Umpire Jim Joyce blew a call at first base that cost Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game. As a result, we said once again that baseball should expand its use of instant replay. Unfortunately, we have guys like Jim Leyland who like things the way they are. After the Tigers beat the Indians 3-0 and the perfect game was blown, the Tigers manager vouched for umpires citing the almighty “human element.” Here’s what he said:
This is the human element of the game, it’s going to remain that way forever — I think it should. I’m sure somebody’s going to say ‘If they had a replay on that play the kid would have had a perfect game.’ Somebody will say something like that but not me. That’s the human element and it’s a good element because the umpires to a great job, there’s no question about that. They’re a whole lot right more than they are wrong and they make some unbelievable calls on bang-bang plays. You’d be surprised how many replays you look at and you thought they were wrong and they’re right.
I agree with Leyland that umpires are right a lot more than they are wrong and that they do make unbelievable calls on bang-bang plays. Unfortunately, all the times they get calls right are meaningless when they blow it on significant plays like this one, or the Joe Mauer ball in the playoffs. Umpires already do a good job but why not allow them the opportunity to correct their mistakes? What’s so bad about striving for perfection?
