# Armando Galaraga (Tigers) robbed of perfect game **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 3, 2010, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716 "2010-06-03T00:54:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/81 "2010-06-03T17:10:49Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > Today he should give the Tigers all the calls. Absolutely not! He needs to do his best to be _right_ on every single one - as he always has. ---
**Author:** ![Duke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e8c25b/32.png) [@Duke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/82 "2010-06-03T17:13:22Z")
> [@cmosdes](#): > > **Duke** If that was the worst call you’ve ever seen, I really wonder how much baseball you’ve actually watched. He wasn’t out by two steps. Maybe a step. By the time Galarraga got his foot down it was a very close play. I later watched it from another angle and you’re right–it’s more like one step than two. But it was still more botched than the Denkinger World Series call, which for a long time seemed to be the standout of “egregiously blown calls.” ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/83 "2010-06-03T17:15:46Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > Absolutely not! He needs to do his best to be _right_ on every single one - as he always has. He owes us. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/84 "2010-06-03T17:30:09Z")
Selig shouldn’t overturn it. Just my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Sensitive](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/58956e/32.png) [@Darth\_Sensitive](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Sensitive)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/85 "2010-06-03T17:31:19Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I’m surprised at the lack of conspiracy theories. That is an amazingly poor call. It is hard to imagine how an experienced umpire could miss a call by such a huge margin. It wasn’t anywhere near a close call. If it was snowconed and bouncing in the glove, there probably wasn’t the POP of ball into leather that he was listening for while watching foot head to bag. E10 ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/86 "2010-06-03T17:40:29Z")
It could have been worse. What is the Indians went on to score 5 runs? The game is about Ws after all. ---
**Author:** ![zamboniracer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e9a140/32.png) [@zamboniracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zamboniracer)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/87 "2010-06-03T17:56:15Z")
> [@gonzomax](#): > > It could have been worse. What is the Indians went on to score 5 runs? The game is about Ws after all. Have you seen the (my) Indians this year? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Xema](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9de053/32.png) [@Xema](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Xema)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/88 "2010-06-03T17:59:05Z")
> [@Frank](#): > > Did you even see the play? The first baseman did not bobble the catch, or fail to get his foot on the bag. Note my subsequent post where I attributed the play at first base to the correct player. > [@](#): > > Beating out an infield grounder is an everyday, common happening. But in this case it was obvious (apparently to all but the umpire) that the batter didn’t beat out the grounder. Without looking at replay, it would be reasonable for a Scorer to say “Clearly the runner was short of the base when an accurate throw arrived. If he was in fact safe, this can only be due to the way the ball was caught or the base was touched.” > [@](#): > > Neither player, in any way, performed any action that was worthy of being charged an error, and so, given the umpire’s call of “safe”, the official scorer, to preserve his/her honesty and integrity, MUST call the play a hit. Agreed - though I think a Scorer must look at replay to be sure of the facts. ---
**Author:** ![mnemosyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c4cdca/32.png) [@mnemosyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mnemosyne)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 6:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/89 "2010-06-03T18:09:14Z")
> [@Hawkeyeop](#): > > Preventing franchise relocation. I don’t follow baseball at all and I might be misunderstanding, but if you are asserting that only the MLB prevents franchises from being moved, then I recommend you read up about the Phoenix Coyotes! If I totally misunderstood you, then please ignore me! ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/90 "2010-06-03T18:50:13Z")
> [@DChord568](#): > > I don’t buy the “Pandora’s Box” argument. > > A game with this particular set of circumstances comes along…well, quite _literally_ once in a lifetime (more than a lifetime, actually…since no one alive today was born prior to the start of baseball’s “modern era”). > > I don’t know if this is up to today’s exact date, but [this site](http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/) says that 391,990 major league baseball games have been played since 1876. Out of all of these, only one has seen something like we saw last night. Tell that to Milt Pappas. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/91 "2010-06-03T19:22:20Z")
Selig will not reverse the call. [http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-joycescall](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-joycescall) ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/92 "2010-06-03T19:26:34Z")
