Ump Ruins Perfection

So the Yankees won today, 9-1, answering back to John's concerns about their offense. But even though I'm a huge Yankee fan, that story doesn't even compare to the one that happened in Detroit.

Armando Gallaraga was on his way to pitching a perfect game when a grounder pulled first baseman Miguel Cabrera to his right. Gallaraga covered first and appeared to get the runner by a step but umpire Jim Joyce called him safe.

Here's the best YouTube video I could find:



There's also a very good video on ESPN's main page showing how blatantly wrong Joyce was. This monumental mistake is going to raise (or lower, I guess, depending on which way you look at it) Joyce to the level of Don Denkinger, who made a similarly poor call in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series. (Yup, as I was writing this, I found the Congrats on Throwing a Perfect Game LOL jk, I'm Jim Joyce page. This is the only one of those stupid "LOL jk" pages I've liked on Facebook besides the one hating on Bennys.)

You have to feel so bad for Galarraga. The range of emotions he went through in those tenths of a second between catching the ball and finding out the call would be enough to make some people break down in tears. There's only been 20 perfect games in the history of the game, and now Galarraga has the distinction of being the person to come closest to throwing one and not (basically because he did, and it was taken away from him).

Now, when something like this happens, inevitably people, like my Syracuse boy Jayson Stark, bring up the instant replay thing. I like instant replay the way it is, home runs and fair/foul. If we start moving onto every play it's going to get too much. I know this call blew, but they can't over react.



Also, in what I am sure will go down as one of the worst-timed retirements ever, Ken Griffey Jr. hung 'em up after 22 seasons in the Majors.


SEE YA!

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Game 105: Yankees at White Sox

YANKEES (62-42)
Jeter SS
Damon LF
Teixeira 1B
Rodriguez DH
Swisher RF
Cano 2B
Cabrera CF
Hairston 3B
Molina C

Pitching: LHP CC Sabathia (10-7, 3.83).

WHITE SOX (54-51)
Podesdnik CF
Beckham 3B
Dye RF
Thome DH
Konerko 1B
Quentin LF
Getz 2B
Nix SS
Castro C

Pitching: LHP Mark Buehrle (11-4, 3.45).

TIME/TV: 2:05 p.m., YES.

Are we home yet?: After a 9-1 homestand, the Yankees are 2-4 on this road trip, that continues Tuesday in Toronto.

He's due for a bad game, right?: Buehrle retired 45 straight batters over his last two starts, one of which was a perfect game. So let's hope the Yankees can get something going against him as the lefty is 1-5, 6.11 against the Yankees, 0-4, 6.91 at Comiskey Park.

Sabathia the Stopper: When you're the ace of the staff, as CC is, it's your job to put an end to long losing streaks. Let's see if he earns his paycheck.

UPDATE 2:12: Jerry Harriston makes a very nice play as the first ball is hit to him in his first game. That always seems to happen in baseball.

UPDATE 2:18: Nice play by the Melk Man, I guess the Yankees decided they are actually going to look sharp today.

UPDATE 2:35: There's a lot of nice defense going on in this game. The Yanks can't be satisfied with this lead, they need to tack on.

UPDATE 3:00: Well, CC just handed that 3-run lead right back to the White Sox.
And as I wrote that, the South siders take the lead.

UPDATE 3:05: Did Johnny Damon just throw someone out or am I seeing things?

UPDATE 3:12: So much for that pitching duel everyone was expecting.

UPDATE 3:30: The Yanks did get to Buehrle, as he is already out of the game. They need to keep pouring on runs here, because it's going to be a battle of the bullpens.

UPDATE 4:00: How do you let a pitcher off the hook, when he walks the bases loaded by not scoring a run?

UPDATE 4:41: Big at-bat here for Hughes with the tying run at the plate.

UPDATE 4:55: Melky Cabrera hits for the cycle. I doubt he has ever run that fast in his life.

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