In an oddity of magnificent achievements, there have been 24 men who have flown to the moon and 24 men who have thrown perfect games in Major League Baseball.
And if I gave someone $1 for every person they could name who achieved those rare accomplishments, I’d get change back on a $5 bill.
As time has unfolded, these achievements have tapered off into relative obscurity.
We are approaching the 15th anniversary of Armando Galarraga’s “28-out perfect game,” when the Detroit Tigers pitcher was robbed of an official perfect game on June 2, 2010.
With two outs in the ninth inning, first-base umpire Jim Joyce infamously called Cleveland’s Jason Donald safe, when he was clearly out by a step. Instant replay was only in effect at that time to determine if a play was a home run.
Galarraga instead had to settle for a one-hitter.
There has been a chorus of fans, sportswriters, and media personalities calling for baseball to officially change Joyce’s call, fix the glitch, and award Galarraga an official perfect game.
That would be a mistake. Life is not perfect. In fact, society is infatuated with imperfection. There’s a reason why serial killers are better known than astronauts.
But the moral of the “28-out perfect game” is worth preserving.
Armando Galarraga has become as close to a household name as any sub-.500 career pitcher could ever hope to be. He finished his six-year career with a 26-34 record and a 4.78 ERA. He, quite frankly, never pitched in another significant game in his life.
Yet, his moment is forever. There are dozens of YouTube videos that replay the infamous play, each with tens of thousands—and sometimes millions—of views. There isn’t a month that goes by where I don’t see a reference to this play in some manner, usually in a “top 10 worst calls of all time” format. It’s usually the No. 1 listed incident.
“It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked it,” Joyce, in tears, told the reporters immediately after the 2010 game. “I just cost that kid a perfect game.”
That blown call and its eventual resolution has instead become, perhaps, baseball’s greatest example of how a devastating mistake can indeed become a blessing in disguise.
The next day, Joyce had to come out to the same ballpark and be the home-plate umpire. Major League Baseball had offered Joyce the opportunity to skip the game. He declined.
As Joyce walked onto the field, he was met by cheers from many fans and a few cat calls. Joyce was in tears by the time he made it to home plate.
But instead of receiving the Tigers’ official lineup from Leyland, the Tigers manager had sent Galarraga in his place. Joyce had stared straight ahead during his walk onto the field. When he finally looked up, there was Galarraga. They shook hands, and, while Joyce reviewed the lineup card, he wiped his eyes and tried to stop from breaking down.
Joyce wiped his hand, wet from his tears, on his uniform and kept his head down. Galarraga was still waiting to receive the official lineup card back. Joyce then handed it to him.
Galarraga gave Joyce a slight pat on the back to show his support, and Joyce responded with a hardy pat on the shoulder of Galarraga. No words were spoken, and the pitcher walked back into the dugout to a resounding ovation.
Instead of having the Detroit Tigers’ first perfect game, Galarraga had earned something more valuable. He was now held up as an example and praised for his sportsmanship and compassion.
How can you not be romantic about baseball?
The Baseball Hall of Fame decided to honor the game in a similar manner as a perfect game, while acknowledging that it didn’t want fans to think it was making a statement that the bad call should be overturned.
“After weighing a number of ideas, the Hall decided to request Galarraga’s spikes, the first base from Comerica Park, and a game ball, items that were generously donated to the Museum by Galarraga and the Tigers shortly thereafter,” wrote John Odell, curator of history and research for the Baseball Hall of Fame, in 2015.
The message isn’t about baseball. The Hall of Fame’s headline on their 2015 article—“Perfect Sportsmen”—summed up the moral of the “28-out perfect game.”
Galarraga’s compassion is now showcased for all to see in Cooperstown.
Tom Gantert is a contributing writer for Michigan Enjoyer.
