What would you do if the single greatest moment of your career was stolen by the mistake of another person?
Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was one out away from throwing a perfect game when a bad call by umpire Jim Joyce robbed him of this historic achievement. Galarraga’s response to the heartbreak was a shining example of class and grace after being wronged.
Galarraga had a journeyman Major League Baseball career with a lifetime 26-34 record and 4.78 ERA. Although he had an awesome 2008 rookie season with the Detroit Tigers, by the start of the 2010 season, his performance had dropped so dramatically that he was sent back to the minor leagues.
In May of 2010, Galarraga was called back up to the Tigers and put in the starting rotation. He won his first start, but lost the next two and had a mediocre 4.50 ERA going into a home game on June 2nd against the Cleveland Indians. And then magic.
Galarraga had faced 26 batters and recorded 26 outs. He was one out away from being only the 21st pitcher in all of MLB history to throw a perfect game. The hometown Tigers fans rose to their feet and cheered, ready to witness history. No such luck.
Cleveland’s Jason Donald hit a slow roller to the right of Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera, which forced him off the bag to make the play. As Donald raced down the line, Galarraga was forced to cover and received a soft toss from Cabrera as he neared first base. Galarraga and Donald both arrived at the bag at about the same time. The first base umpire, Jim Joyce, made a loud and sure call. Safe!
The howls of protest from the Tigers dugout put a pit in Joyce’s stomach. He knew from their reaction that he might have missed the call. Galarraga retired the next batter and ended the game with a one-hitter. After the game, Joyce and the rest of the umpire crew rushed off the field to the boos of the crowd. As he entered the umpire’s dressing room, Joyce immediately asked to be shown a replay of the play. What he saw drove him to tears. He had blown the call and cost Galarraga a spot in the history books.
What happened next is as good an example of honor, class, and respect that you will ever see in sports.
The umpire’s room at major league ballparks is typically off limits to the media, but after seeing he had missed the call, Joyce called in reporters to set the record straight and acknowledge his mistake. Joyce tearfully told the media, “I took away a perfect game from that kid over there.”
After the media left the umpire room, the Tigers general manager, Dave Dombrowski, and manager Jim Leyland came to visit Joyce. They both knew that Joyce, a stand-up guy who was easily considered one of the best umpires in the game, would be gutted by the call. Over a post-game beer, they consoled Joyce and told him that he would need to move on past his mistake.
Joyce asked them if he could visit with Galarraga. A few moments later, when Galarraga entered the room, Joyce tearfully apologized to him. Galarraga’s very simple, but profound response was to hug Joyce and tell him, “We are all human.”
Galarraga’s reaction was meant to relieve Joyce from the burden of feeling bad for his mistake. However, it can be argued that an even bigger burden had been lifted from Galarraga himself. He refused to carry the baggage of “what could have been” for the rest of his life. He refused to play the victim card.
How many times do you hear kids (and their parents) complain that they did not make the team because the coach was playing politics? They might say the other kid’s parents donated more to the booster club or the other kid played on a club team that the coach was paid to lead.
How often do you hear people gripe that their team lost because the refs were horrible? This is especially prevalent in youth sports. Although the quality of officiating is sometimes not great in youth games, especially if the refs are volunteers. It’s a convenient excuse, but a vast majority of games are lost because the other team played better. Period.
Even in situations, like Galarraga’s, where it is plainly obvious that someone else’s actions harmed you, the inability to let go of those transgressions can cause huge damage to your future performance and can often carry the potential to create a lifetime of unhappiness and even poor health.
You will be healthier and happier if you make a conscious effort to forgive and not hold grudges. Make an effort to let it go. You will feel better and do better!
