Tag: Bud Selig

Here’s a Wakeup Call For Bud Selig: Expand Instant Replay in MLB

When an umpire blows a call to stifle Detroit’s Armando Galarraga and the 21st perfect game in major league history, hijacking and wrecking much of an impeccable mark in sports, then we assume that a fraudulent sport may be rigged or even the worst call in Major League Baseball history.

Upon glancing at instant replay, veteran umpire Jim Joyce blundered a call when he ruled Cleveland’s Jason Donald safe with two out in the ninth inning of a near-perfect conclusion.

There’s no reason to argue that it was one of the worst calls ever, an error on an umpire who rarely botches a decisive play at first base.

The best way to describe an erroneous misunderstanding is that Joyce was confounded and certainly hadn’t noticed a mistaken call that would have been overturned if the majors extended and enforced instant replay.

It’s certainly a modernized and a refined game, unlike 20 years ago when the development of technology was limited, including DVR or review booths.

But now, a foolish and heavy discussion is heard quite often in the majors, regarding gaffes that ruin integrity and pride within a sport once known as a well-respected event.

It’s clear that baseball is stuck in usual turmoil, on the brink of destruction, whether it relates to asinine walk-off celebrations, performance-enhancers, or poor calls.

These days, we point our fingers at commissioner Bud Selig, the unsettled man in charge of the shame that has ruptured the reputation of baseball.

He hasn’t been a strict enforcer or advocate in declaring instant replay, and refused to institute it for debatable home run shots that normally resulted in disputable evidence.

He’s the biggest embarrassment in sports, failing to take pride and stricter measures in an unhinged league, and allows players so much latitude.

And what has happened over the years is that players’ insidious nature tricked and deceived Selig, a man in denial of imposing stricter boundaries for shams and con artists who are disloyal and violate the drug policy by using performing-enhancing drugs to improve their performance level.

If he has yet to declare reliable drug testing, then what makes you think he’ll demand instant reviews of a mistaken call?

Indeed, it was costly and humiliatingly, an awful call Wednesday night, perhaps a bad one we’ll never forget as Galarraga was on pace for recording perfection.

The problem hatching in baseball remains whether the calls are accurate or inaccurate, but the only way to determine the proper outcome is by remodeling tradition a bit and expanding the use of instant replay.

This lingering issue is beyond simplicity, but outrageous in such a way that baseball refuses to employ technology. It’s surprising that he had sense enough to insist he’d deliberate on expanding instant replay to eliminate blown calls.

It’s never too late to contemplate on rectifying a continuing crisis, but eventually he must awaken and snap out of his absent-minded habits to virtually avoid misunderstood ruling that can change the dynamics of a game.

He should be aware that umpires aren’t perfect in getting the calls correct, and if the game happens to be on the line, it may cost a club a much-needed win.

The human errors rationalize that Joyce has a tougher task, making sure calls are perfect as possible to grasp a consensus proposal as to which player is treated fairly and earns a moderate call.

If baseball utilizes replay more regularly, the average no-call would be corrected as most would be reversed and ruled out, while others would indicate that he outran the late throw, advancing to first base safely without needing to guess whether he made it safely or fell short of beating the out.

Maybe this is something Selig could consider to lessen the incompatible observations, mangling the beauty of baseball.

Between the episodes of steroids battering the league and instant replay expansions, the majors have a greater dilemma, currently taking away the gratifying aspects of possible no-hitters, perfect games, or even worst a probable win.

For all the plights, this may either inflict Selig to endorse and adore the availability of review booths and big screen televisions, which provides evidence in subsequently rescinding an implausible call, akin to the horrendous call that Joyce presumed was the right call.

In what was a disastrous judgment, it delayed a historic milestone and stopped Galarraga’s perfect outing on the mound.

He wasn’t sagacious in a regular-season event, but instead was obtuse in realizing he cost Galarraga a chance to engrave a page in the history book, all because a call wasn’t reversed in the expense of his relentless location and command on the mound to secure a 3-0 win.

In contrast, other leagues accept the availability of technology that has taken over the modern age.

