Sunday, June 06, 2010

That Said. . .MLB Should. . .

Commissioner Bud Selig should do the right thing.

That said, both results could be deemed as right. On the one hand, there seems to be a great reluctance to alter results of baseball games, regardless of blown calls or oddities. It seems that this reluctance derives from either a) the logic that Professor Dumbledore deployed in warning Hermoine, Harry and Ron of the dangers of using magic to go back into time or b) the fact that results are results, and we live with the good and the bad, because the game has some measure (hopefully small) of human error and those who govern are very wary of setting precedents that could create future firestorms.

There's also the Chinese proverb that you don't win by being right all the time. Translated for these purposes, that means that perhaps Bud Selig should considering shedding his orthodoxy regarding record keeping, talk with the umpire and umpires' union, the Tigers, the Indians and whomever else and award Armando Galarraga his perfect game. Why? Because what happened last week in baseball was a celebration of the highest motives of people and a display of their best instincts. An umpire admits a mistake. The victim of the mistake showing forgiveness and grace. His team's fans likewise. The best way to put a bow on this affair would be to award Galarraga a perfect game and to celebrate the outstanding contributions that those involved made to the game, especially in a time in our world where people are won't to shirk responsibility and sometimes create a smokescreen around their mistakes instead of admitting to them.

Armando Galarraga and the Detroit Tigers deserve that, as do the Tiger fans.

As does umpire Jim Joyce.

As for the Indians, how could they possibly say no? And, if they were to, should Commissioner Selig listen to them?

No, he should not. So, now that the dust has settled, Bud Selig should finish the drama with a flourish and award the perfect game, making a good week, well, perfect.

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