On Galarraga's 28 Out Perfect Game
I'm a fan of many things, but both baseball and justice top the list. Yesterday, there was injustice done on the baseball field and I want to address it. Armando Galarraga, a young Tigers pitcher, had retired 26 batters in a row without any errors, hits or walks. Then Jason Donald hit a ground ball to the first basemen who threw it to Galarraga who was covering first. Donald was out, but was called safe by the first plate umpire. It created a huge mess. But Galarraga then went back and got the next batter out. But all is not right. How can we create justice here? The way I want to approach it is to take the individuals involved perspective and to see what provides justice for all.
ARMANDO GALARRAGA: A classy guy who was clearly robbed of having his name among some great names as one of only 21 guys who have pitched a perfect game. After the bad call, he amazingly had a nervous smile on his face. No angry words, just disappointment. And nothing will take that back. In fact, he will forever be honored by the unique situation that happened. Giving him a perfect game won't change what happened. What's done is done. However, what happened should not have happened.
JIM JOYCE: Another classy guy. This guy made a mistake. And he had to publicly admit it. He cried in front of America for one call he got wrong. His family received death threats. In one call, his whole integrity was under scrutiny - his job was under question - and his reputation was tarnished. This guy tried to make the right call and realized that he was wrong. But by the time he figured it out there was nothing he could do. What's done is done. Thankfully both those guys are classy enough to move past it.
BUD SELIG: The bad guy. He throws people to the wolves and then makes little changes to policy that don't prevent things like this from happening in the future. With current technology, plays like the one that tainted the perfect game could easily be reviewed quickly in order to ensure that the call on the field was correct. But Selig always talks about the "human element being a part of baseball". Being human means not only that humans make mistakes, but also that we need accountability and help to make good decisions. Resisting change that helps to aid people making good decisions is foolish and should be punished. What happened could have been prevented had Selig listened before. If Selig had considered how to protect his umpires and players.
FUTURE UMPIRES & REFS: What would you rather have? A system that if you make a mistake chews you up and spits you out, or a system that helps you make the right call and if you don't make the right call, helps to correct you and gives you relief. For me, I want to know that the place I am working and the people in my life are all about accountability - pointing me in the right direction when I make a mistake so that I don't have to make huge mistakes that jeopardize my integrity, my job, and my reputation.
YOU: Do you have structures and people in your life from making mistakes that could destroy your life? None of us are perfect, and often all it takes is people helping to right us in the situation that completely diffuses these situations. Make sure you have accountability in your life, in your job, in everything!
ARMANDO GALARRAGA: A classy guy who was clearly robbed of having his name among some great names as one of only 21 guys who have pitched a perfect game. After the bad call, he amazingly had a nervous smile on his face. No angry words, just disappointment. And nothing will take that back. In fact, he will forever be honored by the unique situation that happened. Giving him a perfect game won't change what happened. What's done is done. However, what happened should not have happened.
JIM JOYCE: Another classy guy. This guy made a mistake. And he had to publicly admit it. He cried in front of America for one call he got wrong. His family received death threats. In one call, his whole integrity was under scrutiny - his job was under question - and his reputation was tarnished. This guy tried to make the right call and realized that he was wrong. But by the time he figured it out there was nothing he could do. What's done is done. Thankfully both those guys are classy enough to move past it.
BUD SELIG: The bad guy. He throws people to the wolves and then makes little changes to policy that don't prevent things like this from happening in the future. With current technology, plays like the one that tainted the perfect game could easily be reviewed quickly in order to ensure that the call on the field was correct. But Selig always talks about the "human element being a part of baseball". Being human means not only that humans make mistakes, but also that we need accountability and help to make good decisions. Resisting change that helps to aid people making good decisions is foolish and should be punished. What happened could have been prevented had Selig listened before. If Selig had considered how to protect his umpires and players.
FUTURE UMPIRES & REFS: What would you rather have? A system that if you make a mistake chews you up and spits you out, or a system that helps you make the right call and if you don't make the right call, helps to correct you and gives you relief. For me, I want to know that the place I am working and the people in my life are all about accountability - pointing me in the right direction when I make a mistake so that I don't have to make huge mistakes that jeopardize my integrity, my job, and my reputation.
YOU: Do you have structures and people in your life from making mistakes that could destroy your life? None of us are perfect, and often all it takes is people helping to right us in the situation that completely diffuses these situations. Make sure you have accountability in your life, in your job, in everything!