But it’s obvious that Mr. Selig is comfortable with constituting his own rules and still lives in the old school days.

In other words, he likes having it his way. If he wanted, he’ll be a suitable CEO in running Burger King, a fast food corporation in which he could have it his way.

If he wishes to reestablish credibility within a battered league or attract a large audience to once again be intrigued to a commonplace sport, then in relation to the other leagues, he needs to insert instant replay and modernize the game.

Long ago, the NFL instituted instant replay after lingering debates caused much hysteria, eventually grasping a clear understanding that human error sabotaged fate as a majority of the calls were ruled as indisputable evidence.

What? That’s similar to what the majors are confronting, doomed of all the unsure and botched errors.

Maybe one day, Selig will wake up and smell the steaming coffee.

But he hasn’t awakened from his long years of rest, still asleep on the job without waking up and realizing the league is affronting a terrible nightmare.

It’s obvious that he needs a wakeup call.

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Is It Time For Bud Selig To Step Down As Commisioner?

Even though Bud Selig holds the power to reverse the call made by Jim Joyce that cost Armando Galarraga his perfect game, the Commissioner has decided to uphold the call.

Even after the whole nation witnessed the botched call, along with some within the baseball community called for the change immediately after it occurred, Selig easily hid behind his official press release that said he would examine the umpiring system and look into expanding the instant replay system.

We did not even find out that Selig had made his decision regarding the call until an anonymous MLB official confirmed it to the Associated Press.

The Commissioner’s response to this latest controversy has me thinking that it is finally time for someone new to come in and take charge of the MLB.

I am not just saying this just because I am an angry Tigers fan (which I am). I am saying this because Selig does not have perfect track record.

After the 2001 World Series, Selig, along former Montreal Expos owner Jeffery Loria, were sued for racketeering and conspiring to deliberately defraud the Expos minority owners. This case would eventually be settled outside of court with the help of one of mans greatest weakness: money

Of course the Steroid Era has stained my perception of the Commissioner. He implemented the current steroid policy, banning the use of performance enhancing drugs in 2005. This was a little too late when the Mitchell report released in 2007 listed 89 players who used performance enhancing drugs.

Now in the wake of the latest controversy, Selig is finally looking to expand instant replay reexamine calls that are made on the base paths, which should have been an addition when instant replay was first introduced to baseball.

Had Selig and other MLB officials did this, Galarraga would have the 21st perfect game in MLB history, the third in the 2010 season, and a new record it occurring 4 days after Roy Halladay’s gem. Jim Joyce and his family would not facing the threats that they have received, and everyone in America would be happy to see a deserving player succeed.

 

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Imperfect Joyce: How Bud Selig’s Simple Dismissal Affects Everyone

How Bud Selig Has Simply Ignored Everyone’s Call for Reversal, How America’s Most Troubled City (and everyone else) Has Embraced an Understandable Failure, and How This Has Turned into One of the Better Baseball Stories in American History

 

First, let’s send a memo out to those who are, or who will be, thrust into the negative national spotlight in the near future.

It contains two simple words.

Man-up.

Act like Jim Joyce.

When you screw up, look at the evidence, admit that you are wrong, and apologize. Of course, a few tears don’t hurt.

Sincerity goes a long way, folks, and Jim Joyce’s simple sincerity has quite possibly saved his future as an umpire.

Ken Burns said it best when he was interviewed by Kieth Olbermann on Thursday. “This is an amazing story, and that’s what I’m interested in. The magnanimity of Galarraga, the sort of honesty and courage of Joyce, everybody sort of coming together, makes it one of those classic human baseball stories.”

This is a fantastic story because of the immediate reactions; the disbelief of the players and fans, the resilience of Joyce, the emotion shown by Armando Galarraga, Jim Leyland, and Miguel Cabrera just after the play—and as the game continued, Cabrera seen jawing at Joyce between every pitch—and finally the pure, honest admittance by Joyce as soon as he saw the replay.

