The worst blown call by an umpire EVER?

The 1985 WS call to me is still the top when you consider what was collectively on the line. Don Denkinger also did the impossible by turning the nicest fans in baseball into an angry mob. That itself puts it at the top.

Still, wow, that is up there with bad calls in baseball and sports in general. I wonder how baseball will react (though still leaning toward the Selig shrug and the purists saying human error is part of the game as the reaction). Something really needs to be done. The playoff umpiring last post-season was a total joke and there have been a lot of personal run-ins between players/coaches/managers vs. umpires (though Jim Leyland somehow kept his cool in the post-game about this).

Updated On: 6/3/10 at 11:24 PM

I'm not proud of it, but I've come close to losing my voice after screaming at umpires from my living room, and I'm not surprised this happened, but I am stunned (it makes sense in my head.) IT WASN'T EVEN CLOSE. For crying out loud, the call wasn't even close.

Not a Tigers fan, not a Galarraga fan but, then again, I don't think you need to be to feel for this guy, his team and his fans. A perfect game is so elusive and almost impossible, and to have an incompetent umpire botch your chances after you've done it. O.M.G. I will be outraged for a long time. I don't care how embarrassed or apologetic Joyce is (he really should be ashamed; that goes without saying), this is ridiculous and is a sign of the horrible umpiring going on every day. Angel Hernandez is no longer the worst ump ever. (I don't even consider Joe West, who has turned himself into a joke.)

I am not even a sportsy person, but I could see that call was dead wrong.

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My husband and I turned away from the Red Sox game we were watching to watch the last two innings of the Detroit game. It looked like clear sailing and then oof!

Such a a bad call, not even close. I think everyone was stunned. The consequences of this mistake were so much greater than the norm.

Just should not have been.

Terrible call and the timing and signifigance of it made it more so.

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Brian is right on this one Morosco. The umpire is a seasoned vet in the world of umpires, one who been in World Series games and All-Star games. After the game, he apologized to the pitcher. They even hugged. But as a fan, that is not good enough for me. Joyce either resign or be fired.

This is heartbreaking. I can't watch that play anymore. Gallaraga is a class act the way he reacted to the umpire apology. I would have been FUMING!!!

Is there really no way to correct this?

I'm afraid not, clever name. There are no instant replays in baseball. Only questionable homeruns can be appealed. But even if they were to call it an out after the fact, it took away from the glory. Had that rightly been called an out, the game would've been over, the home fans would've cheered wildly, and Galarraga would've been mobbed by his teammates.

It's like that American gymnast who was recently given the bronze medal ten years later after the Olympics committee learned that China had cheated. She will never know the feeling of being on an Olympic podium representing her country.

Shame.

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Updated On: 6/3/10 at 10:27 AM

I am going to guess that the Commissioner will call it an out and give him the perfect game. But, I am a Cubs fan, what do I know about baseball!

FYI - the baseball commissioner has announced that he will not be changing the call. Not a surprise.

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I agree with Selig's decision not to reverse this one

All I could think of was the line in The Year the Yankees Lost the Pennant " Not even the Devil can make an umpire change his call."

Fustrating as all get out but dems da rules as dey is writ.

Suks.