Bring me the head of Jim Joyce! So says this anonymous critic, who wasted no time breaking into the umpire’s Wikipedia page to register his disgust at that call at first base earlier that denied the Tigers’ Armando Galarraga a perfect game. For a little while — until someone went in and corrected it — Joyce had a date of death, as you can see above. Harsh … but that’s how they do it in the 313.
UPDATE: “This page is currently protected from editing due to vandalism.”
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Galarraga misses out on baseball’s perfect club [NBCSports]
Jim Joyce Wikipedia page
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- Don K Johnson - Jun 3, 2010 at 12:23 AM
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Armando Galarraga did in fact pitch a perfect game even though the record books will not recognize it. The umpire’s bungled call in no way detracts from the fact that Galarraga set down 27 consecutive batters. Only Commissioner Selig can rectify this egregious error. Let’s hope he does so.
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- Fultz - Jun 3, 2010 at 2:07 AM
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I was a baseball fan for some 43 years. But no more after seeing a perfect game nullified by a blind man. Let me know when baseball decides to enter the 21st century and get critical call right by using video reviews.
Bud Selig has damaged baseball beyond repair. It’s a tragedy.
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- Brian - Jun 3, 2010 at 2:22 AM
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This nonsense is why I havent been watching much baseball this year. The umpiring in the playoffs last year was horrible. I am fed up with this horrible clowns. When Selig wants to get serious and start firing these idiots maybe I’ll be a fan again. Start by killing their union and take a lot of their power away. They have way too much power now. They need enough power to do their jobs. That’s all. They have complete power now and are never held accountable. At least not that we ever see. Any punishment dealt out should be out in the public so we know the bad umpires.
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- lucy-chan - Jun 3, 2010 at 4:15 AM
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I’m Venezuelan and BELIEVE ME!…. no one is more pissed off by this than us. Not only because he (the umpire) killed the excellent work that Galarraga did during the game -without mention the fact that this was the first time that a Detroit’s pitcher did something like that-, but also because just as you all stated the major league baseball right now need INNOVATION. until when the amazing plays and games will be ruined by the not so good at all calls of the umpires???… We surely have available the technology to correct that mistakes, so why don’t use it?… i mean, i really understand that it will be a bother using the instant repetition for all the sentences during a game, but at least for major decision “like this ones” it could be of help. For me, and i think for a lot of people this will be a PERFECT GAME even if it isn’t in the books, but what a shame for that umpire who did that to Galarraga and to all the baseball’s fans (even when i understand that at the end he is human and can make mistakes too). I just remember the shocked look in Galarraga’s face who couldn’t even talk back to the umpire at the moment. And finally, I apologize if my English is bad, but i just wanted to express my opinion. best regards from VZLA.
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- Cory - Jun 3, 2010 at 5:13 AM
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Folks, long before he was MLB commish, Bud Selig was slowly but surely destroying any credibility he had by owning an inept baseball team called the Milwaukee Brewers. Bud Selig was the lynchpin behind Miller Park, despite the Brewers’ abysmal record(s) in baseball. In MY mind, they shouldn’t even be a MLB team anymore, but Bud did his best to make sure that the taxpayers of Milwaukee, Waukesha, Ozaukee, and Racine Counties foot the bill for a sub-par baseball team’s new digs so that HE wouldn’t have to. The man is a cancer to MLB, and I’ll tell you right now, there’s no way in Hades that this botched call by Joyce is going to be rectified by Selig. He’s too arrogant to admit that something he’s a part of is screwed up beyond any redemption.
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- Lincoln - Jun 3, 2010 at 6:38 AM
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Apparently, Joyce already admitted his mistake and apologized, which is a class act. Doesn’t make up for the blown call, but it’s still a nice gesture.
As inept as Selig is and even tho’ it’s a travesty, the call has to stand. Do you think Galarraga would want that? “Here’s your perfect game, but it’s awarded by the Commissioner and there’s going to be an asterisk by it for all time.”
Based on the interviews I saw by Galarraga, I don’t think he would want that.
And lucy-chan and the others are right- baseball needs instant replay on things like this Not balls/strikes, but managers should be able to challenge bang-bang plays (and in my mind, this wasn’t even a bang-bang play). Give them a limited number of challenges per game and go from there.
And congratulations, Galarraga! You were dealing.
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- John - Jun 3, 2010 at 8:21 AM
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The blown call was a make-up call. The inning previous he called a Detroit runner safe when replays showed him out and it led to two Tiger runs. He was making amends for that blown call.
This begs another question. If Selig overturns Joyce’s blown call in the ninth, does he also overturn the call in the eighth and reduce Carmona’s ERA?
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- Vince - Jun 3, 2010 at 8:27 AM
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How about that fact that it takes the WHOLE TEAM to HELP a pitcher achieve a perfect game?? I’ve always wondered why the praise goes to the pitcher when in fact it takes the skill and strength of the entire 9 players. Most times, it’s a crazy outfield catch or an awesome stop in the infield with an off balance throw that decides the perfect game. As for video review, get over it!!! This is baseball and saying we need video review is like crying in baseball, you just don’t do that!!
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- oswegosteve - Jun 3, 2010 at 8:34 AM
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As much as I’d LOVE to see baseball overturn last night’s call and give Gallaraga the perfect game we all know he threw, to do so would open up a pandora’s box. If that call gets overturned, do Cardinals fans get the 1985 World Series call overturned and awarded the World Series trophy? Umpires are human and, incorrect calls are going to be part of the game. Jim Joyce is well respected as an umpire by the players. To crucify him for last night’s mistake would be wrong. We need to follow Gallaraga’s lead and act with class and move on. It’s over, it’s a shame, let’s move forward.
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- FULTZ - Jun 3, 2010 at 9:18 AM
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Sorry, buddy, but a TOTALLY PREVENTABLE split-second judgment call mistake by one man (Joyce) should not undo a great and rare accomplishment by a player, or his team as you expressed it.
Selig is a dinosaur, and it’s long since time for baseball to show him the exit door. For baseball to refuse entry into the modern world of technology to get critical calls correct is simply absurd.
I don’t see MLB refusing to use cable and satellite technology to bring the dough rolling in from fans sitting on their couches at home. So, use modern technology to prevent huge mistakes from affecting the outcome of games.
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- Dirk - Jun 3, 2010 at 9:20 AM
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Lincoln,
Not sure how you can say the perfect game would be “awarded by the Commissioner and there’s going to be an asterisk by it for all time”. He pitched a perfect game. Everyone who saw the game or replay saw that (except for an incompetent umpire who should have retired years ago. Really, how do you blow that call???)
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- Karl Dean - Jun 3, 2010 at 10:12 AM
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I doubt the ump intentionally made the wrong call to atone for a bad call the inning before. It is hard to figure, though, after seeing the replay. All I can think is that the ump didn’t think the pitcher’s foot hit the bag in time, and/or maybe his view of the runner’s leg was obstructed, or maybe he choked somehow, affected by the pressure of the situation. In any case, he’s apparently a good ump who made a whopper of a bad call. But in the end, it’s baseball history, and it can’t, and shouldn’t be taken back. As much as fans complain, they/we love it. It’s part of what makes baseball fun, strange as it seems, and I for one don’t want to see more instant replay. Yes, millions of dollars and careers may be at stake, but it’s a GAME. If only people would get as fired up about mistakes that matter, like civilian casualties…
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- KM - Jun 3, 2010 at 12:01 PM
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Verlander pitched a no-hitter in 2007 while playing for the Detroit Tigers.
