Opinion

Armando Galarraga has been robbed of the 21st perfect game in baseball history.

Armando Galarraga just completed a perfect game for the Detroit Tigers, except Jim Joyce made the worst call I, and most likely all Tiger fans have ever seen.

Galarraga retired the first 26 Cleveland Indian batters and faced Jason Donald for his moment in history. Donald hit a weak grounder to first baseman Miguel Cabrera who tossed to Galarraga at first. Joyce called Donald SAFE!

It was a close play but Joyce clearly blew it, and should have got together with the other umpires and got it straight. However, he chose to stick with the WRONG call and ruin history.

Baseball purists cost Armando Galarraga a perfect game.

It's as plain and simple as that.

Oh, don't get me wrong. Jim Joyce blew the call outright on Jason Donald's ground ball to first base with two outs in the ninth inning Wednesday night. He's not without blame.

But it's the baseball purists, who wax nostalgic about World Series games in the afternoon, four-man rotations, and pitchers hitting who are culpable here.

For the first time in his life, Armando Galarraga was ready to put himself into the record books.

Ready to become the 21st man to throw a perfect game, Armando faced 28 batters, all of them failing to reach base. Until, second to last batter ( unfortunately), reaches base safely on a base hit, but what should have been the third out of the inning.

Umpire Jim Joyce clearly missed the call, which has brought the entire MLB world in shock and anger.

Let me say this—I am not a Detroit Tigers fan, but I am a baseball fan. And that is why the game I just watched left an angry and deflated feeling inside of me.

Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was throwing a perfect game. Keep in mind, Phillies pitcher Roy Halladay threw one just a few days ago.

So I tuned in to the ninth inning on ESPN. The first batter of the inning hit a deep fly ball that I thought would fall. It fell, but into the CF's Austin Jackson's glove. Whew. Then came the second batter of the inning—ground ball.

Eight and two—thirds perfect innings.

Everyone agrees it is that 27th out that is the hardest. There was Jason Donald hitting a slow roller to first and hustling down the line.

Armando Galarraga beat him to the bag. He knew it. Miguel Cabrera celebrated. Jason Donald knew he'd been thrown out.

But, Jim Joyce, the first base umpire, saw it differently.

And, sadly, to the history books that is all that matters. 

The game just ended and if you haven't heard what happened to Armando Galarraga yet, I'd be shocked. 

As Detroit Tiger Miguel Cabrera ranged to his right for a ground ball, pitcher Armando Galarraga rushed to cover first for the final out in what would complete a perfect game.

Except first base umpire Jim Joyce had other plans.

Although replays appeared to show that Cabrera's throw to Galarraga beat Cleveland Indians baserunner Jason Donald to the bag, Joyce saw differently.

And just like that, the second perfect game in five days vanished.

The perfect game. It's a beautiful thing. It's a historic moment. It's every pitcher's dream. And Wednesday night, that dream was crushed in the worst possible fashion.

It was perhaps the worst call in the history of Major League Baseball. Jim Joyce, a veteran umpire with over 22 years of service, blew a call that would have made history.

Detroit's Armando Galarraga was a step away from becoming the 21st pitcher in MLB history—and the third this season—to throw a perfect game.

What a season.

There have already been two perfect games thrown this year, in the same month, by a pitcher that you would have never expected it from and by a pitcher who we all expected it from sooner or later.

On June 2, in a game against the Cleveland Indians, Armando Galarraga had the chance to make baseball history. History that would have etched his name in the most prestigious of record books as the 21st pitcher to throw a perfect game in baseball history, and the third this year.

Don't mess with perfection... unless perfection has already been messed with.

Bud Selig must look at the tape, overturn the ninth inning call made by first base umpire Jim Joyce and award the 21st perfect game in major league history to Armando Antonio Galarraga.

The 28-year old Tigers right hander dealt the Cleveland Indians eight flawless innings before taking the mound in Detroit with only Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Redmond and Jason Donald standing between him and history.