Galarraga Gets Robbed

Detroit Tigers Starting Pitcher Armando Galarraga almost pitched a perfect game tonight against the Indians.  Check that: He did pitch a perfect game, for everyone who was watching except first base umpire Jim Joyce.  With 2 outs in the top of the 9th inning, a ground ball was hit to the first base side, and Galarraga covered.  He received the ball from 1st baseman Miguel Cabrera and stepped on first base to beat the runner by a half step.  However, Jim Joyce called the runner safe at first, a fairly obvious ‘out’ call.  Galarraga retired the next batter and the Tigers won 3-0, a 1 hitter for Galarraga.  A perfect game was stolen from Armando Galarraga by Jim Joyce, the first base umpire.

My thoughts?  It is probably the worst thing I have ever seen in baseball.  There have only been 20 perfect games thrown in baseball history, including two this season (Dallas Braden, Roy Halladay).  Jim Joyce alone took away perfect game #21 and the 3rd this season.

As an umpire myself, I can honestly say that mistakes happen, and calls are sometimes made that are wrong (although I do not like to admit it at times).  To me, it is ok (not desirable, but ok) that the wrong call was made, because in the heat of the moment, with a slightly bad angle, that call can easily be missed.  However, here is what NEEDED to happen.  Jim Joyce should have realized the situation (a potential perfect game), realized that the call was close and that he didn’t have the ideal view, and ASKED FOR HELP.  When I am umpiring, if I am lucky enough to have a second umpire, and there is a close call on which I was screened, I will first make the call to the best of my ability, call time, then consult the other umpire.  If the umpire either saw the same call I did, or did not see the play clearly enough to be decisive on the ruling, the call will remain the same.  However, if the other umpire is sure that he saw something different, the call will be reversed.

In this situation, the perfect game was on the line, and Jim Joyce knew it.  This situation is a “perfect” situation (no pun intended) to swallow your pride as an umpire and ask for help, so that a pitcher’s career isn’t sidetracked by a bad call.  But Joyce didn’t do that.  Joyce acted like a stubborn, old-time umpire by not asking for help, and that is really not good for the game as a whole.  When umpires think that they are better than everybody and everything else, including their partners and most importantly the game itself, it is time for them to be removed from service.  And if you think I am being harsh, consider that I am an umpire myself, and would criticize myself in the same manner if it were me.  But it wouldn’t be me.  I wouldn’t be stubborn enough to not realize that I may have been wrong, and wouldn’t be stubborn enough to not even call a conference after the play.  This stubborn behavior by umpires is a problem in the Major Leagues, especially among veteran umpires that have been in service for a very long time.  Younger umpires are, on the whole, much more willing to review a call after the play, and are less stubborn in terms of not admitting when they may have been wrong.  It is a problem that needs to be fixed, and it is a problem that cost Galarraga a PERFECT GAME.

So, now that the game is over, what can be done?  Unfortunately, nothing.  They can not go back and change the call, because the situation was settled and could not be reversed when the first pitch was thrown to the next batter.  However, I do believe that there is a way to recognize Galarraga properly, given the information everyone but Jim Joyce had.  I believe that, just as some have campaigned for asteriks to be placed next to records of players such as Barry Bonds and Roger Clemens, an asterik can be placed next to Armando Galarraga’s name in Cooperstown on the list of pitchers who have thrown perfect games.  Galarraga will never throw a perfect game on June 2nd, 2010, but this would be the proper way to recognize a pitcher who was robbed by the man in blue who got “too big for his britches.”

Congrats, Armando.  28 up, 28 down.  Usually you need more than 9 innings to do something special like that.

Mark McGwire’s Steroid Use

Mark McGwire admitted yesterday that he had taken steroids throughout the 1990s, including the 1998 season when he broke Roger Maris’ single season home run record by hitting 70 home runs.  I broke this story concurrent with ESPNEWS yesterday on the blog.  The fact that McGwire had taken steroids does not come as a surprise to many.  Along with Barry Bonds, Mark McGwire became a posterboy for the steroid era in baseball.  He was very evasive at the congressional hearings, and has been reluctant to even speak about the subject since.  To many, this admittance was not a matter of if, but when it would happen. 

