O. K.,
Some time has passed and I have had the opportunity to reflect on what happened at the moment that the call was made and since (having seen the play a dozen times over and over.)
The UMP clearly blew the call!
But, I am forced to take back what I said when I started this thread.
It is apparent that Jim Joyce clearly felt horrible about missing what will, no doubt, become one of the all-time high lights of the National pastime that we call Major League Baseball. NOT, because Joyce missed the call; but because of the look on Armando Galarraga's face when he realized that the call had gone against him.
The apology that Joyce gave following the game had to have come from the "heart" otherwise how could it have been more colorful. You have to appreciate that Joyce is a hard working "average blue coller" worker who just happens to also be one of baseball's premier Umpires. He showed his humanity through his profanity-laced apology.
I made a serious error when I suggested that he be demoted or fired.
Typically, in Major League Baseball and in many sandlot games as well as most of the in-between levels of baseball, the only ones who will not admit there is an element of human error in the game are those who commit the human errors.
Jim Joyce's contrition, as it turned out, was to me very admirable and I have to say his language was appropriate given the nature of the game as it is played by little boys and high salaried individuals throughout this great country of ours. At one time or another, we who watch the game have seen one UMP or another who has blown a call and failed to step up to the plate and show the humility that the mistake should require.
BUT, Armando Galarraga's response was "PRICELESS!"
It would be great if every kid in America who is involved in Sports of any kind would get to see the segment televised when the camera caught Galarraga's reaction to what happened, both immediately after it happened and later in the Detroit clubhouse. His "Why Me? grin that greeted the call was perfect. He acknowledged what happened without "showing up" anybody. There is no way to know how he kept his cool like that; but his Sportsmanship was OUTSTANDING and for him to so graciously accept Jim Joyce's apology in post game interviews demonstrated to me a lot of class that is sorely lacking in Major League (High Salaried Pre-Madonna Sport!)
To the Ump that blew the call, you blew the [bleep] out of baseball history; but the incident should always be looked upon as something great for the sport.