Worst Call in MLB History?

[Ben Kenobi]

It would have been an awesome precedent. Think of how many mistakes have been made that should have been overturned.

[SlowwHand]

No grandfather clauses.

[Berzerker]

NEWS FLASH: Selig overturns blown call! Cardinals win 1985 World Series!

that was a heartbreaker

but I'd support amending the result to show a perfect game, they gotta an extra out and it didn't have any effect on the game. Thats amazing, maybe 19 perfect games over a century and we see 3 in a month!!!

[Berzerker]

hey, maybe Jim Joyce didn't miss the call

It looks to me like the ump may not have heard the ball hit the glove because Galarraga snow-coned the ball.

I just watched it and that snow cone looked like the ball came out of his glove for a split second before he grabbed it again. Thats enough to open it up for interpretation, but I gotta take a couple more looks at it. I think the ump was gonna call him out and then he saw some white as the ball appeared at the end of the glove as the pitcher grabbed it again and by then he was committed to calling it safe. The pitcher did such a great job of snagging the ball a 2nd time it doesn't really look like he ever lost control in the first place.

Thats too bad, Cabrera made a good play but the 2B had it and he could have stayed at 1B. Its hard for the corners to stay at home. I just saw a video of it showing the guy was out by a step but the problem is with the ball and glove and that takes an OF camera angle. A slight bobble is visible but the pitcher might have even re-snagged it before the runner hit the base. I feel for the pitcher and the ump, the call could go either way.

[Berzerker]

finally got a replay and it looks snow coned and the pitcher held it there with the end of the glove and then snapped the glove shut snagging the ball. I'd say he had control of it... but I also see what may have fooled the ump into thinking the ball was bobbled.

bummer

[-Jrabbit]

That play is called an "out" by every ump in the world. He has no angle to judge any supposed juggle.

[OzzyKP]

Agreed. Berz is trying to rationalize what everyone (including the guy who made it) says is a really bad call.

[Ming]

I have really mixed emotions on this one. On one, he got totally screwed by a bad call. He should go down in history as pitching a no hitter, and not as the guy who got screwed out of one. He earned it! On the other hand, baseball has always been dependent on the human nature of umpires. There have been many bad calls in the past, and until they go to instant replays, there will be more bad calls in the future, with some of them having a big impact on baseball history. They get remembered for what they are... bad calls that influenced history. I actually think they made the right decision not to overturn the call. It is what it is...

[OzzyKP]

Oh, cool, I'm a deity.

[SlowwHand]

Galarraga has been very cool about the blown call. Jim Joyce felt terrible and admitted instantly that he blew the call. Galarraga gets a new Corvette. It could have been worse.

[Ming]

Both handled it better than could be expected. That's probably the best thing that could have come out of this.
I hope other umpires and players learn from these excellent examples. It's just a game... and humans are involved... and humans make mistakes. Even if they go to instant replay, there will still be mistakes, but hopefully, far less of them.

[Guynemer]

While I agree with you, and there is no doubt that overturning the call would open a can of worms...

So what?

If getting the call right leads to other calls getting overturned, isn't that a good thing? Shouldn't we strive to get it right all the time? Why is inconvenience a reason to not do the right thing?

[ColdWizard]

I think Guynemer has just volunteered to review all the bad calls in the history of baseball.

[Ming]

While I agree with you, and there is no doubt that overturning the call would open a can of worms...

So what?

If getting the call right leads to other calls getting overturned, isn't that a good thing? Shouldn't we strive to get it right all the time? Why is inconvenience a reason to not do the right thing?

I would have no real problem if they had overturned the call on the field before the next play. I wish the umps had gotten together and looked at the replay and changed the call even though there isn't instant replay in this case. Many times the umps get together after a play, review what everybody saw and try to make the right call. But it didn't happen... and the game continued. And like in football, then it's simply too late.

Either let the umps call the game, or bring in instant replay. Make the call on the field, not later in some boardroom.

[OzzyKP]

I think Guynemer has just volunteered to review all the bad calls in the history of baseball.

Obviously there is no need to make this any kind of retroactive. Nor did this call affect anything at all besides record books. No one's schedule or record will be affected, just whether AG gets credit for a perfect game or not. There is no harm done in reversing it.

Especially if they are going to look into making replay a part of the game in the future, why not just start with this one case now?