An umpire was in tears as he walked onto the field to face the nation the day after a moment that will live in baseball infamy. INSIDE EDITION has the story.
An umpire was in tears as he walked onto the field to face the nation, the day after a moment that will live in baseball infamy.
Look at the slow motion replay! It clearly shows the runner was out and the umpire blew what should have been the final out of a perfect game. The ump ruined what would have been only the 21st perfect game in Major League Baseball's 134-year history.
The call was so shocking that it made the front and back pages of the New York Daily News. "Worst call ever," reads the front page. "Nobody's perfect," says the back.
"It sure looks like he is out at first base," Regis said on Live with Regis and Kelly.
At Major League Baseball headquarters in Manhattan, Commissioner Bud Selig is deciding whether to review the blown call. Under baseball rules, he does have the power to reverse it.
The umpire under fire is Jim Joyce, a 21-year veteran who Major League players once voted the second best ump in baseball.
He made this remarkable public apology in a radio interview after the game: "No, I did not get the call correct. I kicked [expletive deleted] out of it. This is a history call. And I kicked [expletive deleted] out of it. And there's nobody that feels worse than I do. I took a perfect game away from that kid over there who worked his [expletive deleted] off all night."
Detroit Tigers's pitcher Armando Galarraga was robbed of the perfect game. 27 batters up, 27 down. But he somehow managed to crack a smile after the horrible call.
He graciously refused to criticize the ump and is now being praised for defining class and good sportsmanship. Galaragga even gave credit to Joyce for his sincere apology.
The pitcher got a standing ovation from fans and teammates and was also presented with a brand new red Corvette!
Then came the moment at the stadium in Detroit. The ump, taking his lumps like a man, took the field. His eyes were red with tears as he was given the lineup card by, of all people, Galarraga.
Joyce gave the pitcher a tap on the shoulder, a gesture of regret for the moment that will now go down in sports history.