This is a fantastic story because of the immediate aftermath; the media was all over the story, it was headlined by nearly every major news site all through the next night and into Thursday, and still is on MLB.com, ESPN.com, and YAHOO.com Friday morning.

This is a fantastic story because of how it was handled by those directly involved; Jim Joyce seen crying as he accepted the Detroit Tiger’s lineup card from Armando Galarraga, who received a new Corvette courtesy of GM, was recognized by Michigan’s Governor for pitching a perfect game, and through everything has shown no anger or ill will.

 

Sure, Joyce screwed up.

Big time.

In fact, looking at all of this information over the last day; the blogs, photos, video, and constant headlined coverage over the Internet, I think his decision might have been the biggest blown call of all-time, thanks to the circumstance and the direct impact of the play.

But, if you listen to his comments after the game, how can you blame him? How can you look at him with anger?

You feel his pain and regret just as you feel for Armando Galarraga, a beleaguered pitcher who has never really figured the big leagues out, until Wednesday night, that is.

You feel for the Detroit Tigers, who played their hearts out for their pitcher, and you feel bad for the Detroit fans (hey, I’m one of them) who live in the most troubled city in America; who have battled through company failures (Ford, Chrysler, GM), unemployment spikes (nearly 30 percent in many places and still growing), horrifying crimes (Aiyana Jones ) , corrupt politicians (Kwame Kilpatrick), and national criticism, for the last several years.

When this happened, how could you not think; well, it’s Detroit, Mich. what luck do they have?

We don’t. We have no luck.

I watched the game live on FSN Detroit from the start, and then, began ignoring everything else in my life after the seventh inning. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.

Literally. Could. Not. Believe. It.

Here we had a pitcher who really was the last pitcher anyone thought would ever throw a no-hitter, much less a perfect game; we had a team that had lost eight of their last 10 games; we had a game where only 17,738 people showed up on a Wednesday night, after a day of horribly, muggy, rainy weather.

This was not Mother’s Day. This was not a game started by Roy Halladay. In fact, this was not a game that was started by a member of Detroit’s opening day roster.

This was not supposed to happen.

But roughly an hour and a half after the first pitch, Joyce blew the perfect call and what followed is simply going to be etched into sports, and really, American history.

To hear the emotion of Tiger’s color commentator, Rod Allen cry out, “Why is he safe? Oh, my goodness, Jim Joyce, Nooooo, why is he safe?” still sends a shiver down my spine.

To hear Jim Joyce, after he saw the replay, “No I did not get the call correct. I kicked the shit out of it…There’s nobody that feels worse than I do…I just missed the damn call…I took a perfect game away from that kid.”

I want to tell him that it’s okay, I understand. I do.

So do you.

To hear Armando Galarraga, in his broken English, “Nobody’s perfect.” I have to shake my head and wonder how he can act so stoic, with such class, when I, a mere fan who wasn’t even at the ballpark, am seething, when I am so mad at the injustice of human error, at the lack of instant replay, that I can barely form the frustrated words in my head.

Since Jim Joyce isn’t the bad guy, who is?

There has to be one, right? This can’t possibly turn out well for everyone, can it?

No.

And we have Bud Selig to thank for that.

Selig, who in acting in the way he always has, has become the laughing stock of the baseball world because he will not overturn the call.

Yet.

Unlike the NFL and NBA, Major League Baseball and their Big Wigs still use quill pens, work via candlelight, and wear grey wigs as they polish their single-bullet muskets (a.k.a. baseball bats).

In short, baseball doesn’t change very quickly, if it all.

Selig merely promised that they (those quill pen users) will look at expanding instant replay as well as the umpiring crews, going forward.

He thus leaves Jim Joyce as the big-hearted umpire who blew the call in the perfect game, as Major League Baseball’s goat for this whole debacle.

Listen, I understand that in baseball you will rarely change an umpire’s call, if you do that once you are grabbing hold of that piece of thread on a poorly made t-shirt. When you pull, where does it end? At what point do you stop overturning calls that have been blown by human error?

But, it has happened , and in far less direct circumstances, on a far bigger stage. Even if it was 27 years ago.

