Perfect Game - not

If you missed it, Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game, but due to terrible call by umpire Jim Joyce, it was lost after 8 and 2/3 innings. The call wasn't even close. The umpire blew it. To put this in to perspective, prior to this year, 18 perfect games had been thrown in the entire history of Major League Baseball. Those who have done it join an elite group. Galarraga will not be one of them do to an errant decision by the umpire.

However, there are larger messages to be learned from last night's perfect game that wasn't. If I were watching it with my son, I would hope to point out the following after the bad call:

• Nobody is perfect.
  
• Life is not fair. Never think it is.

The day after, here is one article that puts things in an even better perspective. In light of that article, I would note the following to my son:

1. The umpire acknowledged his mistake: "I just cost that kid a perfect game," he said.
2. The umpire approached the pitcher and expressed remorse and apologized. Apparently he had tears in his eyes and apologized multiple times the story above said.
3. Immediately after the call, Galarraga was smiling while many were wanting the umps head. Galarraga offered forgiveness. In reference to the situation, he even said to reporters, "What am I going to do?" and "Nobody's Perfect." Classy.

So while the rest of us are screaming, the pitcher and umpire are making things right. They are showing us how to handle the fact that we are not perfect and that life is NOT fair. They are showing us not perfection, but perhaps human nature at it's best. In the grand scheme of things, I'd rather observe these actions over 27 batters not reaching first base.

Another parting thought...

Here's another upside... Galarraga will not be on the growing list of those who have pitched perfect games. But how many can you name on that list? I've got two. Don Larsen who did it in a World Series, and Tom Browning who did it for the Reds, (and I listened to it while it happened). So I can remember two, but I also know of two games that were "almost perfect." Babe Ruth got thrown out of a game after walking the first batter he faced and Ernie Shore picked the runner off of first and then retired the next 26 batters. Shore was perfect, but since a runner reached first, it is only considered a combined no-hitter. And now I will remember this game where Armando Galarraga retired, in reality, 28 batters...with one really bad call. Ironically, and fortunately, he will likely be remembered more because of this than if he had pitched a perfect game.