Baseball Baseball Baseball!

[Dave]

Love the Tigers? How about the White Caps?

Let us know of your favorite teams and players here.

[AQUAMAN]

That's what I liked about Ernie the best, you could be driving in your car or listening to the radio at home, and feel just like you were at the ball park. He had a special knack for bringing the action into the radio like few you ever hear, or ever will hear. Mr. Baseball had similar traits too in Milwaukee, if you could get WOKY on am radio, which wasn't that hard on a clear summer day either.

[AQUAMAN]

Today's recap: Tigers 6, Indians 4, final, still 2 games back in 2nd place behind the Twins. Go Tigs!

[Dave]

I'm sure most of you that are into sports have seen or heard about last nights game... for anyone that haven't heard, Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga had a perfect game into the 9th inning when the ball was hit between 1st and 2nd bases. The ball was stopped and thrown to Galarraga who appeared to have been in time to make the out at first yet the 1st base umpire called the runner safe. Upon video review it was clear that the umpire made the wrong call and after the umpire seen the replay later on, he said that he blew it and seemed to feel pretty bad about it.

I hadn't heard about the game until I got home after midnight last night so after logging onto Facebook and seeing numerous comments made about the blown call, I checked it out myself. I was pretty surprised that the call had been blown, specially when I put into consideration that in regards of a vast majority of 'close calls', it wasn't all that close. I see plenty of correct calls made that are a lot closer then what the call last night was.

It's probably unlikely that the call gets reversed although I hear there is a slight possibility in that the scorer has at least one avenue he could use so that the game could be scored a no-hitter.. has something to do with a possible error made (the story i'm including with this post I believe covers this in more detail). I do think that if MLB doesn't change anything as far as the current status of the game that they do need to make some sort of notation or something that somehow lets people know that Galarraga did pitch a perfect game and that the hit was given as a result of a blown call. Galarraga worked hard and did pitch a perfect game, he should have the just reward of that effort in return.

Here's a story from the Free Press regarding the game and the call:

Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga's near-perfect night marred by Jim Joyce's gaffe

BY MICHAEL ROSENBERG
FREE PRESS SPORTS COLUMNIST

The man paced near his locker. He spit in a nearby sink. Words flew out of his mouth like darts, each one sharper than the last. He was angry, beyond angry, the kind of anger that needs to find its target and beat the holy heck out of it until the anger gives way to exhaustion. This should have been one of the greatest moments of his life, and it turned into one of the worst, and you can know it was an honest mistake and nobody died and life goes on, but how can you really think that when the mistake was entirely your fault?

No, Jim Joyce said, "I did not get the call correct. I kicked the (expletive) out of it." No, he would not blame his angle. ("I had a great angle on it."). Or say it was close. ("I just missed the damn call.") It was a simple play, 3-1 on your scorecard: ground ball to first baseman Miguel Cabrera, throw to pitcher Armando Galarraga, Cleveland shortstop Jason Donald out of first.

But Joyce paused, then made the safe sign.

And the 27th out of Galarraga's perfect game Wednesday night inexplicably became a hit.

No perfect game. No no-hitter. No explanation, really, for why a good umpire would make such a horrible call at the worst possible time.

I told Galarraga that Joyce said he felt terrible, that he cost Galarraga a perfect game and that he was really beating himself up over it.

Galarraga did not hesitate.

"Tell him no problem," Galarraga said. "I can go tell him."

He smiled. "I should probably talk to him. It will be better." And he did.

In the Tigers' clubhouse, the winning players looked as if they had lost. The only smiles were smiles of disbelief.

Concepts of time and space were jumbled -- the Tigers sat on the couch and watched Jim Leyland's postgame news conference, which had just wrapped up down the hall, on a delay. They watched the replay over and over, as if it could change, and finally Galarraga smiled, turned and said, "Unbelievable."

There is nothing in sports quite like a no-hitter. It sprouts from the ground with no warning, captivates anybody watching -- and reaches full bloom or disappears -- snap! -- in an instant.

Sometimes, a great pitcher is so dominant early on that you start to think something special might be happening. This was not one of those days. First of all, Galarraga is a good pitcher, but he had a 5.64 earned-run average last year. Walter Johnson he is not.

And second ... well, he wasn't overwhelmingly great against Cleveland. He was methodically great. Heck, his catcher, Alex Avila, did not realize what was happening until the seventh inning.

At the end of the seventh, after 21 straight outs, the crowd gave Galarraga a standing ovation. From there, the tension and noise seemed to double with each at-bat, until the top of the ninth, when Mark Grudzielanek drilled a shot toward the left-centerfield wall. It was a rope. The crowd moaned.

Centerfielder Austin Jackson said afterward, "Honestly, off the bat, I didn't think that I had a chance. It was one of those where you're like, 'I'm diving for this ball no matter what.' "

He caught it on the run, one of the most amazing catches in baseball this year. Galarraga was two outs away. He retired Mike Redmond for Out No. 26. Then came the worst moment of Jim Joyce's life.

"I was fully aware of what was going on since the fifth inning," Joyce said.

Was he nervous?

"I was very aware of what was going on," he said. "Very aware."

And Armando Galarraga said, "We're human. ... Nobody's perfect." But in his heart, he knew, and will always know: He was.

Contact MICHAEL ROSENBERG: 313-222-6052 or [e-mail].

[AQUAMAN]

They need the instant replay recap like the NFL has, it's long overdue for MLB imho.

[Dave]

This incident could very well finally get MLB to join the new century. It's a shame that the young man worked hard enough to have the perfect game and will not get credit for it.

[XLFD]

It's too bad the umpire can't take back his ridiculous call, or be overruled by one of the other umps they had out there who could have easily made the right call-- or shoot it over to the replay crew. Anyhow, here's the video of the blown call, check it out for yourself (or check it once again). The neatest part I think is how the baserunner, the 1st baseman, a fan, and the Tiger's owner all put both of their folded arms up to the sides of their head in some apparently instinctive manner after the bad call was made.

[Dave]

Probably what surprised me most about the call is that most of the time the calls the umps make are much closer then what this one was. I mean usually its inches that are being dealt with where in this case, the runner was probably a good foot from the bag when Galarraga got the ball... not even close so to speak as far as the majority of calls go.

[charlemagnetism]

an end of the season note to those who follow the taggers. cabrera was almost the total offense this year. he led the tiges big time in almost all offensive cats except for triples maybe. i cant believe the second best homer output on detroit was 15. i remember back in 2006 everyone had over 20 even some who didnt always start. still they finished a perfect 500 at 81-81. theres hope for next year if the pitching stays strong and some have better years.

[XLFD]

Anyone catch Justin Verlanders pitch/pick-off attempt in a losing cause for the Tigers.  One squib pitch has all four umps and the managers come out to discuss what's what.  It turns out to be just a balk.

http://detroit.tigers.mlb.com/video/play.jsp?content_id=13867701

[XLFD]

You have to like the Tigers recently sweeping the Indians, White Sox and Twins (2nd, 3rd, and 4th in their division) to establish themselves as the bull goose of the Central Division, 10 1/2 games ahead.  Great pitching, an offense gelling, and clutch-hitting looks like they're nearly a cinch for the Central division with a little under three weeks to go.   

[Dave]

Even though I'm not a big baseball fan, its nice to see the Tigers do well and have a decent shot at going to the World Series. They seem to have the pieces in place to make a very nice run and hopefully they can do just that.

[AQUAMAN]

Heard Tigs won again, now 12 games in a row, up 12-1/2 games, GO! Time they went to the Big Dance.