In this situation, Joyce’s call came on the last play of the game, the final play of a perfect game, and the very next batter bounced out to end the game.

If you award Galarraga the perfect game, nothing really changes; Galarraga would officially throw 83 pitches instead of 88, Trevor Crowe would not be charged with the final at-bat, and Jason Donald would not be awarded the hit (hey, even he admitted: “Yeah, I was out.”).

That’s it, that’s all that changes, and while there would be no on-field celebration, the jubilation would still be there, Galarraga would go down in the record books as the 21st pitcher to throw a perfect game, and dare I say it, justice would be served.

It would be served because this situation is just different than other blown calls in baseball.

This situation reeks of plausible deniability.

When a murderer confesses to his crime, do we shrug it off and say, “Nah, what happened, happened, you can’t change it now, can you? You can’t take what you did back. Fuggetaboutit.”  No, of course we don’t.

We serve justice.

And in Wednesday night’s case, justice would be served for Jim Joyce.

For Armando Galarraga.

For the Tigers.

For the city of Detroit.

Don’t we, at least, deserve something perfect?

Doesn’t Galarraga?

 

Joshua Worn   is an editor, journalist, and sportswriter, who spends way too much of his time studying Major League Baseball box scores. He publishes   The Most Interesting Column  on his personal website. Contact him at  thebaseballglutton@comcast.net .

 

The Day After Reactions:

Official Game Wrap

Official MLB Statement

Yahoo.com

Kevin Kaduk

MLB.com

ESPN.com

Jerry Crasnick

Don Denkinger’s Reaction

Rob Neyer

R.N. Again

Mr. Bloody Sock himself

Jason Stark – Possibly one of the better idea’s out there

Ian O’Conner

 

Additional Coverage:

Jason Beck – Tigers Beat Writer for MLB.com

Jesse Sanchez – National Writer for MLB.com

Anthony Castrovince – Indians Beat Writer for MLB.com

Peter Gammons – You know who he is

Tom Singer – Writes the MLBlog, Change for a Nickel

Jason Beck – More Stuff

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Steroids, Umpires, and Video Replay, Oh My!

Of all the major sports in the United States, Commissioner of Major League Baseball Bud Selig has been under the gun more than any other commissioner. But is he starting to crack under pressure and perhaps even starting to lose control of his own league?

First it was the steroids. In 1998, slugger Mark McGuire was discovered to have taken a performance enhancing drug (PED) called androstenedione.

That season McGuire went on to hit a record 70 home runs, but was not subject to punishment because MLB had no policy for steroids or PED’s.

It wasn’t until three years later that a randomized drug testing program and penalties for minor league players caught doping was implemented.

Despite the new penalties to minor league players, the 40-man active rosters in the major league was untouchable. Congress had enough and stepped in 2002 and mandated to MLB and the Player’s Association that a strict drug testing program be implemented.

It wasn’t until a nearly year later that a drug testing program was created for the major league with stricter penalties to drug users.

Since 2003, the battle for control of banned substances has raged on and taken many big names with it.

To this day baseball players, including Mark McGuire, come out publicly to their steroid use during the period of weak or no testing.

Although the testing has gotten harder to beat, Selig still has a long way to go before he rids our national past time of steroids and PED’s.

Another major issue Selig has had to deal with has been the individualization of umpires. Theoretically the official in any sport should remain neutral and in the background.

Naturally different umpires will develop different styles or personalities, but that is simply a matter of human nature and cannot be changed.

However, some umpires have developed personalities caustic to the game.

Most recently, umpire and aspiring country singer Joe West got into hot water for having his publicist announce where he would be working so that he could sell his music and sign autographs.

Besides mixing personal interests and business, which is quite frankly inappropriate in any job, this cross of careers hurts the game of baseball.

Think for a moment if you were the manager of your favorite major league team and you knew in advance who your umpires were going to be.

Now you know about how big to expect the strike zone to be, how much you can argue before being ejected and other elements of the game based on the umpire’s style.

