Robbed Pitcher, Honest Ump Do the Right Thing

(June 3) -- Umpire Jim Joyce's blown call that cost Detroit pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game ignited a firestorm of criticism on the Web. The controversy over Wednesday night's most-talked-about baseball moment has overshadowed the classy way both men responded to what happened.

Galarraga, who'd been brought up from the minor league just a couple of weeks ago, was on the verge of making history -- only the 21st perfect game ever in the majors, the third in a month and the first for the Tigers. He'd retired 26 batters in a row when Cleveland's Jason Donald came to the plate and hit an easy grounder. Video replays showed the throw to first base clearly beat Donald, but Joyce called him safe -- robbing Galarraga of the crucial 27th out and a place in the record books. (Click here to see the video.) The Tigers went on to beat the Indians, 3-0, at Detroit's Comerica Park.

Afterward, the veteran umpire was devastated.

"I just cost that kid a perfect game," Joyce said. "I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay."

In a rare act of contrition for an ump, a teary-eyed Joyce asked to apologize in person to Galarraga -- who hugged him and forgave him.

"He probably feels more bad than me," said the pitcher. "Nobody is perfect. I give a lot of credit to that guy."

Others were not as kind. A website called Fire Jim Joyce popped up almost immediately. Joyce's son reported on Facebook that his dad had received death threats. And in an Internet-age twist on the old "kill the ump" theme, someone edited the Wikipedia page about Joyce to declare him dead.

Elsewhere online, there were pleas for Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig to overturn the call and award a perfect game to Galarraga. Selig has refused to do that, but he promised this afternoon to consider something else many bloggers demanded -- expanding MLB's use of instant replay. Currently, it's only allowed to review questionable home run calls.

Unlike Selig, Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm has no authority over baseball. Even so, she issued a proclamation today declaring that Galarraga pitched a perfect game.

Sport Illustrated's Peter King told the story best within the 140-character limit of Twitter: "What a great moment in Comerica:Jim Joyce apologizes to Galarraga, Galarraga accepts, they hug. Class by Joyce, incredible class by the kid."

Several commentators contrasted Joyce and Galarraga with BP CEO Tony Hayward, who's made a series of cringe-inducing remarks about the oil disaster in the Gulf of Mexico. On Wednesday, Hayward issued an apology on BP America's Facebook page.

"I made a hurtful and thoughtless comment on Sunday when I said that 'I wanted my life back.' When I read that recently, I was appalled. I apologize, especially to the families of the 11 men who lost their lives in this tragic accident. Those words don't represent how I feel about this tragedy..."

In an op-ed for AOL News today, David Fagin pointed to many other recent stories of people trying to dodge blame for their own mistakes and said the world needs more Jim Joyces.

"Our society is living proof that if you don't say you're sorry and take responsibility for your actions, the only thing you can hope to be in life is a multibillionaire, self-made, captain of industry," Fagin wrote.

Flirting with Faith blogger Joan Ball also drew a comparison between BP and the bad call. "In a country that has come to view live-and-let-live as socially polite," she said, people can forget that our actions "have an impact on those around us."

"So, while we need to accept that nobody is perfect, I can't help but think that we sometimes allow that premise to relieve us of responsibility to one another," wrote Ball.

The pitcher and the ump continue to set a responsible example. Both were back at work as the Tigers and Indians played again this afternoon, this time with Joyce behind the plate. Galarraga got a standing ovation as he presented Detroit's lineup card to Joyce and they shook hands. (Chevrolet also presented Galarraga with a red Corvette, which surely helped ease the sting of being denied a perfect game.)

Despite the blown call, Galarraga knows what he accomplished last night. The big-hearted right-hander was asked what he would tell his little boy about the game, according to FanHouse's Jay Mariotti.

"I got a perfect game," Galarraga said. "Maybe it's not in the book, but I'm going to show my son the CD."

If that CD includes the umpire's sincere apology and the pitcher's gracious acceptance, it will be a perfect lesson for a boy growing up in a world where people don't always do the right thing.