UPDATE: Jim Joyce is behind the plate for today’s Tigers/Indians game, and he came out with the waterworks flowing. Armando Galarraga presented the Tigers’ lineup card to Joyce, who then really turned on the tears. You almost feel bad for him until you watch the video below, which has been updated with a working copy.
Armando “Not So Big Cat” Galarraga flirted with history last night, as he was vying for the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball history, the unprecedented third perfect game of this early season, and the first in Detroit Tigers history. But with two outs, Cleveland Indians shortstop Jason Donald hit a weak grounder to second that was cut off by Miguel Cabrera, whose throw to Galarraga covering first appeared to be in time. But veteran umpire Jim Joyce called Donald safe, and for the first time ever, the city of Detroit knew the meaning of sad.
Joyce’s insanely stupid bonehead call not only cost Galarraga his perfect game, but a no-hitter as well, leaving the 28-year old Venezuelan with a stinky old complete game shutout. Joyce was booed by Detroit fans throughout the final at-bat for Cleveland, and Detroit manager Jim Leyland put down his pack of Camel Wides long enough to give Joyce an earful, before the 23-year umpire was escorted off the field. After the game, Joyce watched the replay and made a humble admission of guilt for his blind-as-a-bat idiotic doodie-for-brains call.
Spurn your own, MLB.com:
Joyce blew a call, the most important of his life, and he knew it.
“It was the biggest call of my career and I kicked the [stuff] out of it,” he said. “I just cost that kid a perfect game after he pitched his [butt] off all night.”
“I had a great angle, and I missed the call,” he said. “I really thought he beat the ball. At that time, I thought he beat the ball. After I heard from the Tigers, who had obviously seen a replay, I asked the guy in the room to cue up the play as soon as we got in here, and I missed it from here to that wall.”
Galarraga, all things considered, handled the amazingly mind-blowingly batsh*t call with maturity and decency, as he offered only a smile after he realized that Donald was called safe. After the game, and after hearing Joyce’s admission, Galarraga commented: “He apologized. He feels really bad. Nobody is perfect.” See what he did there?
Despite his turd-a-riffic Corky-esque call of epic lunacy, Joyce is widely considered one of the best umpires in baseball. Upon hearing of this debacle, umpire Joe West called a press conference and took credit for the BP oil spill.
In case you just were just melted from a 2,000-year frozen slumber, here’s the call in question:
![[avatar]](http://p.uproxxcdn.com/photo/1110/thumb)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Andrew-McCutchen-and-Anthony-Bourdain-180x180.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Hypnotoad-180x180.gif)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Naked-Old-Bro-180x180.jpg)
![[image]](http://cdn.wl.uproxx.com/wp-content/thumbnails/130/110/2013/05/Johnny-Manziel-with-Davey-Johnson-180x180.jpg)
Dude, this was so bad even NPR covered it. NPR. Wow.
I mean really, 9th inning with two fucking outs? The guy is INSANE.
This was a pretty shitty call given that when turning two, a shortstop only needs to be within yelling distance of second base for the ump to call an out.
I was literally sick watching this. If you watch Joyce even fucking hesitates with the call. Why did Cabrera get that ball though? It wasn’t an obvious 2nd baseman’s ball, but damn close to it.
The moment of hesitation that Joyce has before making the call was when his mustache convinced him that Galarraga was probably an illegal immigrant. No way a guy with that kind of facial hair isn’t a racist.
My Ohio friend and I were trying to watch the Reds/Cards game and we were getting furious that ESPN kept going over in the 6th and 7th. Needless to say, this made it all worthwhile. Not that I condone this idiocy.
@SpecialK – good thing they weren’t playing the Dbacks!
Losing a perfect game on a blown call should only happen to douchebag pitchers like Josh Beckett.
Good thing this didn’t happen in Philly. They would shot him, set his car on fire and vomited on his children….
Watch today’s game if you can, Joyce is scheduled to be the home plate ump.
No, really, 9th inning, two outs. Kid coulda hit the thing outta the park and I would have called him out.
So when MLB decides to expand video replay this winter, will they call it the Armando Galarraga Rule or the Jim Joyce Rule? Are the bases half-full or half-empty?
and for the first time ever, the city of Detroit knew the meaning of sad.
As a side note, this may be one of the greatest things ever written in sports history.
It’s so cold in the D.
.:’::.’:::.:..:’.::”.::
Yeah, wrote that so Jim Joyce could read it!
Pauly, you just might have to become an honorary Midwest 3 member for that one. You’re white, right?
I had the perfect comment on this last night. I said that if…
*Jim Joyce busts through wall*
SAFE!
@Burnsy: “Ohio friend” is the best euphemism ever for “guy who shits on my chest”.
I can’t figure out why uproxx still has me logged in as SpecialK when it says JHC on the freaking screen, but I’m okay with Pauly being in the MW3.
Never mind. Apparently I just had to wish hard enough for it to change.
*wishes he could satisfy women, wishes he could satisfy women*
I’ve made some bad decisions in my life (most that have been erased by abortion) but that was the worst I have ever seen.
I was fine with the call. After all, the human element makes the game of baseball just so much more enjoyable! Like when Chuck Knoblauch misses a tag by 2 yards or when some asshole from Staten Island brings a ball into the stands for a homerun! So much more fun than getting it right! WHHHHEEEEE!
I’ve just doubled the amount of MLB I’ve watched in the last 12 years combined with that 1 minute video.
GAAHHHHH. As a life long Michiganian (or whatever we’re called, besides assholes I mean) this is the worst fucking thing I’ve seen. And I watch the Lions. That said, unreal how Galarraga handled it. I’ve had gone Christian Bale in American Pyscho on Joyce at that point.
On the plus side, this has bumped Celtics/Lakers out of the lead story on ESPN.
Stupid mick probably drank his lunch
/is a mick who often drinks his lunch
“Awww, man I shouldn’t have ate that Taco Bell before th 5K run.”
“Yeah, that was a Jim Joyce, bro.”
“I totally went raw-dog on that stripper!”
“Yeah, that was a Jim Joyce, Bro DiMaggio.”
“5 Patron shots!”
“Jim Joyce, Brohammed Ali.”
“I think I’m going to marry this one.”
“Does she go A2M? No? Jim Joyce, Bro Namath.”
You’re never wrong with a mustache that glorious. Great call, Blue!
Banner cap: FIGHTS TWO DEMONS!
Oh BOO HOOO….the millionaire pitcher didnt get his perfect game…THE HORROR!!!
@PFJ
Dude, not only you a fucking douche, but fucking wrong.
2007-2007 Signed 1-year, $380,000 contract with the Texas Rangers on Feb 18,2007.
2008-2008 Signed 1-year, $390,000 contract with the Detroit Tigers on Feb 26,2008.
2009-2009 Signed 1-year, $435,000 contract with the Detroit Tigers on Feb 28,2009.
2010-2010 Signed 1-year, $400,000 contract with the Detroit Tigers on Mar 2,2010.
The dude was in AAA-Toledo two weeks ago.
This was too easy of a call to miss. He did it on purpose.
The guy lives in Ohio, is an Indians fan, his whole family leaves in Ohio, went to college in Ohio and he’s a Hillbilly.
Homer + Racist = bad call.
Yes, the guy is “sorry” because he didn’t think people would be threatening to kill him. He’s sorry now. But he didn’t want to be associated with “basically” a Mexican perfect gaming his Indians…