Writer’s note: One Sixty-Two is a season-long series of blog posts connecting baseball’s major-league players to life’s universal themes. Just as there are 162 games in a season, so there will be 162 posts in this series. Let’s play some ball.
Day One Hundred Sixty: Armando Galarraga, Detroit Tigers
As the baseball season’s final week unfolds, the media spotlight shines on teams in pennant races and on individual players pursuing awards and statistical crowns. All of these clubs and players are well worth the attention they’re receiving. But the story of the year in baseball did not involve any playoff implications or MVP-caliber players.
It involved a blown call, a disastrous end to the best game one man had ever played, and the supreme sportsmanship that followed. Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Armando Galarraga has not lit up the world by any means as a pitcher this year: He’s 4-8 on the year, with more hits given up than innings pitched, and nearly as many walks as strikeouts. The Tigers are a mediocre team this year, and Galarraga fits that mold with his 4.62 earned-run average and just one complete game.
But oh, that one complete game. Bring me your most dramatic, exciting pitching performance in the playoffs this year, and I’ll still take Galarraga’s June 2nd masterpiece over it any day. It’s two outs, bottom of the ninth inning, and no Indians player has even reached first base. All Galarraga needs to do is retire shortstop Jason Donald and it’s all over. The pitcher gets Donald to hit a ground ball to first base, where Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera fields and throws to Galarraga, who is covering first. The throw and pitcher’s foot beat the runner, yet somehow, umpire Jim Joyce misses the call. He throws out his hands and rules the runner safe.
The rest is now the stuff of legend: Galarraga finishes off his one-hitter. Joyce goes to the umpires’ locker room and sees his missed call. He walks into the Tigers’ locker room and apologizes, tears in his eyes. Galaragga forgives, immediately. The Tigers rally around their pitcher’s kindness, and the fans follow their pitcher’s lead and give Joyce an ovation the next day. The umpire’s immediate and emotional apology, coupled with the pitcher’s perspective and grace, reminded those who follow sports that there is a lot more to life than a perfect two hours on the pitcher’s mound.
Galarraga found the strength and understanding to reach out with compassion to another human being who had made a mistake, who felt the pain of that error, and who needed forgiveness. At this moment in late spring, Armando Galarraga reminded us that in its greatest moments, baseball really can serve as a metaphor for life at its very best.
A few weeks ago, the Tigers hosted the Baltimore Orioles at home. Galarraga took the hill and threw a strong seven innings, yielding just four hits and three runs. The home-plate umpire for that game was Jim Joyce. The two men crossed paths once more and gave their all, just as they’d done three months earlier. Once again, there was no perfect ending to be found – that is, if you’re measuring life through statistics. If you’re measuring instead by acts of sportsmanship, then this is about as perfect as it gets.
Showing posts with label Armando Galarraga. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Armando Galarraga. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
A Man on the Mend (One Sixty-Two: Day 42)
Writer’s note: One Sixty-Two is a season-long series of blog posts connecting baseball’s major-league players to life’s universal themes. Just as there are 162 games in a season, so there will be 162 posts in this series. Let’s play some ball.
Day Forty-Two: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
It’s not often that a Detroit Tiger’s one-hitter becomes the most-discussed sports story in America. But that will happen when a perfect game is foiled by a missed call with two outs in the ninth inning. Armando Galarraga’s near-perfect game, umpire Jim Joyce’s erroneous safe call and emotional apology afterward, Commissioner Bud Selig’s refusal to change the call – all have been covered extensively over the past 24 hours. There are enough voices debating the merits of instant replay right now.
Instant replay on a limited scale might help clarify some missed calls, but the beauty of baseball continues with or without it. To me, the most extraordinary thing about last night’s controversial play was not Joyce’s call; it was, instead, the play of Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Some have criticized Cabrera for ranging so far to his right for the ball, rather than allowing the second baseman to field the play. But playing good defense in baseball requires a smart aggressiveness, and Cabrera showed just that – he pounced to his right, scooped up Jason Donald’s grounder, and made a clean toss to Galarraga. In making this play, Cabrera showed more than great defense; he showed us a man on the mend.
