On this day, but 13 years ago, MLB saw one of the biggest umpire controversies in recent memory.
Pitcher Armando Galarraga, then with the Detroit Tigers, was one out away from a perfect game when he induced Jason Donald to hit a weak ground ball.
Miguel Cabrera fielded it and threw it to Galarraga, who was covering first base.
Umpire Jim Joyce, one of the best in the business, called Donald safe.
Replays, however, proved he was clearly out, which would have completed Galarraga’s perfect game.
There wasn’t a system to reverse bad calls back then, so the game kept going and Galarraga retired the 28th batter to finish the shutout.
Through the years, it was called “the 28-out perfect game.”
Joyce handled the situation gracefully, just like Galarraga: the former acknowledged his mistake and apologized to Galarraga, who accepted it with no issues.
That game became famous around the baseball universe.
Fans, of course, took advantage of the anniversary to reminisce on the game and how everybody handled their part.
Crazy thing is it wasn’t even close or bang-bang.
The runner was out by about 2’.
Disgraceful.
— Cookin wita Salt (@SaltWita) June 2, 2023
Many people have asked the league to officially recognize it as a perfect game:
Go back and grant him the perfect game. It’s just the right thing to do. It’s NEVER too late to admit a mistake.
— UID 1 (@HackForumsNet) June 2, 2023
I was sick watching this then and I am still sick watching it today. A baseball travesty. Commish such fix this given circumstances.
— allen.earth.eth 🛡️🦇🔊 (@0xAllen_) June 2, 2023
It STILL absolutely galls me that Bud Selig didn’t do the right thing and correct this in the aftermath. The fact @MLB hasn’t corrected this yet is my biggest complaint with the people that run the game. He threw a PERFECT GAME!! Period.
— Michael Chamberlain (@MCvoice70) June 2, 2023
That could really open up a can of worms, though, because there are even worse umpiring mistakes throughout the history of the game.
You could say the game sparked the controversy about introducing the instant replay and official reviews.
I will never forget this game. And how livid I was at Jim Joyce afterward. With all the complaints about reviews and instant replay, this game is one VERY big argument in their favor.
— Deb Seymour (@DebSeymour51) June 2, 2023
The game was so famous, and the play so widely discussed that despite Galarraga pitching for several teams and Joyce being one of the best umpires of his generation, people remember both for their roles in what happened on June 2, 2010 almost exclusively.
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