A Perfect Game, Except for One Call

Armando Galarraga, a 28-year-old Detroit Tigers right-hander with a nondescript career record, had faced 26 Cleveland Indians hitters on Wednesday night and retired them all. The 27th, Jason Donald, a rookie shortstop playing his 15th major league game, was all that stood in the way of a record third perfect game of the season.

On Galarraga’s 84th pitch of the game, Donald slapped a grounder between first and second. First baseman Miguel Cabrera ranged well to his right, squared up and threw perfectly – yes, perfectly – to Galarraga covering first. The throw beat Donald to the bag. Galarraga beat Donald to the bag. Galarraga’s foot came down on the bag, and….

And suddenly, Jim Joyce became famous. Joyce, the first-base umpire, called Donald safe.

Replays indicated what Galarraga, Cabrera, Tigers Manager Jim Leyland and perhaps even Jason Donald’s mother thought: the runner was out. Has there been a more glaring safe call at first base in a high-profile moment since Don Denkinger called the Kansas City Royals’ Jorge Orta safe in Game 6 of the 1985 World Series?

Denkinger later reviewed videotape of the play and acknowledged that replay showed he had made a mistake; call it E-U. “I was astute enough to recognize that the man was clearly out,” Denkinger said. “The call was wrong.”

Joyce, a major league umpire since 1987, had his own chance to go to the tape, and he didn’t like what he saw.

“I just cost that kid a perfect game,” Joyce said, according to The Associated Press. “I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.”

There is no provision for review by the umpires of plays like this one during a game. Do you think there should be?