no perfect game...

but plenty of character and sportsmanship.

All these perfect games lately are becoming rather ho-hum. So much so that fate and the oh-so-human element came into play to prevent the third perfecto within a month's time. Although it cost the Detroit Tigers' Armando Galarraga his place in the record books (unless the call is unprecedentedly reversed by the league office), the exemplary sportsmanship and class displayed has made what happened more positive than negative.

Pitcher Galarraga's immediate reaction to the bad call was not one of anger, but simple incredulousness; it was his teammates that displayed the understandable anger. Umpire Jim Joyce's handling of his blown call has been heartfelt and responsible - he truly is the one that feels the most awful. He took the time after the game to personally apologize to Galarraga, and Galarraga has risen so far above the situation that he recognizes that it's more about human compassion than a stat in a record book. Whether or not the call is reversed, I hope the way the pitcher and the umpire have handled this unfortunate circumstance serves as an example of class and sincerity (not to understate how much losing a perfect game sucks!).

Prior to today's game between Detroit and Cleveland, Armando Galarraga brought the Tigers lineup card out to home plate to hand it out to Jim Joyce, today's home plate umpire, and as Joyce took the card, he wiped away tears. There's something to be learned from all this.