
June 3rd, 2010
7:59 am
What a surprise! A classic knee-jerk reaction to a travesty that occurred despite one in a million odds.
Oh, and by the way:
The reality of baseball in terms of hits, fair or foul, outs, and home runs, etc, is defined not by what physically occurs on the playing field, but by the judgment of its umpires. Even if the runner is beat by the throw, it is not an out unless the umpire says so. The umpire’s judgment call creates the out, not the fact that the runner arrived after the ball.
Tron
June 3rd, 2010
8:02 am
I hope in the future, when technology allows, that human umpires will be replaced with cyborgs.
Ted Striker
June 3rd, 2010
8:03 am
Good column. Read a few of the comments and only have one thing to say. This call wasn’t about an umpire’s ego. It was just a bad call.
NotBlindAsABat
June 3rd, 2010
8:05 am
That umpire needs to be fired without his pension and the call reversed.
Ted Striker
June 3rd, 2010
8:06 am
p.s. I like how Najeh brought cricket into the topic. I freaking love (playing) cricket.
keep your replay
June 3rd, 2010
8:08 am
Bad calls are apart of baseball. Always has been.
NotBlindAsABat
June 3rd, 2010
8:13 am
Hey, Legend of Len Barker (whoever that is), it was game 7 of the 1991 Series and it was in Minnesota, not Atlanta. You’d better check your stats. Also, do the math. Game 7 was in Minnesota, so that means it started there, so game one or two couldn’t have in Atlanta. Duh!
Gen Neyland
June 3rd, 2010
8:19 am
Gosh, just think. If replay overturns become reality in baseball, Bobby Cox’s record of being ejected will stand forever.
Dave
June 3rd, 2010
8:27 am
What is absolute nonsense is having players, managers and fans having to deal with stopping games for arguing of call that never change things one iota except getting players or managers thrown out of games. These stupid interruptions for games change nothing except diminish teams by losing players and managers for the rest of the game. With instant replay few people will get thrown out of games and we get calls right. I agree on one thing balls and strikes would slow down the game too much so exempt that part everything else should be subject to instant replay. Heck just give each manager two challenges a game that might even work to start this off to show instant replay will work just fine.
Mr Charlie
June 3rd, 2010
8:28 am
Not that easy a call to make, umps are trained that their eyes decieve, to first use their ears.
On a normal play at 1st base, they listened for the ball hitting the glove, and the foot hitting the bag, hence “bang bang”.
However, since it was a toss, the ball did not make any sound hitting the glove, so the ump had to rely completely on his eyes, and on fast motion plays, the eyes-brain connection is not even close to 100%.
bulldogsteve
June 3rd, 2010
8:30 am
So every first hit or questionable call gets reviewed? What it was a questionable checked swing called a ball and hitter gets a hit on the next pitch? What if that happens early in the game? Instant replay would be terrible in baseball.
Mr Charlie
June 3rd, 2010
8:36 am
Dave, managers argueing and getting kicked out is part of the strategy of the game. It is a motivational tool, an emotional part of the game at is integral.
On that replay, From the angle, you can’t see the exact instant the pitchers foot touches the bag, Also, an argument can be made that the pitcher did not have complete control of the ball.
You want to talk about slowing the game down, put in instant replay. Except it will me much more boring as they stop the game to review every detail of the play.
EW
June 3rd, 2010
8:38 am
still feel sick to my stomach this morning, this was unbelievable.
meh
June 3rd, 2010
8:39 am
they should make it like the final 2 minutes of the half/game in the NFL. Guy in a booth reviews the plays. And in a situation like this he can signal that he wants to check out the play one more time. he reviews it, calls the guy out, and Gallaraga has a perect game. Takes like 2 seconds. Especially if it’s as obvious as this play was.
Kashi
June 3rd, 2010
8:45 am
I AGREE, MLB OUTTA GIVE MANAGER TO CHALLENEGE 1 OR 2 CLOSE CALLS IN A GAME. MLB UMPIRE MAKE IS SICK. BUD MUST RETIRE FOR A BIGHT 21 CENTURY COMMISSIONAR TO TAKE OVER AND CHANGE MLB RULE – PATHETIC CALL
Spirit of the game
June 3rd, 2010
8:55 am
Emphatically calling a runner safe and then admitting that he made the wrong call simply means that Joyce had made up his mind what the call would be before the play. Since the pitcher was covering first it would also give him the chance to eject the pitcher for arguing, which would be newsworthy. Then he saw the whole plan fall apart so he decided to apologize to everyone who would listen and admit his error. An apology will not offset the perfect game he stole.
Ted M
June 3rd, 2010
8:56 am
Is anyone trying to get a statement from Bud Selig?
big D
June 3rd, 2010
9:00 am
Of course the ump admitted his mistake after seeing the replay that doesn’t give him class. If he wants to appear “classy” he’d admit he missed it on purpose. Otherwise his competency is in question. There is no way he heard the ball hit the mitt after the foot hit the bag.
extremus
June 3rd, 2010
9:02 am
I know MLB is a stickler for tradition and “sticking with the call no matter what”, but this is definitely one time where they should do the right thing and award Galarraga with a perfect game. All they’d need to do is erase whatever at-bats by Cleveland came after the blunder from the official record, the same as they would a rain delay. This should be a no-brainer, even for MLB.
As for replay, I agree with that as well. Whether a call might go for or against a team on a close play, at least both clubs would have the benefit of knowing it was the CORRECT call.
k483
June 3rd, 2010
9:15 am
Baseball is a game of arbitrary calls. How about if he had hit a hot shot to the 2nd baseman–a hit or an error? (now an imperfect game but still a no hitter). Or strikes out of strike zones-a perfect game becomes a walk. I believe if you take that human element out of the game baseball will lose its intrigue, and interest, to the fans. I bet Galarraga would be known for this in baseball lore far longer than if he was credited a perfect game.
All I'm Saying...
June 3rd, 2010
9:17 am
I’m in favor of no crying in baseball and no instant replay except to check home run calls. The only thing I’d concede is to maybe give each manager two to three challenges per 9 innings where a replay booth ump can review a play but only after every MLB park was equipped to provide the same capability and angles.
MLB can easily correct this Jim Joyce faux pas and Bud Selig as Commissioner can do it as doing so would “clearly be in the best interest of the game” since the next batter was retired and the Tigers won the game.
If a Commissioner can go in and mandate an asterisk by a batter who hit 61 homers in a 162 game season, then that same position can unilaterally over-rule what was called declare that 27 batter out and chalk it up as perfect game.
WOW!
June 3rd, 2010
9:18 am
You have to feel bad for both sides here. Them ump will always be remembered fro blowing this call. I understand how some of you are saying Selig should change the call. But then you would be obligated to go back and look at other near perfect games / no hitters. I do think instant replay is needed, but only for game changing plays. It should only be used in cases as last night.