> [@mnemosyne](#): > > I don’t follow baseball at all and I might be misunderstanding, but if you are asserting that only the MLB prevents franchises from being moved, then I recommend you read up about the Phoenix Coyotes! > > If I totally misunderstood you, then please ignore me! Your not following baseball at all is the only possible reason for you thinking the Coyotes are something other than a hockey team. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/93 "2010-06-03T19:27:54Z")
> [@Xema](#): > > Agreed - though I think a Scorer must look at replay to be sure of the facts. And if a scorer can, why not an umpire? ---
**Author:** ![HoboStew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/f17d59/32.png) [@HoboStew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoboStew)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/94 "2010-06-03T19:39:17Z")
> [@jtgain](#): > > Selig will not reverse the call. > > [MLB News, Expert Analysis, Rumors, Live Updates, & more - Yahoo Sports](http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-joycescall) What a dumb ruling. Selig is officially a spineless jackass in my book. ---
**Author:** ![pricciar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/f4b2a3/32.png) [@pricciar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pricciar)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/95 "2010-06-03T19:43:34Z")
Elvis, I think you need to reread mnemosyne’s post. The only good thing about Selig not overturning the results on the field is that forever Galaraga is going to be known as the pitcher with a 28 batter perfect game. It’s not the same. But, it is something. I do not know if I am favor of replays. But, I do know I am in favor of other umpires coming over to help guys who make egregious mistakes. I would have had no problem with another ump coming over to confer last night, so that they got the call right. I am sure the 2nd base ump and the home plate ump saw that he got it wrong. Why can’t they help? That sucks that it didn’t (or can’t) happen. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/96 "2010-06-03T19:54:44Z")
> [@DChord568](#): > > I don’t buy the “Pandora’s Box” argument. > > A game with this particular set of circumstances comes along…well, quite _literally_ once in a lifetime (more than a lifetime, actually…since no one alive today was born prior to the start of baseball’s “modern era”). > > I don’t know if this is up to today’s exact date, but [this site](http://www.baseball-reference.com/leagues/) says that 391,990 major league baseball games have been played since 1876. Out of all of these, only one has seen something like we saw last night. > [@zev\_steinhardt](#): > > Tell that to Milt Pappas. The Pappas incident revolved around a ball/strike call. The strike zone, unlike the first base bag, is an imaginary area with no physically defined parameters (despite modern television’s attempts to define them graphically). It is impossible to argue with absolute certainty that a given pitch was objectively a ball or a strike. By contrast, the replay of last night’s play at first base is objective evidence that the ump missed the call. The ball was physically in Galaraga’s glove, Galaraga’s foot was physically on the first base bag before Donald’s. Furthermore, in this instance, Jim Joyce agrees that he missed the call, whereas Bruce Froemming remains defiant to this day that his call was the correct one. I stand by my statement. ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/97 "2010-06-03T19:56:14Z")
by not changing the call, this play will become a trivia question that baseball fans can win bar bets over in 50 years. ---
**Author:** ![UltraVires](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ecccb3/32.png) [@UltraVires](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UltraVires)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/98 "2010-06-03T19:59:55Z")
Remember the World Series a couple of years ago when Tampa Bay scored to cause a suspended game? Had they not scored, by the rules, the Phils would have won a rain-shortened game. Selig said after the fact that even if that happened, he wouldn’t have allowed a World Series to end on a rain-shorted game. So, he has no problems actually changing RULES, but a judgement call that everyone, even the umpire, agrees was wrong, he doesn’t want to change? I don’t get it. ---
**Author:** ![DChord568](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/439d5e/32.png) [@DChord568](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DChord568)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/99 "2010-06-03T20:04:57Z")
Selig should go. I really am for maintaining the longstanding traditions of baseball, but there comes a time when remaining hidebound carries less logic than acknowledging reality. To imagine that awarding Galaraga a perfect game somehow will open the floodgates to monumental future abuse is absolutely ludicrous. It says that reasonable men and women are utterly incapable of looking at a set of facts and rendering a fair judgment, and thus must be constrained at all times, with no possible exceptions. It’s a very sad day for the game I love. ---
**Author:** ![Enginerd](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/bcef8e/32.png) [@Enginerd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enginerd)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2010, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716/100 "2010-06-03T20:07:34Z")
> [@HoboStew](#): > > What a dumb ruling. Selig is officially a spineless jackass in my book. Selig’s been the commissioner (or acting commissioner) for almost 20 years. It took you this long to come to that conclusion? Really? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/armando-galaraga-tigers-robbed-of-perfect-game/541716.md?page=6)