Imperfect Perfection

Quite a different facial expression here from Galarraga than after the game last night.

I'm sure you have all seen it, maybe watched it, maybe just read about it, but either way I hope you're thinking what I'm thinking, "What a disaster."

I'm passionate about sports like many others, but I have a deep love for baseball. I love the good with the bad, the blatent rules with the subjective calls, it's all part of the game. There are so many unwritten rules that are as much part of the game as the infield fly rule. Here are two of my favorites:

The Tom Glavine/Greg Maddux strike zone- A wider strike zone given to ace, veteran pitchers who have demonstrated exceptional control over their career and are determined to be "painting the corners" isntead of just missing with their pitches.

I still can't believe the caliber of that pitching staff, even looking back now after the fact.

The "Great Play" Out- Giving the benefit of a close play to the fielder when a great defensive play has been made.

You can pick up a bunch more of these "rules" just by watching the game that you'll never officially read about. Rookie batters will get more slightly-off-the-plate pitches called for strikes, especially against a veteran pitcher, than established hitters who have proven to have a "good eye." If the game is in the 4th or 5th inning, is somewhat of a blowout, and rain starts coming in, especially if the two teams don't play each other often, you'll notice the umpire's strike zone widening. Andy Pettite should probably be called for a balk 80% of the time he tries to pick off the runner at first but doesn't out of respect for his move. These things are just part of the game, and people either understand and appreciate them, or watch futbol soccer.

I began elaborating further, but the post got really long, and I think I'd like to save that pure why I love baseball post for a rainy day. This post is supposed to be all about Galarraga, so let's hop back on topic.

Fact of the matter is, all of these baseball forces should have been working in Galarraga's favor. Perfect games are so rare (20 ever, even though there have been 2 this year) that even if the play was close the runner should have been called out. This is why I disagree with the notion of expanded instant replay for the simple fact that this was the opposite of what should have happened. If the batter technically beat the play by a hair or two they are absolutely out in my book, and I guarentee the batter wouldn't argue. Cmon, it's a perfect game!

Perfect games aren't just amazing feats by the pitchers that throw them, they have always been accompanied by solid, sometimes unbelievable, defense, as made evident by the fact that no pitcher has ever struck out 27 batters. The fielders feel a part of the magic too, as they should. Ramon Santiago, Detroit's short stop, stated after the game, "I know I played in a perfect game." It's unfair to rob the supporting cast of the Best Picture just as it's unfair to rob the lead.

And let's not forget about the player on the field that the pitcher probably appreciates the most. The dynamic between a pitcher and a catcher is fascinating and unmatched in any other sport. Any words I could try to use to explain how it feels for a catcher to catch a perfect game wouldn't describe it as well as this one picture. The catcher represents the player who, after the pitcher himself, was involved most in the perfect game.

If Galarraga wanted to be remembered, he will be for being a guy who got the short end of the stick, something we know pretty well about here at WMBC. The MLB is discussing possibly overturning this and giving him the perfect game. Do I think it will happen? Probably not. Do I think it should? Absolutely. But still it's not the same. We know how baseball fans and players feel about asterisks, and Galarraga that we know of yet doesn't deserve to be tarnished in that way.

Update: As of 4:02, apparently baseball Commissioner Bud Selig won't reverse the call. Baseball is a game unfortunately built like a glass cathedral, and any cracks in this self-proclaimed perfection are not tolerated. It's the reason for the Glavine/Maddux strike zone as well as the reason for limited replay. Unfortunately, it's a blessing and a curse.