Beyond that, knowing who the official will be would likely fuel sports gambling, a fire most sports have been trying to stomp out for years.

The introduction of video replay was both a blessing and a curse for the league and Selig.

On one hand, the reviewing of home run distance hits has proved to be a great tool for determining those crucial few inches between a double off the wall and a homer.

On the other hand though, video replay has led some, including this writer, to believe that Selig is losing grip of his own league.

What should be reviewable? What shouldn’t? How many reviews should be allowed per game? Can managers request reviews of certain plays?

These are just some questions floating around the debate. These questions were even more intensified when Detroit Tiger’s pitcher Armando Galarraga was denied a perfect game against the Cleveland Indians recently due to a blown call at first base.

The umpire in question apologized to Galarraga, Tiger’s manager Jim Leyland, and the Tiger’s fans after watching the replay in the clubhouse following the game.

Please take special care to notice that I don’t lay any blame on the umpire himself. Yes the call was messed up, but the umpire is only human and bound to make mistakes from time to time.

The fact that he came out and manned up in public to his mistake gives him a great respect in this writer’s eyes.

After being chided by baseball fans all over the country and especially in Michigan to overturn the umpire’s call and grant Galarraga the perfect game, Selig refused to do so, citing the fact that all previous near perfect games would have to be amended then.

Selig also commented that he would look into expanding the use of video replay.

Perhaps it is too late. The general public doesn’t care about steroids anymore after being bombarded with constant news of players doping.

A fair number of baseball fans are still very much interested, due to the direct relevance to the game.

Although the Joe West fiasco blew over relatively easily the same cannot be said for the perfect game that almost was. On June 3, 2010, SportsCenter.com featured a poll asking their viewers whether Selig should overturn the bad call and give Galarraga the perfect game or leave it as is.

An overwhelming 75 percent said the perfect game should have been granted. The closest margin belonged to the state of Minnesota which voted in favor of the perfect game 65 percent.

Interestingly enough the state of Ohio voted in favor of the perfect game 72 percent, despite being on the wrong side of the near perfection.

If one were to take these polls as a sign of Bud Selig’s approval rating, then a cardboard box should probably be kept handy in Selig’s office.

Fortunately for Selig these polls are not a complete reflection upon his tenure so far as the commish. However, Selig must turn things around in the league soon or face more and more criticism from the league’s fans, players and coaches.

Too much criticism leads to a bad PR image and ultimately packing up said cardboard box.

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The Integrity of the Game: Why Bud Selig Needs To Hear the Fans!

On June 2nd, 2010, Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game. The first in the Detroit Tiger’s illustrious history. 

This 28 year-old native Venezuelan didn’t pitch a perfect game, though. At least not according to the record books. 

Jim Joyce, the firstbase umpire that night, called the runner safe. On the last out, in the last inning, of what should have been a perfect game.

Joyce sorrowfully admitted he was wrong and has stated for all to see and hear:  “I took a perfect game away from that kid!”  Yes Joyce, you did, but I don’t blame you.  I blame Bud Selig. 

You see, Jim Joyce is a man of class. He has been a great umpire for 21 years and like all humans do sometimes, he made an error. Unlike all humans, Joyce had the stones to admit he was wrong and publicly take what was coming to him. 

That’s admirable, and it shows the true character of this umpire. Besides, after the fact all Joyce could really do is admit he was wrong and apologize. He did his part to rectify this.

Then it was Bud Selig’s turn…

Anyone familiar with baseball is not the least bit surprised at what Bud Selig has decided. This is a man that makes 15 million dollars a year to sit on his butt and pretend to care about the sport. No matter how much Galarraga deserved that perfect game, or how emphatically Jim Joyce admitted his error, Bud Selig was never going to do the right thing. 

It’s just not who he is.  It’s not what he stands for.  It’s not what he wants baseball to stand for.  

And it’s sad.  It’s stomach nauseating sleepless nights kind of sadness.  It’s exactly what baseball shouldn’t stand for!  

