Should Bud Selig Overturn Jim Joyce's Call?

[Rob D.]

Absolutely not.

[PolarBear]

When the commissioner voids Bonds/McGwire/Sosa etc. HR records, then I'll listen to his reasoning for reversing this call.

[barrysloate]

Leon- the poll is fine as worded.

I too was a little surprised that the umps didn't huddle after the play and have a conference. Is it possible the home plate umpire saw the play well enough to reverse it? Probably not, but that was the moment to discuss it.

And Adam is probably right- seems like we'll just have another perfect game in a week or so.

[Ladder7]

No.

But, Selig's appointment should be reversed.

[ChiefBenderForever]

It's a real mess, it was a perfect game except in the record books but will go down as a historic game much more talked about than had he gotten the correct call. What I don't understand is how a home run can be reviewed but a routine play like this cannot, doesn't make sense. Also have to really question where Joyce had his head was he not even aware that a perfect game was on the line ? I don't think this can be overturned and won't be but get rid of the home run reviews wtf.

[Robextend]

I voted "no". As sickened and disgusted as I was, it is part of the game and it should stand.

[Al C.risafulli]

Absolutely not.

A hundred years from now, they'll be talking about this game. This will be the second most famous perfect game in the history of baseball. Everybody knows it, including the young man who pitched it and the umpire who blew the call.

Absolutely everything about the way this has transpired has been wonderful. The class of Jim Joyce - a respected umpire - for immediately owning up to his mistake, not placing blame or making excuses, and personally apologizing. The grace and dignity of Armando Galarraga, for accepting the apology and conducting his postgame interviews with such poise, never with a negative word to say.

This is baseball, and this is life. People make mistakes that sometimes hurt, and admitting wrongdoing (and accepting apologies) is what we want people to do.

This is how we WANT our athletes to behave. They almost never behave the way we want them to. Why ruin all that by overturning a call?

-Al

[tbob]

Originally Posted by Ladder7

No.

But, Selig's appointment should be reversed.

I agree with Steve on both counts.
No way should it be reversed. It opens up a whole can of worms. Do we now reverse Denkinger's call in the WS? How about the horrible call on Maurer's foul ball that might have changed the entire playoffs between the Yankees and Twins?
The one thing that does bother me is that the ump, even though apologetic and contrite and admitting his mistake, violated an unwritten baseball rule which gives the pitcher the edge on a close call in a situation like this. I remember Larsen's 2 strike pitch in the WS which was in Dale Mitchell's eyes and was called a strike to preserve the perfect game. This wasn't even a close call. The ump blew a call the previous inning which changed a 1-0 game in to a 3-0 game and he isn't even talking about that one.
We don't need to open Pandora's Box. I feel sorry for the pitcher but don't take that one horrible step.

[barrysloate]

Phil- how baseball might implement a review would of course entail some thought. Perhaps it should be only allowed from the ninth inning on. Or maybe a manager is given say one challenge per game, and hope he hasn't used it by the time there are two outs in the ninth inning of a perfect game.

Frankly, I think the umps being allowed to review a home run call is arbitrary. Why is a disputed home run in the first inning any more important than a call at first base to end a perfect game? So it's already compromised. What if you have a disputed double or triple-why can't that be reviewed?

[Leon]

IF it was going to be overturned it should/would have needed to be done before the next pitch. That is my thought on it. Then I could have been ok with it...but not afterwards.

Barry- I didn't know what your verbiage would have been on the poll so just made it easy and obvious.