Spare change

On first impression, it would seem like a good idea for Baseball Commissioner Bud (used car salesman) Selig to change the umpire's ruling and award Armando Galarraga his perfect game.

After all, it was a blown call. Even the umpire who blew the call admitted after the fact that he had blown the call.

So why not give Galarraga the perfect game?

Why? Because it opens a whole new can of worms. If the commissioner can overrule this call, which others can/will he? And who decides? Selig used to own the Brewers. Would that mean he'd give them a little help on some questionable calls? Or bend over backwards to avoid being unfair?

If that call is overruled, why not a called third strike somewhere? A fair/foul call? The call to cancel a game because of rain?

Part of the charm of baseball is the human element. George Steinbrenner never understood that if he paid a player $1 million more, why couldn't he hit another 100 points higher. Doesn't work that way.

The game's made up of people and rules. People make mistakes. They strike out. They drop fly balls. Then they take the field the next day and try not to do that again. That's the way it should be.

I remember an old story, probably not true, of an umpire calling balls and strikes. After a pitch, the umpire pauses. The catcher says, 'Well, what is it, a ball or a strike? And the umpire responded, "It's nothing until I say it is.'

Umpires have to make 200-300 split-second decisions every game. Maybe more. Umpires are human.

Sometimes humans make mistakes. There's probably a misspelling somewhere in this post. I make mistakes, too.

All that being said, if you're the umpire responsible for saving or ending a perfect game, you'd better make damned sure the call is right. Even if you have to pause to be sure. And if there's a doubt, ... there are three other umpires on that field. Ask.

Umpires have a right to be wrong.

They also have a responsibility to try harder in more critical situations.

Umpires can't afford to be looking over their shoulder at Bud Selig on every call.

But they can be disciplined.

And occasionally, some should be.

And so it goes.