ESPN and other news organizations have done non-scientific polling to get a gauge on what the fans think. Time and again the polls I’ve seen show the vast majority (70%+) think this call should have been overturned. The fans think baseball should do what’s right. I’m sorry to tell you, but Bud Selig doesn’t listen all that well.  

Some say there is no recourse for a bad call.  That it would be unprecedented to overturn the call. 

Unprecedented?  In 1991, then- commissioner Fay Vincent convened a panel to look over previous no-hitters and decided to overturn 50 of them. Tell me it’s unprecedented again, please, that’s my favorite.

And as for there being no recourse… how about “the best interests of the game”.  It’s within Bud Selig’s ability to overturn this call, and major league baseball has seen Bud Selig wield his power like this before.

To quote him, “I have to use my judgment,” he said. “The game would have been in a rain delay until weather conditions allowed us to continue. And that might have been 24 hours or 48 hours or who knows?” Referring to the Phillies vs Rays World Series game in 2008. For the best interests of the game Bud Selig would have stepped in! 

Still, purists out there say that reversing Jim Joyce’s call would violate the integrity of the game… 

Really? The integrity of the game? It shows greater integrity to deny this kid his perfect game and taint baseball history forever? REALLY!?

I’m not sure what planet they’re on, but when it comes to integrity, something tells me doing what’s right tends to win out. 

Trust me, I understand that the “human element” is something people want to see stay in baseball games. I like that umpires make the calls, and that if managers don’t like it, they can argue (albeit at the risk of getting thrown out). I would be completely remiss if I didn’t mention the joy I get when I see a homeplate umpire emphatically signal for strike three.

I love the human element of baseball!  

But the human thing to do here would be to invoke “the best interests of the game” and give Galarraga his perfect game. Give this city what they’ve waited more than a century for.  The human thing to do would be to right this wrong!

Bud Selig isn’t human though. At least he doesn’t appear to be. How he can look himself in the mirror in the morning after so terribly wronging Galarraga, the city of Detroit and fans of baseball everywhere is beyond me. It just isn’t human to leave this blown call as is.  

Reversing this call doesn’t change the outcome of the game. It doesn’t affect a pennant race or shift the tide in a World Series. It simply gives the kid who threw that game the respect and notoriety he deserves in the record books for years to come. Without a reversal, we stand to remember Jim Joyce and Bud Selig more than the amazing athlete who started the season in the minors.

It’s not official what Bud Selig has decided to do, but many media reports have leaked that he will not reverse the call.  If you can’t stomach that, I suggest you sign your name here .

 Bud Selig needs to listen to the fans, if not for Galarraga’s sake then for the best interests of the game!

 

 

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What Bud Selig Needs to Say After Armando Galarraga’s Lost Perfect Game

Commissioner Bud Selig is going to have a very interesting press conference.

Commissioner Selig needs to address two issues.

First, Commissioner Selig needs to commend Armando Galarraga for how he conducted himself last night. Galarraga should have been heralded this morning for the perfect game he threw against the Cleveland Indians last night.

Instead, first base umpire Jim Joyce blew what should have been the last play of the game. Instead of calling Jason Donald out at first base, Joyce ruled that Donald beat Galarraga to first base on a toss made by Miguel Cabrera to the bag.

In Joyce’s own words, he “kicked the s*%t out of the call!”  

Galarraga didn’t curse Joyce out. Galarraga didn’t charge Joyce and get in his face. No, Galarraga smiled and shook his head.

After the game, Galarraga told the media that he thought that Joyce probably felt worse about missing the call than Galarraga felt about being denied a perfect game. Galarraga then reminded everybody that Joyce was human and that everyone makes mistakes from time to time.

Who is this guy? Doesn’t Galarraga know that we are talking about Major League Baseball?

Galarraga is acting as if he is playing a kid’s game for fun. Galarraga is acting if he understands that there is more to life than baseball.

What are we fans supposed to think about Galarraga in a sports era dominated by performance-enhancing drug-taking prima donnas?

How many of us in the same situation could have hoped to act with as much grace as Galarraga in the face of pitching a perfect game?