It was the first weekend of October, 2009, and the Detroit Tigers were in a battle for the divisional crown with their American League Central rival Minnesota Twins. Early on a Saturday morning, Miguel Cabrera had a much-publicized fight with his wife, in which police found both husband and wife with scratches and Cabrera with a very high blood-alcohol level. Cabrera was brought to a police station, and team general manager Dave Dombrowski drove there to pick him up. Later that day, Cabrera would go hitless as his team lost a critical game. By the end of the weekend the Tigers’ season was over, the Twins were on their way to the playoffs, and, while no charges had been filed against him, it was clear that Cabrera was a mess.
This spring, Cabrera explained that he had undergone counseling over the winter. He did not hide from his troubles. At 27 years of age and in his eighth season in the big leagues, Cabrera looked a bit like a man ready to grow up.
So to see Cabrera playing with such energy and passion last night was a most welcome sight – one that was clearly not present eight months ago. This afternoon, Cabrera was at it again, slugging his 16th home run – tied for the major-league lead – and driving in his 50th and 51st runs of the year. No one in baseball has driven in as many runs. With his batting average at .352, Cabrera is vying for both the Triple Crown and a Most Valuable Player award.
Nobody’s perfect in this life. Not Armando Galarraga. Not Jim Joyce. And definitely not Miguel Cabrera. But we can take steps forward. We can improve, recover, and make amends. It happens one step and one day at a time. Cabrera took a few steps to his right last night, fielded a tough ground ball, and looked like a new man.
Day Forty-Two: Miguel Cabrera, Detroit Tigers
It’s not often that a Detroit Tiger’s one-hitter becomes the most-discussed sports story in America. But that will happen when a perfect game is foiled by a missed call with two outs in the ninth inning. Armando Galarraga’s near-perfect game, umpire Jim Joyce’s erroneous safe call and emotional apology afterward, Commissioner Bud Selig’s refusal to change the call – all have been covered extensively over the past 24 hours. There are enough voices debating the merits of instant replay right now.
Instant replay on a limited scale might help clarify some missed calls, but the beauty of baseball continues with or without it. To me, the most extraordinary thing about last night’s controversial play was not Joyce’s call; it was, instead, the play of Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera. Some have criticized Cabrera for ranging so far to his right for the ball, rather than allowing the second baseman to field the play. But playing good defense in baseball requires a smart aggressiveness, and Cabrera showed just that – he pounced to his right, scooped up Jason Donald’s grounder, and made a clean toss to Galarraga. In making this play, Cabrera showed more than great defense; he showed us a man on the mend.
It was the first weekend of October, 2009, and the Detroit Tigers were in a battle for the divisional crown with their American League Central rival Minnesota Twins. Early on a Saturday morning, Miguel Cabrera had a much-publicized fight with his wife, in which police found both husband and wife with scratches and Cabrera with a very high blood-alcohol level. Cabrera was brought to a police station, and team general manager Dave Dombrowski drove there to pick him up. Later that day, Cabrera would go hitless as his team lost a critical game. By the end of the weekend the Tigers’ season was over, the Twins were on their way to the playoffs, and, while no charges had been filed against him, it was clear that Cabrera was a mess.
This spring, Cabrera explained that he had undergone counseling over the winter. He did not hide from his troubles. At 27 years of age and in his eighth season in the big leagues, Cabrera looked a bit like a man ready to grow up.
So to see Cabrera playing with such energy and passion last night was a most welcome sight – one that was clearly not present eight months ago. This afternoon, Cabrera was at it again, slugging his 16th home run – tied for the major-league lead – and driving in his 50th and 51st runs of the year. No one in baseball has driven in as many runs. With his batting average at .352, Cabrera is vying for both the Triple Crown and a Most Valuable Player award.
Nobody’s perfect in this life. Not Armando Galarraga. Not Jim Joyce. And definitely not Miguel Cabrera. But we can take steps forward. We can improve, recover, and make amends. It happens one step and one day at a time. Cabrera took a few steps to his right last night, fielded a tough ground ball, and looked like a new man.
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