I am so glad that I was at my son’s baseball game last Wednesday night, instead of watching the Tigers vs. Indians game. I can only imagine my nerves pulsating during the 9th inning as I paced around my man cave. I see myself jumping up and down as Armando Galarraga, pitcher for the Detroit Tigers, closed in on his perfect game out by out. I can visualize myself calling my best friend, Dave, to see if he was watching the game so I could enjoy the perfect game moment with a true Tigers fan. And it happens. Jason Donald, Cleveland Indians player, hits Galarraga’s pitch towards Tigers second baseman, Carlos Guillen, only for Miguel Cabrera, Tigers first baseman, to intercede on the play. He scoops it up and throws it to Galarraga hustling to cover first base. Galarraga makes the catch right before Donald touches the base. And he is? Safe! I would have lost it! But instead, I caught the replay on Sportscenter the next morning, so it didn’t hurt too much.
My first thought after seeing the play was how could the umpire blow such an easy routine call? I reviewed the play from all angles, but I still could not understand how he missed that out call. I was dismayed about the call, but then I heard the voice of the infamous umpire, Jim Joyce, as he admitted to blowing Galarraga’s perfect game. The sound of despair resonated in each word of his apology. His remorse was genuine and heartfelt and was moving to the human spirit. But the astounding moment of the night was not the botched call or the emotional apology. It was the “What Would Jesus Do?” reaction that Galarraga displayed after seeing the umpire call Donald safe and snatch his no-hitter/perfect game from him along with his heart. His ability to remain calm in a situation, the average man would have gone berserk in, was one of class and poise. It was clear that everyone present would have committed a first degree felony on Jim Joyce if they could have gotten away with it, but Galarraga simply remained stoic.
His sportsmanship outweighed his perfect game and has left an impression on millions of people of how to handle adversity with a positive attitude. For all the people that were watching the game live and for those of us who just saw the highlights on the news or Sportscenter, we should all remember his reaction when we encounter an unjust situation whether in a sporting event or in our daily lives. He showed that you can control your attitude in the face of adversity. And for his reward he received a Chevrolet Corvette from General Motors. But what about making a wrong situation right? Like an old cliché saying-“This is a job for Bud Selig!”
I just knew that once the commissioner (Bud Selig) reviewed the play, he would step in and overturn the decision. But I was wishful thinking. After reviewing the botched call he decided that overturning it would not be the appropriate move. His excuse was that baseball has always had the human element as part of the game. So what! And umpires have been making bad calls for years, but this call was egregious. In a sporting world full of corruption, this erroneous call leaves a lasting impression on all fans, not just baseball ones. Really, think about it. What should a parent say to his/her kid about why they didn’t make this situation right? As a kid I was taught that if you do the right thing you will be rewarded and that if you do something wrong, you should make it right. Obviously, Selig needs to talk to my mother.
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