The relative calm at the ballpark contrasted with the international debate that took place overnight and through the afternoon, as baseball fans nationwide took to Twitter, Facebook, the Web and talk radio to argue about Joyce’s call.
El Universal, a newspaper in Galarraga’s native Venezuela reported on the controversy in an article with the headline, “Jim Joyce Robó a Armando Galarraga”
On television shows like “The View,” hosts discussed Galarraga’s calm acceptance of Joyce’s call, while Joyce’s apology to Galarraga received equal attention. On a radio program in Detroit, scores of fans called in to discuss whether baseball needed an emergency “Galarraga rule,” allowing expanded instant replay on close calls. Major league officials said Thursday that they were reviewing Joyce’s decision.
“As governor, I’m issuing a proclamation declaring Galarraga pitched a perfect game,” Michigan’s outgoing governor, Jennifer M. Granholm, tweeted after the game ”” and followed up Thursday.
One of the worst calls I have ever seen.
There are ways to deal with this without ruining baseball.
For myself, I think the best way is to give teams one or two appeals (for video replay) a game; maybe one for regular season game and two for the playoffs.
Where was the third base umpire on this play? Home plate? The failure is the umpire team’s. It was a bad call.
Bad calls, no matter how bad, are part of the game. If the umpire said it happened that way, it did. (even if it didn’t)
I don’t agree that the call is all that clear. A key question I can’t resolve is: did the pitcher first touch the bag with his heel or his toe?
The broadcast video shows an instant which seems to show the pitcher’s foot on the bag while the runner is still a yard away. But it’s not clear to me that the pitcher’s foot really is on the bag yet. His heel seems to rebound a bit from hitting the bag – but that could also be him extending his toe to try to touch the bag more quickly.
Joyce’s angle makes it easier to see when the pitcher’s foot hits the bag than when the runner’s foot hits the bag. The first base side replay angle, which is what we see, is the reverse.
I’d like to see video from Joyce’s angle (which probably doesn’t exist). I bet the play looked a lot closer.
This link below gives another interesting view of the play. Unfortunately the home plate umpire obscures view of it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xuRPMhqJTXw&NR=1
Close call. Sometimes you get them, sometimes not. Home team with a perfect game on the line, the pitcher should have had a gimme, so in that sense it was a blown call, but at any other point in that game or some other one who’da cared?
As far as reviewing instant replays I’m with JustOneVoice in post #3. Why even bother having umps? Just call every play from the reviewing booth or take a poll of the fans or viewers. The calls are part of the game…or at least they used to be.
It was all the more ironic because Galarraga made the play at first himself, so he immediately knew the runner was out. But I was impressed that he behaved like a real sportsman and gentleman, he just smiled and didn’t get in an argument with the ump about the call. Galarraga ranks pretty high in my book.
Also, watch the runner and how he reacts. The runner also knew he was out. I wonder if it would have made a difference if the runner had immediately approached the umpire and told him that he had been thrown out? I would like to think that’s what I would have done, but who knows.
I agree with Frank DeFord. Commissioner Selig should overrule the umpire and give Galarraga his perfect game.
As calls go that was not even close. A full stride on the runner. The throw is to the front of the base. Just a bad, bad call. Should it be overturned now? No.