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Today's Poll: Do you think Armando Galarraga should be awarded a perfect game?

By Howard B. Owens
Do you think Armando Galarraga should be awarded a perfect game? For those of you who might have missed the play:
Dave Olsen

I didn't see the game,WOW, what a rip-off. Even the ump has admitted he blew the call. However, if Bud Selig overrules this that will open the door for an instant replay rule, and if you think baseball games are long now.......... I don't think Selig will do it. Sucks for Galarraga.

Jun 3, 2010, 7:52am Permalink
bud prevost

The kid deserved the perfect game, but you can't change the call. That's part of the beauty of the game. The ump blew the call, but that's baseball.
BTW, Galarraga is a class act. He didn't yell, scream or throw a tantrum. He also realizes the ump is part of the game, and mistakes happen.

Jun 3, 2010, 7:53am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

There's already a precedent for changing the call: George Brett, pine tar.

My first, gut reaction was "you can't change the call." That's just tough. That's just baseball.

But after giving it a little more thought -- it's clear, the guy was out. You can even tell by Jason Donald's reaction that he was shocked by the call.

I've come down on the side of the call should be reversed. Donald loses a hit on his career stats and whoever came to the plate after Donald has that at bat erased.

I don't believe reversing the decision necessarily opens the door to instant replay.

The game is flexible enough to do the right thing.

Jun 3, 2010, 8:12am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Statistical variation.

The nature of randomness, statistically speaking, is that anything that's possible can happen.

Three perfect games in a month doesn't necessarily signal a trend. It's within the realm of possible statistical variation.

Great book on this subject: Fooled by Randomness. It's more about stock markets and why traders get deluded by statistical variation, but the logic applies to anything that has statistical variables.

Jun 3, 2010, 8:27am Permalink
Dave Olsen

Howard, I am more cynical I guess. I think there's a reason. I don't know what it is and don't have time to research right now, maybe this evening. Sure, anything's possible, but I need to convince myself.

Jun 3, 2010, 8:39am Permalink
Jack Dorf

The call can be changed to an error instead of a hit by Bud Selig. This would keep the perfect game in tack. Instant reply can change a bad call. This is a potential one time event in a pitchers career. They should do the right thing.

Jun 3, 2010, 9:16am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Dave, in 1990 and again in 1991, there were seven no hitters in each season. Those are modern records.

I can't find the number, but I bet there have been more seasons over the past 100 years where there have been NO no-hitters then there have been no hitters.

The Mets and the Padres are the only two NL teams without no hitters. The Phillies have gone something like 57 years without a no hitter.

Tom Seaver never threw a no hitter. Steve Carlton never threw a no hitter. Randy Jones never threw a no hitter.

A no hitter is both a matter of skill and luck. Even if you're doctoring the ball, you still gotta throw strikes and hit your locations and mix the variation of your pitches and outsmart the opposing hitters. But then you need that sharp line drive hit right at the short stop and not two feet to the left or right, you need the left fielder not to lose the ball in the lights or sun, you need the umpire to make the right call at first, and you need your team to score runs (I was at the game where Pedro Martinez was perfect through nine innings but lost his no hitter in the 10th on a double by Bip Roberts).

So I don't see how three no-nos in a month is anything other than statistical variation.

Jun 3, 2010, 9:25am Permalink
Chris Charvella

Galarraga knows he threw a perfect game, no one can ever take that from him. I applaud his attitude after the blown call as well; to simply smile and shrug it off after a blown call on the last out of a perfect game takes some serious class. If I was in his shoes, I'd still be foaming at the mouth.

Whatever MLB does, Galarraga can hold his head high.

Jun 3, 2010, 10:41am Permalink
Howard B. Owens

Galarraga didn't know it was a blown call until after the game and he saw the replay. I saw an ESPN interview where he said he was so concentrated on "just make the catch" that he wasn't paying as much attention as he normally would to the sound of the runner's foot hitting the bag.

He also said he gave Jim Joyce a hug after Joyce apologized for blowing the call.

He said, with no sense of irony, "nobody's perfect."

Jun 3, 2010, 10:51am Permalink
Brian Schollard

You cant change history. The ump knows he blew the call. What if they called him out and he was safe by 3 ft what do you do then? Base ball needs replay for these things.
Besides they gave Gallaraga a brand new Corvette today,, not to shabby

Jun 3, 2010, 3:08pm Permalink
Jeremiah Pedro

Fine the ump, change the call, and call it a day.
The ump made a bad call he admitted it. make a mistake in any other profession and you got repercussions. Should be no different with baseball.
The corvette is a nice touch though. Was it the team or the league that gave it to him?

Jun 3, 2010, 3:31pm Permalink
Brian Schollard

Chevrolet and the Detroit Tigers gave him the new car. Also Bud Selig is finally considering to expand the replay system in baseball

Jun 3, 2010, 4:20pm Permalink
jonathan bell

replay in any sport is wrong it take the human element out of the game blown calls used to make me mad but in the end i tried harder you put replay in baseball and you might as well pack it up. Yankees red sox game takes 4-5 hour already you add instand replay your looking at a 6 hour game and you open the door for even more craziness. laser target strike zone? rememvber game 3 of the 96 world series with jeters home run? no it wasnt a home run a fan IN ATLANTA grabbed the ball and made it a home run its part of the game the game i love baseball season is the best time of the year. listen to michael kay on the radio cooking a zwiegle hot dog over some charcoal then walkin down to dwyer and watching the hometown team with people youve known your hole life. by the way being stationed in colorado we dont get zweigles so if anyone would like to mail me some i would kindly pay you back

Jun 3, 2010, 7:00pm Permalink
Dave Olsen

Howard, back to the plethora of perfect games this season. All the points you make about no-hitters and no-no's just support my argument about how rare they are. I don't buy the statistical anomaly theory. Either something is different about the ball, or I was thinking today maybe it has something do with the fact that no batters would dare take any P E D's anymore and maybe pitching has just gotten a lot better but we didn't notice it because of the artificial prowess of batters, which is now taken away. I'm just a guy scratchin' his head, drinking a beer in the stands but it sure seems funny to me.

I agree with a couple of comments above:

A. Armando Galarraga is a class act and everyone knows he threw a perfect game.
B. No instant replay for baseball

Jun 3, 2010, 7:23pm Permalink
Mike Kelly

I believe the 20 'perfect' games that have been recorded should only be considered no-hitters. In my opinion a 'perfect' game is 27 strikeouts.

Jun 3, 2010, 8:01pm Permalink
jonathan bell

you can pitch a no hitter and still lose a game. 27 strike outs would require at least 81 pitches, make him hit the ball and you can it done in far less

Jun 3, 2010, 10:08pm Permalink
Howard B. Owens

The point isn't to keep them from hitting the ball. It's to get outs.

In fact, the best pitchers get outs as efficiently as possible, which means fewer pitches. It takes only one pitch to get a ground out. Three to get a strike out.

An out is an out. And a pitcher wants outs however he can get them.

Jun 4, 2010, 7:12am Permalink

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