Perfection Denied

It is disappointing to see umpire Jim Joyce's blown call deprive Detroit Tigers' pitcher, Armando Galaraga, of a perfect game. It is also disappointing to hear the media cries for remedy. A perfect game must be that. Perfection is a demand everywhere on the field, including the officials. One may loose a perfect game due to a fielding error or a great play not made as well as a bad call. Luck has a substantial role. The worst suggestion I hear is that Commissioner Bud “Bud Lite” Selig should over rule the call by Joyce and manufacture perfection. This is a horrible idea and denigrates the twenty instances of faultlessness in baseball history.

I hear the hue and cry amongst some of the media for expanded instant replay. I may be old school, but I think mistakes are part of the game and over the course of 162 games they tend to even out. The exception today is that the Yankees and Red Sox get too many calls which they should not. Oakland Athletics post game radio buffoon, Chris Townsend, advocates for instant replay because of horrible officiating. Townsend goes further, suggesting a computerized system be used to call balls and strikes. Once again, blown calls even out and MLB still has the ability to adjust the system to benefit “special” teams.

No one likes blown calls, but instant replay would also eliminate many eminently entertaining moments. One is the blown call at first base in the 1985 World Series between the Cardinals and Royals by Don Denkinger. The Cardinals loose their cool and surrender a late Game 6 lead and then loose Game 7. Since I am a fan of neither team, this is completely entertaining and a good lesson in consequences of not maintaining one's composure. In the case of yesterday's game, instant replay would deprive us of the display of class by Galaraga, Joyce and eventually Tigers' manager, Jim Leyland.