I couldn't believe it. As I watched Cleveland's Jason Donald run down the first base line and Detroit's Armando Galarraga step on the bag and seize the ball in his hand from first-baseman, Miguel Cabrera, I thought I had witnessed history. It was close. I thought I had just witnessed the first perfect game pitched by a Detroit Tiger in club history. When first base umpire, Jim Joyce's arms stretched out to indicate Donald was safe, I couldn't believe what I saw. There was no way, NO WAY he was safe. Did I say it was close? After seeing the replay, it wasn't.
The announcers, and certainly the home-town Comerica Park crowd agreed with me. "How could he call him safe?" The deafening chorus of boos rightfully followed. Cabrera let loose on Joyce before the final out, as did Tiger manager, Jim Leland, and rightfully so. As rare as perfect games are, not just a no-hitter, mind you, but a perfect game, I would have decked the guy. Fine me, suspend me, I wouldn't care, other than the call that denied the Toronto Blue Jays the first triple-play in World Series history in 1992, that was without a doubt the worst call I've ever seen. I really feel for Galarraga. That poor kid.
Immediately after the game, if he wasn't the epitome of class and modesty, then I've never seen it. After he had a chance to see the replay, understandably, not so much, even if he and joyce did embrace to show no hard feelings on either side.
"I just watched the replay 20 times and there's no way you can call him safe," Galaragga said. "He needs to do a better job in that situation. It wasn't even close."
Personally, I really don't care if Joyce feels bad about it. It's too late for that. What a dick!
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