A "Perfect" class act

I'm not a Detroit fan or an umpire apologist.

Jim Joyce made a mistake. Umpires are human, they make mistakes sometimes. Unfortunately, it was at the worst possible time. It didn't cost the Tigers a shot at the playoffs or a World Series title, but it still hurts.

Joyce apologized directly to Armando Galarraga, as he should have. Many people will only remember one thing when they hear Joyce's name: He's the guy who screwed over Galarraga.

The most amazing part of the whole thing was Galarraga's handling of the situation. I heard him being interviewed by Karl Ravitch on Baseball Tonight. He said Joyce approached him after the game to apologize. If I heard Galarraga right, he said he hugged Joyce and said it was ok, nobody's perfect. How ironic is that? And utterly classy. Galaragga also said that even though it wasn't official and in the record books, he knew he had a perfect game and had the "CD" to show his kids.

Maybe in a day or two, it will set in what was taken from him. Maybe not. Armando Galarraga has a new fan in me. That doesn't mean I want all his cards, just that I can appreciate his attitude and approach. I think he provided a glimpse of what it means to be grateful to be paid well to play a game. He's a class act all the way.