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Takes
10
@newyorkdepression
2mo
I was 8, yet I still watched and remembered this game. At this point in my life, I did understand what a baseball was. Now, I did not know what a perfect game was yet. And I almost saw one myself.
It was a hot day in West Phillidelphia that day. Indians-Tigers might not have been the best viewer bringer.
Until after 6 innings. Galarraga just needed 9 outs for a perfect game. One last run through the order.
8 outs left.
7 left.
6.
5.
4.
There's 3 outs left. It's the top of the ninth, and Detroit's victory has almost surely been sealed away in a box. But that's not what everybody is watching for.
Grudzeilanek to bat. Flies out to center. 2 outs left.
Redmond at the plate. Grounds out to shortstop.
Donald up to bat. He only needs one out to complete a perfect game. Donald hits the ball. 1st baseman gets it, flips in back to the pitcher... and he's safe.
The dreaded words nobody wanted to hear: "J Donald reached on infield single to first" This lives in my head more than some perfect-o's
Watched
6
0
8.2
@FlameRaptorRaven
2mo
The imperfect game. Armando Galarraga didn’t have a great career. Outside of a really good 2008, his 6-year career ranged from okay to bad. Yet, on this day, he had the chance to do something few pitcher have ever done. As he threw the final pitch, ran to first base and caught the final out, it was cause for celebration… at least it should’ve been. Umpire Jim Joyce infamously called the runner safe despite the runner being so clearly out that they put their hands on their head in what I have to imagine was resignation before it became awkward surprise. It’s hard to look back on this game and not remember it being ruined by that bad call. To both Joyce and Galarraga’s credit, they patched things up. Joyce immediately admitted he was wrong and Galarraga didn’t hold a grudge. A terrible moment became a wholesome one thanks to that dynamic. All that backdrop makes this hard to rate. I have decided that this game deserves to be remembered for the incredible 8.2 innings before the final out.
Watched
5
0
9.0
@nick
2mo
I found it a lot harder to rate this than I thought it would be. Do I go low because this was in fact a perfect game that is forever blemished due to human error? This would have never happened in today's game. Do I go middle of the pack because it was a still impressive but much more common 1-hit shutout on the box score? No that wouldn't be fair. A 9.0 for 9 straight innings of 3 up and 3 down for Armando. The real memory I have from this game, besides Jim Joyce crying a lot is the way Armando handled it. Beyond the initial shock of the clear as day blown call you would never know the guy had just pitched a perfect game that was taken away from him by poor judgement. When they talk about being a professional in sports it's often under the context of showing up, being on time, practicing like you play. In this case professionalism was the things not done or said by Armando in the fall out of what should have been the shining moment of his career. And that is something to celebrate.
10
St. Petersburg, US
Watched
4
0
9.9
@jacksauer2
2mo
The most perfect not perfect game ever. I was too young to watch this but I’ve seen the highlights, I’ve seen the final play. Called safe at first. Games like this where you are thankful for instant replay, because if they had it in this one we’d have 25 perfect games in MLB history. The greatest pitching performance ever that didn’t go down as a no-hitter. I mean as an ump even if you think he’s just barely safe, I’d still call him out for the perfect game, but instead this umpire went the other way around. Absolutely heartbreaking way to lose a perfect game. Rating this a 9.9 because it was just barely imperfect. Armando Gallaraga. The Imperfect Game.
Highlights
1
0
9.2
@bladedamus
2mo
A perfect game begins uneventfully, as it's supposed to, the nature of perfection necessitating no hits, no walks, no action for the most part beyond getting outs. But as the outs keep being made, whether by groundout, strikeout, flyout, or daring lineout catch, you begin to notice history being written before your eyes.
Galaragga is stone-cold for most of his performance, jaw slack, efficient to a fault as he retires batters through contact and the scant strikeout. It's only in the last inning you see him smile fully: first after a fantastic running catch by Austin Jackson, and again when he sees the safe call by Jim Joyce, grinning awkwardly as if reacting to a practical joke. You feel the heartbreak in the whole stadium, boos raining down as the Tigers stand shocked and angry.
Particularly haunting to me was a preview to this very outcome in the bottom of the inning prior: a safe call as Johnny Damon tries to outrun a throw to first that clearly beats him.
That's baseball.
Las Vegas, NV
Watched
1
0