Monday, June 14, 2010

The erratic play of the Detroit Tigers, which has the ballclub mired in mediocrity behind the Minnesota Twins in the American League Central Division, seldom warrants a five-page story in Sports Illustrated with 10 color photos. A feature on triple crown threat Miguel Cabrera is overdue. It was a week former South Bend Central teacher and coach John Wooden passed away at 99. Ken Griffey Jr. retired with 630 home runs untainted by steroid scandal, but no World Series rings. The Chicago Blackhawks captured their first Stanley Cup in 49 years since the glory days of Bobby Howe and Stan Mikita because the old UCLA coach spared them the SI cover jinx.

What commanded so many imaginations was fallout from the improbable imperfect game Armando Galarraga, 28, threw against the Cleveland Indians June 2 in 88 tosses. He took the mound with a 51-55 career record for 12 teams in three organizations, starting with the Expos, who signed him for $3,000 at 16 in 1998. Galarraga credits his parents – mom Marizat teaches chemistry and dad Pepe is a marine biologist – for his calm.

The Venezuelan schooling Americans in sportsmanship didn’t even make the Tigers coming out of spring training. Detroit kept the departed Dontrelle Willis and summoned Galarraga from Toledo May 16. Yet “when SI picks its Sportsman of the Year, Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce should be in the mix,” writes columnist, Dan Patrick.

Hall of Fame Boston baseball writer Peter Gammons admitted, “We live in such an uncivil world. People screaming at each other, umpires throwing players out just to prove they can. And then you’ve got Joyce saying, ‘I blew the call.’ And he was clearly upset about it. Galarraga is my favorite player of the year.”

A University of Chicago finance professor calculatesd the odds at 1,083,100:1 of three perfect games being pitched within a span of 350 major league games from the May 9 gem by A’s lefty Dallas Braden, the May 29 masterpiece by Phillies righty Roy Halladay and the June 2 near-miss of Galarraga.

Less than 24 hours after Joyce, a 54-year-old Toledo native who lives in Oregon and worked the 2001 World Series, mistakenly said Galarraga was beaten to the bag, the pitcher met the umpire at home plate for a public display of forgiveness for what was already being called the most heartbreaking call in baseball history at the end of 104  minutes at Comerica Park.

There was Galarraga, ball in his glove, his right foot planted on the bag after taking the throw from first baseman Cabrera for what should have been the 27th out of the 21st perfect game in baseball history. Galarraga soldiered on to secure the 28th out, his fame secure for losing a perfect game in such cruel fashion. Instead of the formality of an out called by Joyce, the first base umpire signaled runner Jason Donald, who bounced a grounder to Cabrera, safe.

As Tigers teammates held their heads in shock and Manager Jim Leyland, reared in Perrsyburg, Ohio, near Toledo, shouted at Joyce, Galarraga, his place in history seemingly snatched away at the last instant, contributed a faint smile of disbelief. “With the nerves coming out, I just laughed,” the pitcher said.

“His smile is burned into my memory,” Joyce said three days later. “I am absolutely enthralled with the way Armando has handled this.”

“When I saw him,” Galarraga said, “I was like, ‘Oh, my God.’ He was red, like a tomato. He hugged me right away. Not even one word” until Joyce managed “Lo siento” (I’m sorry) and began to cry. “He tried to talk,” Galarraga recalled. “He’d say a couple of words. ‘You were perfect, I was not.’ I felt so bad. I didn’t feel bad for me. I felt bad for him.”

The following day applause greeted Joyce at Comerica Park as Galarraga, presented a red Corvette by General Motors, handed the ump Detroit’s lineup.

Joyce teared up. Joyce was also greeted warmly at the airport traveling to his next assignment in Philadelphia.

By the weekend, Joyce, in his 33rd year in baseball, said, “The whole thing switched and became all positive.”

Our spin-addicted politicians would do well to remember that courage to quickly admit and to apologize for mistakes can make that the memory rather than a botched call.