VIDEO: Baseball Umpire Costs Pitcher Perfect Game With Blown Call
June 3 2010, Published 9:20 a.m. ET
You don't want to be MLB umpire Jim Joyce today.
Joyce made what will go down as arguably one of the most controversial calls in the history of the baseball Wednesday, as his admitted mistake cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a place in the record books as the 21st pitcher in the game’s 135-year history to throw a perfect game.
Watch the clip on RadarOnline.com
With Comerica Park buzzing in anticipation, Galarraga was cruising with a 3-0 lead with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning. The batter, light-hitting Cleveland Indian shortstop Jason Donald, hit a groundball that was scooped up by Tiger first baseman Miguel Cabrera and tossed to Galarraga (who was covering first base) seemingly a step ahead of the batter.
"Safe!!" Joyce yelled to the dismay of the stadium, ending Galarraga's bid at record-book immortality.
Proving there is crying in baseball sometimes, the umpire was teary and sorrowful following the game, and to his credit, apologized to the pitcher and admitted he had made a mistake.
"It was the biggest call of my career, and I kicked the stuff out of it," Joyce said. "I just cost that kid a perfect game."
The situation made for a hotbed story Thursday, as Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm Tweeted that she would make a gubernatorial proclamation "declaring Galarraga pitched a perfect game."
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