Detroit Tigers

This article is going to be very short, but I really want to know what everyone thinks about this subject.

I hate to bring this up, but it's almost impossible for me not to ask this hypothetical question:

It was two seasons ago in a men's wood bat summer league game. It is a good league, with great competition and many former (and at least one current) major leaguers as alumni.

I was base umpire, situated behind the pitcher's mound in a two-man team. Man on first, one out, late in a tied game.

Batter hits a ground ball to the hole in short, throw is made to second for the force out, then the relay is made to first.

Bang-bang play, and I signal OUT! Double play and inning over.

The words in every baseball fan's mind is instant replay.

I know that I've been thinking about it since the most infamous "SAFE" call since Don Deckinger at the 1985 World Series. Instant replay is what is really at stake when somebody discusses Jim Joyce and his mistake.

28 up, 28 down.

That is probably the most apt recap of Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga's "one-hit" shutout of the Cleveland Indians June 2.

We knew those guys in recent years.

Bill Hohn, Jim Joyce, C.B. Buckner, Jim Joyce, Lars Diaz, Darryl Cousins, Phil Cuzzi, Joe West, Angel Hernandez, Jerry Crawford, Brian O'Nora, Bob Davidson, Tim McCelland, Ron Kulpa, Dan Iassogna and Doug Eddings.

Those names turned out to be baseball household names. Only difference is those are not baseball players. They are the umpires employed by Bud Selig.

Let me be the voice of reason here.

Nobody—not even Jim Joyce—is denying that he botched the biggest call of his life.

He has been nothing but apologetic about the mistake.

So what’s it like to attend a perfect game and have the umpire blow the call on the final out on a bang-bang play at first base?

Last night, as I was sitting at home, I saw the news come across that Ken Griffey Jr., one of the best players in the game, at least in this era, had retired.

I remembered watching his first years in Seattle and being so awestruck by not only his effortless left-handed swing but also by the speed he had in the outfield. He made highlight reel play after highlight reel play that will continue to be watched by the next generation of fans.

Not only that, but he survived the steroid era and proved that a player can be great without using illegal supplements to do it.

Jim Joyce picked the worst possible time to be human.

Don Denkinger, move over—we’re seating a second at your table.

Armando Galarraga lost a perfect game but gained the respect of the entire country. Hell, the world.

At the precise moment when most mortal men would have collapsed or thrown a temper tantrum, Galarraga stood holding what should have been a baseball headed for the Hall of Fame this morning and smiled.

Smiled!!

Commissioner Bud Selig is going to have a very interesting press conference.

Commissioner Selig needs to address two issues.

First, Commissioner Selig needs to commend Armando Galarraga for how he conducted himself last night. Galarraga should have been heralded this morning for the perfect game he threw against the Cleveland Indians last night.