Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Damn shame

[url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/recap?gameId=300602106]Cleveland Indians vs. Detroit Tigers - Recap - June 02, 2010 - ESPN[/url]

on a related note, potentially three perfect games in one season (and it's only the first week of June)! Crazy

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Yeah read about that. Between the blown call last night in the Nats v. Astros game where Matt Capps got a blown save because the official ruled Berkman had a checked swing and the next throw Berkman had a two run walkoff single, and this guy ruining a perfect game (I looked at the pics and it definitely looks like he's out to me) I'm getting tired of officials messing up the game.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

This has got to be the umpire equivalent of dropping a fly-ball in the World Series. Almost feel bad for the dope.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Mistakes happen though. It sucks, but props to the umpire for owning up to it and admitting his mistake and to Galarraga for his accomplishment and dignity afterward

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

[quote=mooby;704580]Yeah read about that. Between the blown call last night in the Nats v. Astros game where Matt Capps got a blown save because the official ruled Berkman had a checked swing and the next throw Berkman had a two run walkoff single, and this guy ruining a perfect game (I looked at the pics and it definitely looks like he's out to me) I'm getting tired of officials messing up the game.[/quote]

Yeah well the Nats lost that game too. So that actually ended meaning something in the long run. What an asstastic call that was. If that isn't a swinging strike I don't know what is. Hell the plate ump should have called it.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Umps have been having a bad month, from Joe West turning the White Sox/Rays game into a circus act featuring himself and then screwing up in the Jays/Rays game a week later to many other bad calls...now this?

Joe West just needs to be suspended for trying to promote himself (separate issue) , but this latest bad call should finally be the straw that breaks the Commissioner's back regarding instant replay. Even if they allow limited challenges like the NFL, they could save games and umpire's reputations.

There are prominent umpires in favor of it. Selig seems to be the only one blocking it.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

As I said before, the MLB needs to start fining umps when they do things like this. I can understand bang-bang plays because face it, those are hard to tell and human error can come into play on that.

When you have clear outs, such as the out last night in the game, the guy swinging across home plate by a good foot and called no swing, players being tagged before hitting the base and being ruled safe, I think something needs to be done and I only see fines being a reasonable choice.

The Nationals have lost a good 8 games because of the umping this season.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Not much of a baseball fan, but would this work?

JPosnanski

Interesting thought by reader: Bud's not changing Galarraga call. But what about changing score from H to E to at restore no-hitter? 3 minutes ago via web

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

I just made this.

[img]http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/283/tigers.gif[/img]

Reaction to blown call in perfect game.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

[quote=mooby;704580]Yeah read about that. Between the blown call last night in the Nats v. Astros game where Matt Capps got a blown save because the official ruled Berkman had a checked swing and the next throw Berkman had a two run walkoff single, and this guy ruining a perfect game (I looked at the pics and it definitely looks like he's out to me) I'm getting tired of officials messing up the game.[/quote]

well i havent seen a replay of berkmans check swing but there is no set written rule of what is considered a swing. i believe that the standard is "whether the player offered at the pitch". i always thought it was if you bat gets square to home plate.

insaneboost - over 162 games, bad ump calls get evened out by the end of the season.

i feel real bad for jim joyce. galaraga or however you spell his name had a very respectful response and reaction. kudos to him.

changing the play from a hit to an error is a damn interesting solution. novel and unique.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

[quote=Buster;704718]I just made this.

[img]http://img8.imageshack.us/img8/283/tigers.gif[/img]

Reaction to blown call in perfect game.[/quote]

I don't know whats funnier, his reaction changing or the nut grab.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

I like the way everyone has handled themselves in this. Nobody is crying foul, the ump owned up to his mistake, I think there's some valuable lessons to be learned in all of this. It's a game played by humans, umped by humans, etc. Mistakes are gonna happen. It's sucks that a mistake happened in such a crucial time no doubt, but that's life.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

[quote=InsaneBoost;704672]As I said before, the MLB needs to start fining umps when they do things like this. I can understand bang-bang plays because face it, those are hard to tell and human error can come into play on that.

When you have clear outs, such as the out last night in the game, the guy swinging across home plate by a good foot and called no swing, players being tagged before hitting the base and being ruled safe, I think something needs to be done and I only see fines being a reasonable choice.

The Nationals have lost a good 8 games because of the umping this season.[/quote]
I agree. Players are held accountable for their performances and so should officials. Replay needs to be enacted in more cases in baseball as well. As slow as the pace is they could easily check it on replay before the next pitch would be thrown anyways in most cases.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

heard a story coming in to work today. apparently an ump admitted that during a world series game back in the day he widened the strike zone for henson (idk i forgot the pitcher) b/c he wanted to see henson pitch a perfect game in the WS. now thats some BS.

this, man, joyce must feel horrible.

reminds me of the WS last year where a player was called out at 2nd but the damn yankee player never had his foot on 2nd base. surprised that play didnt make mlb intoduce replay to plays outside of fair or foul. this play certainly should.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

did I mention I hate baseball:

Adam_Schefter

Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said he will not change the umpire's call, it will not be a perfect game, live with it. Baseball. 10 minutes ago via web

