The Song Fight Bulletin Board

I just watched one of the most heart-breaking sports moments I've ever seen.

Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers just pitched a perfect game. But the jackass umpire at first base blew the call on the final out of the game, awarding the runner first base when he was clearly out. This would have been only the 21st perfect game in history, but the third in the last couple of weeks. It was just devastating to watch.

That must be why my friend just posted this to Facebook: "Maybe MLB should expand the use of instant replay. I'm so mad right now."

Umpiring in MLB is laughable right now.

I didn't see it until later, but that was a ridiculously bad call. He was a whole step away from the bag when the ball got there. Perhaps instant replay will get more support now.
I thought it would be reasonable to award the guy a perfect game for his records, but give the other dude the hit also. But my wife says baseball people are too particular about stats for that sort of munging to be considered ok.
-bill

I feel your pain, Frank. My gawd, I about popped a blood vessel!

What sucks is this is the pinnacle of the man's career. We're not talking about whether or not a random ball is a home run or not (which is grounds for instant replay under the current rules); we're talking about history and, in the case of this young pitcher, maybe the difference between making $435K (his current salary) and making millions next year. He and his team were perfect; the officiating was not. How is that fair?

It sucks... but they can't do anything about it. It would open a HUGE can of worms if they called it back because the same night (or the night before?) a guy was called safe on a forced out at second base and went around to score and win the game... if the Perfect Game call got reversed, that game would have to be reversed to... and where do you stop? Maybe next year they can write a rule. I know it sucks, but you can't just change things now.

Anyhow... I stopped watching baseball when Sid Bream was called SAFE at home plate and the Pirates were eliminated from the Playoffs. Fuck Sid Bream! Instant replay! Let's call that one back!

ujnhunter wrote:It sucks... but they can't do anything about it. It would open a HUGE can of worms...

Yes, I've heard this argument many times over the last several days and my response is this: it would open a single-size serving of worms. We can all agree that the next time someone throws a perfect game and the umpire at first misses the call and the outcome of the game is unchanged and the umpire later admits the mistake, we can change that result too. You don't have to go back and reverse every bad call ever made. That's a bullshit argument. (I mean this lovingly...)

ujnhunter wrote: Anyhow... I stopped watching baseball when Sid Bream was called SAFE at home plate and the Pirates were eliminated from the Playoffs. Fuck Sid Bream! Instant replay! Let's call that one back!

Are you a Pirates fan? Because that would make two of us and I think we would be exceeding the limit for this message board. I have hated the Braves for almost twenty years now. I will never forget. NEVER!

frankie big face wrote:

ujnhunter wrote:It sucks... but they can't do anything about it. It would open a HUGE can of worms...

Yes, I've heard this argument many times over the last several days and my response is this: it would open a single-size serving of worms. We can all agree that the next time someone throws a perfect game and the umpire at first misses the call and the outcome of the game is unchanged and the umpire later admits the mistake, we can change that result too. You don't have to go back and reverse every bad call ever made. That's a bullshit argument. (I mean this lovingly...)

I'm not talking about reversing every bad call ever made, but there were TWO blown calls in the same night... and one call led to the VICTORY of one team over the other which is the GOAL of playing baseball. If you reverse the one call, why wouldn't you reverse the other? So we only reverse calls if there is a Perfect Game on the line? Tell that to the losing team. (I mean this lovingly too, as I really have no interest in baseball at all... I'm a hockey man.)

frankie big face wrote:

ujnhunter wrote: Anyhow... I stopped watching baseball when Sid Bream was called SAFE at home plate and the Pirates were eliminated from the Playoffs. Fuck Sid Bream! Instant replay! Let's call that one back!

Are you a Pirates fan? Because that would make two of us and I think we would be exceeding the limit for this message board. I have hated the Braves for almost twenty years now. I will never forget. NEVER!

Yes, well... If I still watched baseball I would be a Pirates fan... I said I stopped watching after that game... which is probably not quite true... as I probably stopped watching once all my favorite players were no longer Pirates... Andy Van Slyke, Barry Bonds, Bobby Bonilla (probably misspelling some of these...) and yes I too hated the Braves with all my little heart. :\