Galarraga exhibited a degree of class, humanity, and genuine charity toward umpire Jim Joyce last night that needs to be highlighted and praised by Commissioner Selig.

Commissioner Selig needs to take time to recognize Galarraga for how he played last night as a pitcher, but more importantly, Commissioner Selig needs to say something about Galarraga handled himself as a man.

Second, Commissioner Selig is going to need to say something about the need for instant replay in baseball. 

Commissioner Selig doesn’t need to say how the league is going to implement instant replay but he does need to say that the league needs to adopt instant replay. 

Jim Joyce was emphatic after the game that he looked at the instant replay and was convinced that he missed the call.

Joyce was upset for Galarraga because he took a great effort away from Galarraga. Joyce was upset because he took Galarraga’s place in baseball history away from Galarraga.

More importantly, Joyce, with tears in his eyes and emotion in his voice, said he absolutely felt sick about missing the call.

The Commissioner needs to remind baseball fans that the guy who was most upset about missing the call was Joyce. Baseball umpires do a fantastic job getting in the right position and getting calls right because they truly care about getting the call right.

Yes, there are calls that are missed, but fans need to appreciate that the reason why certain missed calls stick out in our memory is because missed calls happen so infrequently during the course of a season.

The Commissioner has an opportunity to build some goodwill among the players, umpires, and fans by extolling Galarraga and by reminding us that everyone involved in the game is emotionally invested in making sure that all the calls in the game are right.

Hopefully, Commissioner Selig won’t squander the opportunity.

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Perfect Pitcher, Imperfect Umpire: Will Bud Selig Act for Armando Galaragga?

Bud Selig needs to ponder whether Armando Galarraga should be given his perfect game, which was taken from him by umpire Jim Joyce when he made a horrific call that ruled Jason Donald was safe at first base even though he was clearly out.

Yesterday was a day that had a little of everything, but the one thing most fans will remember will be umpire Jim Joyce making a safe call on a play that should have been the last play of a perfect game for Armando Galarraga.

Instead of a perfect game, it will go down as a one-hit shutout as the Tigers won the game 3-0. Joyce admitted after the game that he blew the call, but that won’t give Galarraga his perfect game back unless Bud Selig uncharacteristically becomes involved and rules that he should receive credit for his perfect game if Selig has the power to make that decision.

Selig, who has been on the down-low this season, does not like to be pressured into making decisions, so it will be interesting to see if he even comments on the situation. He was in hiding for five days after Alex Rodriguez was found to have used steroids before making a statement.

I can understand not using instant replay for an entire game, but it may be time to use it in the last two or three innings of games. Even the umpire Joyce probably wishes there was instant replay being used last night since the right call would have been made.

Instead, Galarraga, who was ready to celebrate, was shocked to see Joyce call Donald safe. Joyce may have been the only one in the ballpark who thought Donald was safe.

Galarraga, to his credit, maintained his composure after the bad call. Some pitchers, like Carlos Zambrano, may have made an ugly scene in the same situation, but it was amazing how Galarraga remained calm and went back to the mound and recorded the last out.

In the same night we witnessed perfection for 26 batters, we saw imperfection from Joyce, robbing Galarraga of a special moment that almost certainly will never happen again in his major league career.

Galarraga was fourth in the Rookie of the Year voting in 2008 after compiling a 13-7 record but experienced the sophomore jinx in 2009, when his record fell to 6-10.

This year he didn’t even make the Opening Day roster and was sent to Toledo, where he was 4-2 this season after seven starts before returning to the Tigers. He was making his fourth start of the season for the Tigers after being recalled.

Austin Jackson made one of the best catches I have ever seen when Mark Grudzielanek hit a long fly ball that was chased down by Jackson. When the ball was first hit it looked like it would land between Jackson and left fielder Don Kelly, but Jackson made a catch similar to the catch Willie Mays made in the 1954 World Series. I can’t recall an outfielder running as far as Jackson to get to a ball.

We can only wait now to see if Bud Selig will make the decision to give the perfect game back to Galarraga after Joyce took it away from him. I do give credit to Joyce for admitting he blew the call, but that doesn’t give Galarraga his perfect game back.

