On a day in sports where Ken Griffey, Jr. announces his retirement from baseball after 22 seasons, the talk is all about 22-year veteran umpire Jim Joyce.
So what feat did Mr. J achieve to put his unrecognizable name atop headline sports news? He simply made a human mistake; a big one.
His mistake cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfectly pitched game and a footnote in the history of Major League Baseball.
• Armando Galarraga of the Tigers lost his bid for a perfect game with two outs in the ninth inning on a call that first base umpire Jim Joyce later admitted he blew. First baseman Miguel Cabrera cleanly fielded Jason Donald's grounder to his right and made an accurate throw to Galarraga covering the bag. The ball was there in time but Joyce signaled the runner safe.
You can imagine how all the baseball enthusiasts who've been screaming for "instant replay" are using this unfortunate incident as a springboard for their cause. It appears that MLB is looking into a review of the play and may reverse the call.
In the meantime, umpire Jim Joyce should not be made a "whipping boy" for blowing the call. He's admitted his error and has more than apologized to Galarraga and fans. It is Major League Baseball who find themselves on trial today for not implementing a rule or review that would correct the human errors made in the game. Court is in session!
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