On Thursday, June 3, 2010, Major League Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said he would not over turn umpire Jim Joyce's call and award Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game.
The night before, June 2, 2010, Joyce blew a call at first base that would have been the final out of Galarraga's perfect game. Instead, Galarraga finished with a 1-hitter and a 3-0 complete game victory over the Cleveland Indians.
Obviously, the commissioner doesn't want to set a precedent of overturning umpire calls but in this case he missed an opportunity.
What he should have done is announced that he would announce a decision on Monday. That way, people could discuss this issue for four days.
Then on Monday, he should have awarded Galarraga his perfect game.
There have been two perfect games thrown this year. Name the pitchers?
You can't.
In fact, there have been 20 perfect games in the history of baseball and unless you're an ardent fan you can't name one of the pitchers (with the exception of maybe Don Larsen who threw his in the World Series).
While they are rare, perfect games and no-hitters are overrated especially when it comes to promoting the sport.
The commissioner missed an opportunity to promote his league and make Galarraga a household name or something close.
Overriding the call would have had zero effect on the standings while meaning a lot to Galarraga, the Tigers and their fans. And if you're worried about setting the wrong precedent then that's what the word "no" is for.
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