Whistleblower Wednesday: Galarraga’s Almost Perfect Game
He had the game. He had the glory. Then the ump yeeted it into the sun.
⚾ The Setup:
June 2, 2010. Detroit Tigers vs. Cleveland Guardians.
Pitcher Armando Galarraga is on fire—26 batters up, 26 batters down. No hits. No walks. No errors. The man is perfect.
Then came batter 27.
A soft ground ball. Miguel Cabrera fields it. Galarraga covers first. The throw is in time.
BUT WAIT.
Umpire Jim Joyce calls the runner SAFE.
And just like that—no perfect game. Just a perfect screw-up.
💬 The Fallout:
Galarraga:
“Nobody’s perfect.”
(Sir. King. Saint. How are you not flipping tables?)Jim Joyce:
Admitted he messed up. Choked up in interviews. Said, “I just cost that kid a perfect game.”
(Correct. You did. Thank you for your honesty. Now go sit in the Shame Corner.)The Baseball World:
United in fury. Analysts, fans, even other umps couldn’t believe it. This wasn’t just a mistake—it was a sports crime.
👥 Fan Reactions:
Detroit fans brought signs. Made custom “Perfect Game” merch. Held actual ceremonies to honor Galarraga.
Meanwhile, Twitter had Joyce trending for all the wrong reasons. And somewhere, a baseball purist cried into their mitt.
🐧 Pete’s Commentary:
“I’ve seen parking meters with better timing than Jim Joyce that day.”
“Galarraga had a date with baseball immortality and Joyce pulled a full-on ‘not today, Satan’ move—but in reverse. Even Satan would’ve called that OUT.”
“This wasn’t a blown call. This was a dropped legacy. If you listen closely, you can still hear Detroit screaming.”
📝 Pete’s Final Ruling:
Offense: Denial of baseball history in the 9th degree.
Sentence: Joyce must personally polish Galarraga’s honorary Perfect Game trophy every Tuesday for the rest of his life.
Alternate Punishment: Ump every Little League game in sandals and explain the play to furious parents after every pitch.
Got another call that makes your blood boil?
📬 Submit it to Ask Pete—we’ll roast it, rank it, and possibly scream into the void about it next week.