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

[quote=over the mountain;704746]heard a story coming in to work today. apparently an ump admitted that during a world series game back in the day he widened the strike zone for henson (idk i forgot the pitcher) b/c he wanted to see henson pitch a perfect game in the WS. now thats some BS.

this, man, joyce must feel horrible.

reminds me of the WS last year where a player was called out at 2nd but the damn yankee player never had his foot on 2nd base. surprised that play didnt make mlb intoduce replay to plays outside of fair or foul. this play certainly should.[/quote]

you can tell how stuff like this happens in extra inning and other marathon games.. strike zones get much larger as the umps get tired/bored

or the infamous NBA playoff extensions where calls go almost all one way depending who needs to win the game to extend the series, etc

I bet if they really got into it and some didn't mind baring all we'd hear a lot of disgusting stories like this

I think that I've mentioned it on here before but a guy I know who was an ACC football ref was told to "not make it easy" when VT entered the conference

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Did I just hear that right on ESPN? That the commissioner agrees it was a bad call, has the power to change the call and isn't going to!

ARE YOU KIDDING ME!

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

[quote=Mattyk;704730]I like the way everyone has handled themselves in this. Nobody is crying foul, the ump owned up to his mistake, I think there's some valuable lessons to be learned in all of this. It's a game played by humans, umped by humans, etc. Mistakes are gonna happen. It's sucks that a mistake happened in such a crucial time no doubt, but that's life.[/quote]

Totally agree. This is a really solid read from ESPN.com:

[url=http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5246454]Jim Joyce returns to work as MLB decides whether to review blown call that costs Armando Galarraga of Detroit Tigers perfect game - ESPN[/url]

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

[quote=GMScud;704790]Totally agree. This is a really solid read from ESPN.com:

[URL="http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/news/story?id=5246454"]Jim Joyce returns to work as MLB decides whether to review blown call that costs Armando Galarraga of Detroit Tigers perfect game - ESPN[/URL][/quote]

[quote]Joyce showed up to work Thursday looking as if he hadn't slept. He appreciated the outpouring of support from umpires, family and friends but lamented strangers lashing out at his wife and children.


"I wish my family was out of this," Joyce said, holding back tears as he spoke nearly two hours before the Indians-Tigers series finale. "I wish they would direct it all to me. It's a big problem. My wife is a rock. My kids are very strong. They don't deserve this."
[/quote]This is where shit gets way out of hand to me. It's a f'ing baseball game. The losers that are lashing out at his wife and kids are absolutely pathetic and need a serious reality check.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

@FRPLG - Yeah I was pretty disappointed it ended in a loss as well but as long as the season doesn't come down to a one loss and we're out of the playoff hunt kinda thing I won't be too upset. I was more pissed at how horrible the call was, Berkman had his bat a foot over the plate, I mean really? A bat that far over the plate is not a successful checked swing.

@OTM: I can agree with that. But if instant replay gets expanded I'd like to see it expanded so that pretty much any bad call can be reviewed. Go the NFL route and give the managers 2 challenges to a bad call a game, and a third if both are correct. It won't happen but I'd like to see it happen.

@Matty: Definitely agree about how the situation was handled. Everything was classy all around except for how Selig dismissed it like it shouldn't even be a question. Props to Joyce for admitting it like a man and props to Galarraga for staying classy about it. If it was a big ego'd pitcher that it had happened to I'm sure his comments would've been in bad taste. And I also agree that people that attack his wife and kids really need some serious help. I understand that it would've been huge if it had happened but at the end of the day the kid will have plenty more chances to have the stars align and have another perfect game but attacking a man's wife and kids really shows how pathetic some people really are.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Selig has completely over-welcomed his stay as MLB Commissioner. And while I don't agree how he dismissed it as trivial, I do agree that you do not overrule the call. That becomes a slippery slope if he overturns it, as more and more teams and fans call for more and more calls to be overturned.

While it sucks for Galarraga, like mooby said, this kid will have plenty of chances to shine. He may never pitch a perfect game, but he can take comfort in the fact that the umpire owned up to it and knows he made the wrong call. And while that's not much to hang your hat on at the end of the day, as Matty points out, it's a human game, played by humans and determined by humans. Error in judgment has always been part of the game, and will continue to be so.

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

Guess some people don't seem to agree that there's some positive value in the way all parties handled it

[YT]Xc2xs7POefg[/YT]

Re: Umpire's Gaffe Costs Tigers' Pitcher Perfect Game
 

watching it again and again. the play was closer than it appeared to me at first sight. while the pitcher def caught the ball as he was running over to cover first before the runner touched 1st base, the pitcher then had to get his foot on the bag.

so when the pitcher caught the ball wasnt the moment to compare to when the runner touched first, the moment to freeze frame and compare was when the pitchers foot touched 1st base vs the baserunner's.

in slow mo and freeze frame the guy was out but it was a closer bang-bang play than i (and probably others) thought initially.

moody - i could see baseball going the college football route with regard to instant replay. if theres a close play, a guy upstairs will review it and buzz down if he thinks it should be over turned. no delay. besides on close plays the opposing teams manager is going to come out and argue for next 5 mins anyway.