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The imperfect game

Love him or hate him, I have to agree with what Bud Selig did. By not overturning Jim Joyce’s admittedly blown call, Selig stood behind the game of baseball itself and its traditions. Could you imagine the floodgates that would open if blown calls could be overturned a day after a game was completed? It would wreak havoc on the game where the final word is supposed to be made on field, by the trusted eyes of the umpires.

Umpires, this will damage their reputation horribly, but it has brought to light a very strong argument to institute some form of instant replay that’s not just limited to questionable home runs. These bang-bang plays at first or determining if a runner touched the base/plate are sometime tricky to see or judge properly and, as Joyce evidenced, sometimes they need some help. This blown call could usher in a whole new era of baseball with higher technology. And that’s a spectacular thing.

As for Armando Galarraga, it’s not hard to feel sorry for him. He may have been the third pitcher this season and second this week to do it, but pitching a perfect game is still one of the rarest feats in all of sports. Galarraga’s would have been the 21st ever. But now, the poor Detroit Tigers’ hurler will simply be an asterisk – at best  – in the history book.

20* perfect games in MLB history.

*-Detroit’s Armando Galarraga retired 26 consecutive hitters, then umpire Jim Joyce blew an easy call at first base. Galarraga retired the next batter.

Sad, isn’t it?

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