The Imperfect Perfect Game

on 06 7, 2010

Last week, I saw the most improbable baseball game I could ever imagine.  It started late Wednesday night, when my brother called me downstairs.  He said, “Some guy from the Tigers has a perfect game through eight.”

Needless to say, I was pretty much shocked.  The amount of perfect games I had seen this year alone doubled the number of perfect games I distinctly remember. A mere twenty days earlier, I declared that Dallas Braden would probably be the worst pitcher to ever throw a perfect game.  Then, I turned my attention to the TV and watched Armando Galarraga (WHO?!?!) attempt to become the third pitcher in less than three weeks to not only accomplish the task, but steal Dallas Braden’s title.

Galarraga pitched and gave up a deep fly ball.  I laughed and immediately thought that bid was over.  Then I laughed even harder when Austin Jackson made one of the most spectacular catches I’d ever seen under the circumstances.  This game was just insane.

I hadn’t watched a single inning before the ninth, and for whatever reason, I had no faith in Galarraga to pitch this game perfectly.  Maybe it was because the commentators were saying things like, “This is Armando Galarraga’s first game past the seventh inning.”  The guy just looked he was too small for the moment.  But, dammit, I was rooting for him.

Out two was a breeze.  One to go.  Deep breath.  Could this guy really do it?  Could Armando Galarraga really do it?

Look, I’m not going to go into detail for what happened in that third out.  We all know what took place.  We know that Indians hitter Jason Donald was not safe; we know that he did not beat the throw; we know that Armando Galarraga should be in the book as a pitcher who somehow pulled off a perfect game.

But he isn’t.   And he shouldn’t be.

Armando Galarraga’s story is an excellent case for implementing instant replay. Baseball is not a game that should solely be relied on the human eye.  Let’s be honest—why should it be?  I’m getting sick of hearing about the “integrity of the game” when it comes to baseball.  Why is baseball any different than any other sport out there?  Baseball gets the in-depth steroid cases, baseball gets no instant replay and baseball has all this “tradition.”  Why?  Why can’t football have “integrity?”  Why does baseball get this weird treatment?  Because it was at one time known as “America’s Past Time?”  I don’t get it.

This is the exact reason why I hope they don’t give that kid a perfect game.  I know he pitched it, Galarraga knows he pitched it, anyone who has seen the footage knows he pitched it.  But the call says he didn’t.  So he didn’t.  If you reverse Galarraga’s perfect game call, then you have to reverse every call that was wrong that effected the outcome of an important game (as a Sabre’s fan, I’m thinking “The No Goal Game).  If Galaraga’s perfect game counts, it’s more fuel in the “integrity of baseball” bullshit fire.

I feel bad for Galarraga, I really do.  I feel bad for Jim Joyce and for the fans of the Detroit Tigers.  But what happened, happened.  And if baseball is going to be a sport that relies on human error—these are the things that are going to happen.  How do you make it up to the victims of this game?  Implement instant replay in baseball.  It’s simple as that.  It’s time.  Baseball is evolving, it’s time to accept it.

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