Read the opposing argument from Babe Ruthless.
Last week, Armando Galarraga SHOULD have gone down in history as only the 21st person in 130 years to pitch a perfect game in the Majors. Instead, he (along with umpire Jim Joyce) will go down in infamy as having a perfect game cruelly ripped away at the 27th out, thanks to the element of CORRECTIBLE human fallibility.
More than 17,000 people witnessed live that Cleveland Indians youngster Jason Donald, after 26 consecutive hitters for the Cleveland Indians had already been retired, was clearly thrown out at first base by a full step. In addition to those 17,000 witnesses were multiple cameras that captured the event as it played out. They, too, clearly indicate that Jason Donald was out at first base.
Unfortunately, there was one measly person among the THOUSANDS of fans in attendance who in the heat of the moment did NOT believe that the throw beat Jason Donald to the bag. Despite the OVERWHELMING evidence from the 17,000 fans and the HD slow-motion camera angles that are irrefutable in their proof – contradicting that one person’s call – this one man’s opinion outweighs them all. And although the one man ALSO acknowledged after seeing the incontrovertible proof, thanks to technology that is READILY available, that his call was mistaken and that Donald was, in fact, out at first, an irresponsible, foolish, and outdated rule in baseball prohibits the correct judgment from being rendered – EVEN THOUGH that means an incorrect and flawed result is recorded into the history books!
But this debate isn’t about criticizing officials (fortunately, tomorrow’s is). Umpires in baseball have a thankless job, and they perform exceptionally well for the most part. This debate is about criticizing a system that stubbornly refuses to acknowledge a flaw that very seriously damages both the credibility and the quality of the product they produce.
Officiating opinion is a very real part of the game, and it will never be eliminated. Between the subjectivity of a strike zone, the bang-bang nature of a pick-off play, or the fact that umpires can find themselves out of position to make an ideal call, for example, players have to understand and accept that decisions will be made and they may not necessarily agree.
However, when an errant call is made in spite of OVERWHELMING evidence to the contrary, and the cost of that mistake bears HISTORICAL significance, then Major League Baseball OWES it to the players, fans, and the substantial and revered history, to get it right.
I agree that this blown call will not alter the course of the 2010 season at all, but it still cheats history (and cheats Galarraga from the recognition he rightfully EARNED). This situation is nonetheless indicative of a very real problem in baseball that will NEVER go away on its own. So rather than wait for a situation to arise which DOES artificially and incorrectly alter the outcome of a full season, MLB commissioner Bud Selig has an opportunity to act PRO-actively, rather than RE-actively. He can get in front of the situation and PREVENT a statistical catastrophe from taking place.
Ironically, baseball has ALREADY been operating for over 100 years in a system that ensures a pitcher will not be penalized for another’s mistakes. It is called the UN-earned run. If a hitter reaches first base when they SHOULDN’T have, because a player on the field committed an error, the pitcher’s stat line is still protected. If that player should cross home plate safely, the run is not charged to the pitcher’s ERA.
The game of baseball acknowledges that the element of human error is possible. It also acknowledges that the error should not negatively impact the historical significance of what the pitcher did WHILE pitching. Why not apply that same principle to when the umpire commits an error?!
Part of what makes the game so beloved among its fan base is its history, but the game can never be fully respected as long as that history willingly tolerates and accepts CORRECTIBLE results that are flawed and invalid.
A policy that allows for the expanded use of instant replay in baseball will provide a safeguard for the game of baseball. Instead of supporting the FIRST call that is made on the field, the game should support the CORRECT call.
