Jim Joyce robs Tigers' Armando Galarraga of perfect game

Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga could just see his chance to join the Oakland Athletics' Dallas Braden and the Philadelphia Phillies' Roy Halladay in the 2010 perfect game club getting closer and closer.

Galarraga was just one out away from the perfect game mark tonight against the Cleveland Indians when the unthinkable happened. Umpire Jim Joyce called what should have been a run-to-tag-the-plate out as an infield hit. Here's the video:



As you can see Armando beat Cleveland's Jason Donald to the bag; Donald was clearly tagged out at base because Armando beat him. What was going through Jim Joyce's head at the time is anyone's guess. That Jones apologized for the bad call only makes the entire episode that much worse but Galarraga took it with class and Jones was "utterly distraught" according to freelance reporter David Hogg on Twitter.

Hogg also tweeted...

@amandarykoff That might have been the most gut-wrenching interview I've ever done. The audio doesn't do it justice.
about 2 hours ago via TweetDeck in reply to amandarykoff

Still, Jim Joyce's sorrow over his error is not enough to quell Detroit Tiger's bloggers. Big Al over at Bless You Boys is just plain seeing red over it:

I feel as if something was robbed from me. Something I'll never get back, and never see again in my lifetime. I cannot even fathom how Armando Galarraga and the Tigers must feel.

As I'm still livid, I could care less as to how Joyce feels, apologetic as he has been, despite his being considered one of baseball's better umpires...everywhere but in Detroit...Joyce blew the biggest call of his career, and his legacy will live on in infamy, with the likes of Don Denkinger.

The Tigers can forgive Joyce. Personally, I want my pound of flesh.

This will go down as the rarest of events in Major League Baseball history. As rare as a perfect game is, to have it taken away by an ump who admits the error is just un believable.

MLB Commissioner Bud Selig should give Armando Galarraga that perfect game. It's only the right thing to do.

Stay tuned.