Knowing how reluctant Selig is to act decisively, he may just add this to his list of things to hand off to the new commissioner in 2012. He has put off for years a ruling on whether Pete Rose should be reinstated and become eligible for Hall of Fame consideration, so there is no reason to expect him to act expeditiously now.

 

Ken Griffey Jr. Retires

It wasn’t the best day for Ken Griffey Jr. to announce his retirement, but it was still time for him to walk away from the game he has played professionally since 1987, when he played for Bellingham of the Northwest League in 1987.

Griffey, at age 40, is in position to be the first No. 1 draft pick since the inception of the amateur draft in 1965 to be voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in about six years. He is the last player among the 1987 first round picks to retire from baseball.

Only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays have hit more lifetime home runs than the 630 Griffey hit during his career. He has never been mentioned as a steroids user, making his numbers even more significant.

I salute Griffey for retiring even though he may have been kept on the roster despite having a non-Griffey type of year. His retirement showed me that he cares too much about the Seattle Mariners to remain on the roster while preventing a better player from helping the team.

His .184 batting average and two extra-base hits in 108 plate appearances with no home runs and seven runs batted in show he made the right decision. I have more respect for Griffey than ever for making this unselfish move to walk away from the game when it was evident he doesn’t have the skills he once had in his 22-year career.

If ever there was a player that is a lock for the Hall of Fame, it is Ken Griffey Jr. He will fall 219 hits short of 3,000 hits, but his other numbers are so overwhelmingly great that he will still go in the first time he is eligible.

He is 14th all-time in runs batted in with 1,836. He made the All-Star team 13 times and was third in AL All-Star DH voting at the time of his retirement. He won a Gold Glove for 10 consecutive years from 1990-1999. He won the 1997 AL MVP award. In addition, he hit 40 or more home runs seven times and drove in 100 or more runs eight times.

Baseball-reference.com compares his stats to those of Hall of Famers Frank Robinson, Reggie Jackson, Mel Ott, Willie Mays, Dave Winfield, and Mickey Mantle.

Griffey missed a lot of games later in his career, which prevented him putting up even better numbers. He played in 130 or fewer games 11 times during his career and played in 100 or fewer games in five of those years.

We laud Griffey for playing the game the right way and for knowing it was time to leave the game he loves behind being a better game because he epitomizes what is good about baseball.

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Major League Baseball Makes Changes to All-Star Game

The 81st Major League Baseball All-Star Game in Anaheim will have some new wrinkles.

On Wednesday, the league announced modifications to its All-Star Game effective this year. The changes made were suggestions from Bud Selig’s Special Committee for On-Field Matters.

Listed below are those modifications, along with my thoughts on each.

 

Rosters will be expanded from 33 players to 34 players.

I am not a fan of expanding the rosters. Is the idea to get everyone in the game or win the game? Now that the game decides home-field advantage in the World Series, I believe the idea is to win the game.

If the idea is to win the game, then the 34th-best player in the league shouldn’t replace Albert Pujols or Chase Utley. I would rather have the roster go back down to 30 players and have the best players play.

 

The contest always will include a designated hitter no matter where it’s played.

Smart move here. Nobody wants to see the pitchers hit in an All-Star Game.

However, there is one caveat to this decision. Having the pitcher in an All-Star Game is an easy way to get hitters into the game. With the rosters expanding and no pitchers hitting, managers now will have even a tougher time getting everyone in the game.

 

No pitcher who competes for his team on the previous Sunday will be allowed to pitch in the game.

Again, smart move. The pitcher should be honored at the game for making the team but in no way should be allowed to pitch.

Ruining someone’s season just to pitch an inning in an All-Star Game never made any sense to me.

 

A rule will allow one position player re-entry into the game if necessitated by injury.

This move was already in place for catchers but shouldn’t be in place for the other position players. This isn’t Little League.

 

You can follow The Ghost of Moonlight Graham on Twitter @ theghostofmlg

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