Last Thursday, you couldn’t go near a TV, radio or computer without hearing numerous opinions on what Major League Baseball should or shouldn’t do regarding Armando Galarraga’s “perfect” game.
Now, color me jaded, while I like the fact that people were talking baseball…a tiny part of my love of the game died when I heard it being discussed by the likes of Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford and Joy Behar.
Which brings me to some opinions that matter…those of current and former professional ballplayers. What follows are the real time tweets of some baseball players that took to the Twittersphere last Wednesday night and Thursday morning to make their thoughts public.
@michael_schlact (Michael Schlact): My old teammate and buddy Armando Galarraga is throwing a “gem” right now in Detroit. I highly, highly recommend you tune in NOW.
Minutes later…
@michael_schlact (Schlact): Worst call by an umpire. Ever. Armando Galarraga, you’ve been robbed of baseball history.
@CJNitkowski (C.J. Nitkowski): Wow!!!!! Not sure who I feel more sorry for, Gallaraga or Joyce.
@jonadkinsWV (Jon Adkins): Galaragga just was robbed of a perfect gm. Was not even close at 1b! Wow!
@MattAntonelli9 (Matt Antonelli): Man I hope jim joyce isn’t on Twitter.
@RobbieW19 (Robbie Weinhardt): That’s bad Jim Joyce!!!
@michael_schlact (Schlact): I think Miguel Cabrera’s reaction to the whole play and to the ump’s call really sums up the entire situation. Sad for everyone involved.
@broshuis (Garrett Broshuis): Perfect game means perfect–including umpiring.
@str8edgeracer (C.J. Wilson): I’m really really really glad I didn’t see it but I’m 100% sure that expanding replay will be a topic during the offseason with union+selig
@Utbaseball30 (Scot Drucker): CHANGE THE CALL. It won’t affect the outcome of the game, rather it gives credit to a feat that by all measures is one of the toughest things to do in sports. The guy deserves to have a perfect game to his credit. Nothing has ever been done like this before, but that’s because nothing like this has ever happened before. The Tigers win the game no matter what the call is and I suspect Jason Donald won’t cry too much to have a hit taken away. Galarraga deserves to have his name in the books and not have people say, “Well, he threw one, but it didn’t count.” That’s crap. Not to mention the kid has been as classy as humanly possible.
@OzzieGuillen (Ozzie Guillen): Great job manager leyland you are class act send galarraga to the plate great baseball man
@TheGarfoose (Dirk Hayhurst): I feel bad for Joyce as well, knowing that he admits he’s wrong but can’t be absolved of his error must hurt more then Galarraga’s wound
@TheGarfoose (Hayhurst): I have to rule in favor of reversal here, for both people involved. It’s the right, and merciful thing to do, though historians may scoff
@broshuis (Broshuis): Have to agree with the decision not to overturn the call. Fallibility has a rich place within baseball history. It’s now in the past.
There were PLENTY more tweets out there as all Hell broke loose across Twitter, but it is this sampling that tells the story best. While everyone was pretty much shocked at Jim Joyce’s call…there was no consensus as to what MLB commissioner Bud Selig should do.
Former big leaguers C.J. Nitkowski and Brent Mayne took to their respective blogs to further voice their thoughts. Both are good reads and give some insight into how some players think.
Personally, I was in the “leave it alone” camp the minute I saw the play and I still am nearly a week later. Changing it would have opened up too many cans of worms.
What do you think? Vote over there in the righthand margin and leave your comments below!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
