As a major sports fan, my heart broke for the Detroit Tiger pitcher, Armando Galarraga, who lost his chance for history because of a blown call made by umpire Jim Joyce for the last out of a perfect game. Baseball fans understand the magnitude of this. Galarraga would have become only the 21st pitcher in Major League History to throw a perfect game. It was taken away from him by a fellow human being’s mistake. Did Galarraga scream and yell? No, he demonstrated remarkable grace. He just smiled and went back to his work. Later, Joyce apologized and took responsibility for his mistake saying, “I just cost that kid a perfect game”. These two gentlemen are both class acts. The next night, Joyce was at the plate when he was overcome by emotion as Galarraga offered a handshake and forgiving pat on the back. Anyone who saw this was moved to tears as well. Noone is perfect. We live in an imperfect world. Mistakes happen in both the business and personal arena. These two men provided a life’s lesson for anyone who was lucky enough to see it.
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Galarraga is a real class act in his behavior after the questionable call. He defines good sportsmanship and is an example for all children and adults. Love that Chevy gave him the new Corvette the next day too.