A perfect game became a one hitter for Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga on Wednesday night when veteran umpire Jim Joyce clearly blew a call at first base.
It was not 27 up and 27 down. Insted, it was another huge strike for baseball, which has refused to use TV replay to its full potential despite the ability of the technology to help the sport.
For some, the discussion in the aftermath of the blown call -- and it will begin to intensify Wednesday morning with sports-talk shows across the nation -- will focus the baseball side of the argument. A lost perfect game lost does matter.
For others, the focus will be on the use of replay in baseball. Problems with the integrity and practice of the sport matter more.
While baseball has replay, its limited scope does not include safe-and-out calls like that at first base in the Indians-Tigers game. So, Joyce's obvious mistake was not reviewable. And instead of an appropriate ending (with Galarraga hustling over and cover first base to close out his perfect game) the sport got a black eye.
Immediate kudos to ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kurkjian, though. His reaction segment used television and online showed why he's one of the best baseball experts in the business. He was accurate, honest and measured.
If Major League Baseball can take this aggregious error and build from it any way that's half a appropirate as Kurkjian's work here, it would certainly be a positive step for the sport.
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