Jeff Riger Reacts To The Armando Galarraga Near Perfect Game Five Years Later [VIDEO]
By: Jeff Riger
@riger1984
It's hard to believe it's been five years.
Half a decade ago Tuesday, then-Detroit Tigers starter Armando Galarraga was screwed, jobbed, robbed or any other term you can think of that means the same.
It was a Wednesday evening against the Cleveland Indians, and the game was over in a flash. Galarraga was mowing down the Indians batter after batter, and it seemed like something special was about to happen. I've been lucky enough to witness a lot of historic games at Comerica Park, and as silly as it might sound, every time something truly special happens, there is a certain feeling buzzing around the park beforehand, and this day was no different.
In the fifth inning, I remember looking over at Fox2 reporter Woody Woodruff and commenting about the pace of the game. We also acknowledged the fact that Galaragga had yet to give up a hit or a walk, and there had been no error either. Galarraga was perfect, and I wondered how many people in the park were aware of it.
In the seventh inning there was no doubt it was meant to be. The Indians looked hapless, Galarraga was dominant, and it seemed like only a matter of time before Comerica Park witnessed its first perfect game.
When the ninth rolled around, I moved from my seat in the press box to the tunnel right behind home plate in preparation for an epic post game interview. Galarraga finished his warmup tosses and stared down the veteran Mark Grudielanek. Grudielanek drove a ball to deep center field, and Austin Jackson made an amazing catch - you know, the kind you see in the midst of a perfect game. That catch sealed the deal; every fan at that point must have been aware that they were just two outs away from perfection.
After catcher Mike Redmond grounded out to the shortstop, Jason Donald stepped to the plate, representing the Indians' last chance and Galarraga's last out. On a 1-1 count, Donald dribbled a weak ground ball to Carlos Guillen at second base. Guillen picked it up, threw to Miguel Cabrera at first, and it was over.
History had been made - just a different history than anybody would have ever expected. First base umpire Jim Joyce got it wrong. Donald was clearly out, but Joyce called him safe, and the entire baseball world was outraged.
Everybody knew Joyce had screwed up.
Galarraga deserved all the credit in the world that day. Not only did he legitimately pitch a perfect game, but he also retired Trevor Crowe after Donald for what was the 28th out of the evening.
After the game, Joyce seemed certain he was right.
That changed, of course, after he watched the replay several times.
To Joyce's credit, he allowed every waiting media member into the umpire quarters that night. That is not usually how it works; typically the umpires don't talk, but on the rare occasions they do, only one pool reporter is allowed in. That reporter asks all the questions, writes down the answers and shares them with whomever needs them. That wasn't going to work for me that night. I knew he screwed up and didn't want to miss a single thing he said. I needed audio and, luckily enough, I didn't have to create too much of a stir to get it.
"No, I didn't get the call right," Joyce said. "I kicked the s--- out of it."
He knew he screwed up.
Joyce spent the next six minutes or so explaining how he could deprive Galarraga of the biggest moment of his baseball career. Standing there in his sliding pants, dipping, sweating and perhaps even shedding a couple of tears, Joyce was remarkable that night. He was the enemy when he walked off the field, but while talking to the media he somehow turned himself into a sympathetic figure.
