The perfect game that never existed!

Generally the days of holding up athletes as role models are all but over, but should one need to look for one, perhaps a gaze no further than to the Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Armando Gallaraga.

The Tigers pitcher was clearly robbed on Wednesday night, when First base umpire Jim Joyce blew the call on what would have been the final out of the game providing the pitcher with one of baseball's most elusive marks, the perfect game.  

The call at first has become perhaps one of the most viewed of sports clips in recent months as the play at first is repeated in frame by frame slow motion, much to the agony of umpire Joyce we imagine.



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After the game, the umpire admitted that he had made an error, going into the Tigers locker room to apologize to the pitcher and his team for the error on the field.

In an era where athletes throw hissy fits if the water cooler isn't at the right temperature or the Gatorade table is too far from the bench, it was refreshing to see Gallarago able to put aside the disappointment of the lost near achievement, let alone accept the umpire's apology so graciously, a lesson that perhaps some Tiger's fans could take a note from.

The two met again on Thursday afternoon where Gallarago again showed some class having brought out the line up card for the day's game he consoled the umpire in the course of their exchange.  

In the wake of the blow call, Commissioner Bud Selig ruled that he would not reverse the call, a decision that seems to have split the baseball community as to whether that was the right path to take.

It also has raised once again the need to introduce instant replay into the long time American past time, in order to make sure that such situations are adjudicated correctly. A move that will have baseball purists shaking their heads about how time should stand still for their game and how the human element of the game has always had a place in the history of the sport.

Though one suspects that Gallarago, denied of his place in that lore of the game, probably wouldn't have minded a little assist from technology on Wednesday night. Though he has received some form of reward for his even mannered demeanour, beyond the accolades from all corners he has received a fancy red Corvette to help take the sting out of his lost spot in the record books.

USA Today-- Bud Selig speaks: Commissioner won't reverse blown call, will examine more instant replay
National Post-- Father Raymond J. de Souza: In Galarraga’s case, absolution is due
New York Times-- Error After the Fact Can Do Justice to Galarraga
MSNBC-- Selig blew perfect chance to be leader for once
Washington Post-- Perfect in our book
Kansas City Star-- A person's character...
Detroit Free Press-- Baseball says it won't change disputed Galarraga call
Detroit Free Press-- Fans applaud Galarraga for being perfect gentleman
Detroit Free Press-- White House jokes about executive order for Galarraga
Detroit Free Press-- Granholm, Dingell, Stabenow applaud Galarraga's game
Detroit News-- MLB will not reverse blown call in Tigers game 
Detroit News--Tigers' Galarraga still gracious day after blown call 
Detroit News-- Selig makes a statement, but what does it mean?
SI.com-- Gammons' stands up for umps
SI.com-- Selig should review Joyce's blown call for the future, not the past 
SI.com-- For good of the game, Selig needs to reverse ump's blown call 
SI.com-- The Lesson of Jim Joyce