Opinion

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.

No matter one’s particular brand of politics, I think we could all agree that Congress does not work as efficiently or effectively as it could.

Now, if I told you that I had a foolproof, instantly applicable means of fixing our legislative body, you’d say: “By God man, why don’t you get to implementing that?!”

Your incredulity would be understandable and reasonable.

So, I ask, why doesn’t this logic translate to baseball?

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.

For awhile now, we at 643 Sports have blustered over devoting an entire show to the identification and removal of the worst and least-worthy parts of baseball's Hall of Fame.

So, inspired by the hand-wringing we have done over the induction of the Jim Rice and Andre Dawson ilk, I decided to get the ball rolling and put together a definite list of players that, in my humble opinion, do not deserve Hall of Fame recognition.

Photo credit: TBO.com

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In Major League Baseball's search of their third perfect game in 23 days, Detroit's Armando Galarraga almost had the solution.

Running a perfect game (as in, no baserunners allowed) through eight full innings and the first two outs of the ninth, Galarraga almost created a remarkable Cinderella story for himself and a remarkable record for MLB.

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?

On June 2nd, 2010, Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game. The first in the Detroit Tiger's illustrious history. 

This 28 year-old native Venezuelan didn't pitch a perfect game, though. At least not according to the record books. 

Jim Joyce, the firstbase umpire that night, called the runner safe. On the last out, in the last inning, of what should have been a perfect game.

Did Armando Galarraga pitch a perfect game or didn't he?  

And if he did, so what else is new? Good for him.

And if he didn't, so what?  The umpire at the plate giveth;  the umpire at first base taketh away.

Yawn.

Next.