Almost Perfect...

If you are any type of sports fan, you've heard how Armando Galarraga narrowly missed pitching the 3rd perfect of the year on a missed call by ump Jim Joyce. I've been very impressed at how Armando Galarraga has handled this. He hasn't ranted and raved about the call. He's accepted that this is part of baseball. It is amazing how many calls umpires do get right considering all the plays that happen so fast.

I am glad Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig didn't reverse the call. One, I believe this would have tainted the perfect game. Secondly, I don't think a game result shouldn't be reversed like that. There are other games that end on bizarre calls that could ultimately be pushed to be reversed. You never know when a game you lose in April that you should have won could be the one game you needed to get in the playoffs later in the year.

I will also tell you that I am firmly against instant replay. Jonathan and I get in this argument quite often. He's all for it. I am a purist who loves wooden bats, detests the DH and wouldn't like instant replay. How would you handle it? Would you have a certain number of challenges? What would the penalty (like losing a timeout in the NFL) be for an unsuccessful challenge?

Finally, this of course reminded me of the 1985 World Series. I remember watching game 6 with my girlfriend. The Cardinals had taken a 1-0 into the bottom of the ninth. Despite having lost Bruce Sutter to free agency over the winter, the Cardinal bullpen had not blown a lead in the 9th and lost a game all YEAR. The rookie flamethrower Mark Worrell was in the game and he'd been lights out over the last part of the year. Jorge Orta was called safe at first by Don Dekinger in similar play to the one last night and replays showed he was out. Of course, the Cardinals still could have won, but a couple of misplays by Jack Clark and Darrell Porter plus a key hit by former Cardinal hero Dane Iorg (who they never should have let go) beat them. They couldn't recover and got creamed 10-0 in game 7. But, I still have fond memories of that game. As I sat there devastated by the loss, my girlfriend put her arms around me and kissed me on the cheek and said "It'll be OK honey". She could have said "It's just a stupid game, get over it", but she didn't. I thought "Wow, what a wonderful girl this is!". I still think that to this day and she still cheers with me when my teams win and consoles me when they lose.