The moment is etched in baseball history.
Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga runs over to cover first base for the 27th out in his thus-far perfect game, except it didn't happen.
Umpire Jim Joyce threw his arms wide, calling the runner safe. Replay clearly showed the runner was out. Joyce later apologized for the blown call.
Galarraga struggled after the "28-out perfect game," being demoted to Triple-A Toledo for a time, and finishing the year with 1-7 record and a 4.52 ERA in his final 15 starts with the Tigers.
In January, Armando got a fresh start in Phoenix, but things soured quickly in the desert. In eight starts with Arizona Diamondbacks Galarraga went 3-4 with a 5.91 ERA.
Today, he's laboring with the Triple-A Reno Aces. Galarraga really is slogging it out: 0-1 record, 11.00 ERA, given up 16 hits it two starts, and has 8 K's to 9 walks.
At 29-years-old, Galarraga has some time to turn it around.
But no matter what else happens in Galarraga's career, and right now it doesn't look like much, June 2, 2010, will be remembered forever.
Good or bad, not every ball player is immortal.
1 comment:
Wow, what a rough go for this guy following the 28-out masterpiece. One of these days, maybe if this kind of thing happens in the playoffs, baseball will figure out the instant replay piece that is missing from today's game. I am a traditionalist for the most part, but with all the HD equipment that MLB uses, I think it's time. It's kind of sad when every fan and the umpire know the right call, but there's no way to use replay to overturn it.
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