Mark McGwire said that he took steroids primarily because of his many injuries, and that he needed to do something to compensate for the “wear and tear” of the season.  He also stated that with the pressures of a 162 game season, steroids kept him helathy and on the field.  Therefore, he said that he only took steroids for health reasons, and did not take them for strength reasons.

McGwire was quoted as saying that he still believes that he would have broken the single season home run record and would still be one of the top power hitters of all time without the use of steroids.  He said “I was given the gift to hit home runs,” and that ever since high school he was the best pure power hitter he himself had ever seen.  He believes that he was able to hit so many home runs because of the shortness of his swing and the backspin he produced on his home runs.

McGwire’s explanation is one of the worst, least thought out explanations I have ever heard.  He wants the public to believe that he took steroids for almost a full decade for only health reasons.  Steroids helped him to stay on the field and play the games, but he doesn’t want others to think that his home run record was impacted by steroids.  Well then, tell me this Mark, even as I entertain your claim that steroids didn’t affect your strength, would you have been able to hit 70 home runs without the steroids which allowed you to get back on the field healthy for each game?  No way.  If the pressures of the game were so much that you could not get on the field for each game, then you didn’t deserve the home run record.  Did Roger Maris have steroids to deal with injuries and pressures?  No he did not.  Maris was under so much pressure that he was getting booed at home because the fans wanted Mikey Mantle to break the home run record.  But Maris didn’t use ster0ids.  He fought through more difficult challenges than McGwire can claim to have faced, and Maris did not use steroids.  McGwire played in one of the most player friendly cities in baseball, St. Louis, for the majority of his home run career.  He wasn’t booed, he didn’t receive death threats, and he didn’t have to worry about any crazy fans trying to kill him every time he stepped to the plate.   Therefore, McGwire has no room to say that he still deserves the home run record despite his steroid use.  McGwire will always be remembered as a very talented player who used steroids, and his use will diminish his career accomplishments.

But let’s be completely serious.  The steroids helped McGwire to hit home runs, they weren’t used just for health reasons.  If one looks at McGwire’s appearance at the beginning of his career and his appearance at the end of his career, one can see a huge difference.  He had “larger than life” muscles and the ball began flying off his bat maybe unlike that of any other player.  Yes Mark, steroids do not give you the hand eye coordination necessary to hit a baseball, but making contact is not the whole story.  Ryan Theriot is an unbelievable contact hitter, and extensive steroid usage would probably help his home run total drastically.  But Theriot does not take steroids, and thereby does not have great home run totals.  Now would McGwire have been a good hitter without steroids? Probably.  Would he be a great home run hitter without steroids? Probably.  But the question posed is whether or not steroids helped him AT ALL on his way to 70 home runs.  The answer has to be yes.  No matter how strong you are, steroids allow you to hit the ball farther.  In addition, for McGwire, steroids helped him to stay on the field and play more games, which allowed him to amass the amount of home runs that he did. 

Therefore, Mark McGwire admitted to taking steroids during the 1990s, but still claims that his 70 home runs in 1998 were legitimate.  He claimed that he only used steroids for health reasons, and that they did not affect his home run total.  First, steroids always allow someone to hit the ball farther, no matter how strong you are.  Second, even if McGwire used steroids only to stay on the field, this still gives him an advantage over past power hitters such as Babe Ruth, Roger Maris, and Hank Aaron.  Therefore, he can not rightly claim ownership of the single season home run record that he set in 1998, and will always be remembered for his steroid use.

In terms of the Hall of Fame, McGwire will still have trouble garnering the 75% of votes necessary to be elected to the Hall.  This year, he garnered approximately 23% of votes for the Hall.  Therefore, even while McGwire’s admission may sway some voters, it is highly unlikely that McGwire will acquire over 75% of votes before the expiration of his 15 year eligibility period, which ends in 2022.