Armando Galarraga: Everyone’s New Favorite Baseball Player
by Bailey Brautigan
On Wednesday, Detroit Tigers and Cleveland Indians fans alike felt the devastating blow that was Jim Joyce’s horrible call at first base. Tigers’ pitcher Armando Galarraga was on the verge of making history with what could have been (and most would say should have been) the third perfect game in Major League Baseball this season, but something went terribly wrong. In the top of the ninth inning, veteran umpire Jim Joyce called Indians’ shortstop Jason Donald safe at first base, which ended Galarraga’s perfect game. The worst part? Donald was obviously out.
Fans and players were outraged by Joyce’s mistake, some taking it so far as to create a website with the address FireJimJoyce.com. From sports fans to sports professionals, everyone seemed to have an opinion on the matter. St. Louis Cardinals’ manager Tony La Russa said “I was thinking if the umpire says he made a mistake on replay, I’d call it a no-hitter, perfect game. Just scratch it…” Joyce himself even admitted that he blew the call, giving Galarraga a post-game apology.
Despite all of the attention and disappointment, Galarraga maintained his composure and handled the situation in a dignified, classy way. When asked to comment on Joyce’s call, Galarraga said without spite, “Nobody is perfect.” Both Galarraga and Joyce conducted themselves as true professionals as well as compassionate human beings, and they have set the bar pretty high for the rest of the league. Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig has decided not to reverse the call in order to give Galarraga a perfect game, but he did comment on the “dignity and class” of the entire Tigers organization, saying that the team “embodied sportsmanship.”
Up until this past Wednesday, nobody outside of Detroit knew the name “Armando Galarraga,” but this player now earned himself a spot in sports history. Even though he may not have technically earned himself a perfect game, his conduct and his empathy are much more memorable than any statistic.
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