Armando Galarraga

Just five games into his 2012 return to the major leagues, Armando Galarraga has been designated for assignment by the struggling Houston Astros and faces an uncertain future. For Galarraga, it is the most recent in a series of setbacks that have brought on the realization that his job as a professional athlete is in jeopardy.

For a team with 70 or fewer wins in the last two seasons, the Arizona Diamondbacks actually have several useful fantasy players.  

The first of those players to come to mind for most people would be position players.  Guys like Justin Upton, Chris Young (still cannot believe he is useful again), Stephen Drew and Miguel Montero are all useful fantasy hitters.  

It was one of the most famous newspaper leads in sports history.

It came the day after Don Larsen pitched his perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

“The imperfect man,” New York columnist Dick Young wrote, “pitched the perfect game.”

It was true, for sure; Larsen was an average pitcher who had the day of his life.

But so was it true for many of the pitchers in MLB history who, for one game, were unblemished.

On January 24th the Detroit Tigers traded Armando Galarraga to the Arizona Diamondbacks for a couple of low level prospects.  This is a risky move that officially ends the Tigers' rollercoaster relationship with the occasionally talented, soft-throwing righthander best known as the poster boy for good sportsmanship following Jim Joyce's blown call on his almost perfect game last summer. 

On Monday afternoon, the Arizona Diamondbacks announced the signing of right-handed starting pitcher Armando Galarraga to a one-year contract for $2.3 million.

You may remember Galarraga from last year, as he was only one out away from a perfect game. But, in what may go down as one of the worst blown-calls in major league history, umpire Jim Joyce missed an obvious call that kept him a few feet away from a perfect game (literally).

When the Detroit Tigers signed starting pitcher and former Arizona Diamondback Brad Penny to a contract it began a domino effect that is still rumbling around Major League Baseball. In order to make room for Penny on the 40-man roster, the Tigers designated starting pitcher Armando Galarraga for assignment.

Courtesy of Yankees 'n More

You remember the Detroit Tiger's Armando Galarraga, right? Would it help if I had umpire Jim Joyce stand next to him?

Just months after a bad call at first base cost Galarraga a perfect game, the right-hander has been designated for assignment, meaning his time with the Tigers is quickly coming to an end.

It's almost the middle of January, and the Yankees quest for pitching depth continues.

It may get even more complicated if, in fact, Andy Pettitte doesn't come back to the Yankees, or at least, for the beginning of 2011.

The Yankees are rumored to be interested in former Oakland A's pitcher Justin Duchscherer, but he has been on the DL regularly since 2008 and the Yankees aren't sure if they are interested in him for the starting rotation or the bullpen.

All in all 2010 was a great season—historic you could say! 

Pitchers were once again in control.  The average runs per game for each team in 2010 was nearly a run lower than in 2000 (5.39 compared to 4.44), and an enhanced drug policy enforcing a more regulated testing system has shown the fans that the game can be played clean.  

Tigers RHP Armando Galarraga missed out on a perfect game against the Indians on June 2, 2010 due to a blown call by first-base umpire Jim Joyce with two outs in the ninth inning. Galarraga was perfect through 8.2 innings and coaxed a grounder to first base out of nine-spot hitter Jason Donald. The throw from Miguel Cabrera was on time, but Joyce missed the call and ruled Donald safe.