Jim Joyce Gets Call Right

Moments like what we saw last night are a true rarity in professional sports in the year 2010. Take a quick look at the headlines on the TSN site and you will see that Revis is unhappy with the Jets about something (I assume money/contract) and Jose Canseco is testifying regarding the Roger Clemens episode (did anybody know that was even going on). You can find dozens of stories similar to these by simplying searching the headlines of the past few weeks. Very few people in this world (maybe Gandi and Martin Luther King Jr.) could have responded with the grace that Armando Gallaraga responded with last night. He showed class and humility that is rarely seen in this day and age, especially as it pertains to professional sports.

Speaking of humility, we also should mention Jim Joyce. Yes, most people would be upset with themselves if they cost somebody a perfect game but not everybody would have responded in the same apologetic manner that Joyce did. The man is obviously upset with himself but at least he had the courage to get back on the field today and do his job. Oh yeah, and he admitted that he made a wrong call. That is rare also, even on as blatant a call as the one last night.

I commend Bud Selig for not overturning the call. Calls on the field should NOT be made at MLB headquarters. Calls on the field should be made by the umpires and maybe occasionally an INSTANT REPLAY system. Even if Bud Selig had overturned it I doubt Galarrage nor fans would have ever been able to truly appreciate it. One of the great things about sports is the rare, yes rare, human error that we see. As devastating as this was it was nice to see human beings who know how to handle things correctly on all ends. In 10 years nobody will really remember it anyways.