If You're Incapable of Performing Your Job, Raise Your Hand: Part Duex!!

Turn on ESPN. Turn it on! When you finally get there I guarantee you'll see one of two things: 1. A story about an umpire by the name of Jim Joyce, pulling out his inner Don Dekinger and blowing an astronomical call. 2. Ken Griffey Jr. saying goodbye to the game of baseball.

As much as I want to write about the man that donned the best baseball swing the MLB has ever seen, I can't. He is being overshadowed by an amazingly horrific story about a kid, with a name so incredibly hard to pronounce (especially if you had a few beers in you during country night), who was robbed of one of the most magical feats in sports.

Armondo Galarraga fell victim to an idiotic call, by another sporting official who was incapable of performing his job to the standard fans expect.

Now Joyce, the umpire that blew the call, has handled this situation like a man.  I respect him for calling himself out along with the rest of the sporting world. I respect him for owning up to the fact that he now knows he blew the call and is extremely sorry for blowing the call.

I also respect him in the sense that he took a barrage of words and expletives from the entire Tigers team after the game; all of whom surrounded him like a pack of cheetahs around a watering hole. I respect him for coming out before todays game and shaking hands with Galarraga, while adding another sincere apology to him again for ripping away the most coveted title every pitcher wants, "Mr. Perfect".

He has done everything he can to announce that he, in fact, made a mistake. But check out the video:

Is it me, or does it seem like Jim Joyce made the call quicker than a broker with a hot new stock for his clients to bid on.  To me it seems that he decided, when he saw Donald sprinting as fast as he was, that if it was a close play, he was calling the runner safe.

Look at Donald's reaction, he was absolutely stunned by the call! He knew he was out. Out by a mile.

As an umpire you have to think, if this next play is close and questionable, I'm calling the runner out. I mean nobody wants death threats from the gangsters rolling around in Detroit.  They are in contention for the AL Central, have great fans, and care about their sports seeing that it's all they have left.    

Plus, nobody should be worried about Indian fans!  They suck.  The only hard time you would get from an Indian fan is maybe, maybe, one email from the only fan that is left. They could care less if they fell victim to a perfect game. Hell the franchise might be moved in a few years because of how bad they have been.  If I were to tell a clueless Indian fan that a perfect game was thrown against them for the rest of the season, they would believe it. 

But Jimmy, you just don't make that call, EVER.  I know you said your sorry, and I know you wish you could take it all back.  I applaud your "man-liness", but it still was an awful call.

So, Jim, we welcome you to The Manchise's "Men who are incapable of Performing their job" club.

But hey, at least you'll go down as the reason why instant replay is installed in the BIGS and I thank you for that.