Last night could have been a good night for a lot of people.

It could have been a good night, obviously, for Armando Galarraga.  Aside from the awful call with two out in the ninth, he would have become only the twentieth twenty-first pitcher in MLB history to have thrown a perfect game.*

It could have been a good night for first base umpire Jim Joyce.  He should have slept soundly, knowing that he witnessed history.  Instead, he caused history—nothing an umpire ever wants—and he will be remembered now not for the hundreds of thousands of calls he’s gotten right in his career, but for this one that he’s gotten wrong.

It could have been a good night for the thousands of fans in Detroit and the hundreds of thousands watching on TV who witnessed something special, only to be told that it wasn’t.

It could have been a good night for Ken Griffey Jr., whose retirement announcement was overshadowed by a farce of a story.  One of the greatest hitters of our generation went out like a lamb on the back pages of the sports section.

But instead, it was a lousy night for everyone. [Read more...]