A couple of weeks ago, playing in a church softball league, my team found itself tied in the bottom of the last inning.

I led off the inning with a single. The next batter hit one to the gap in the outfield, and I scored the winning run from first.

Only one problem: As I rounded second base, I missed the bag by a good four inches.

The opposing shortstop saw this, called for the ball, and was standing on second base as my ecstatic teammates surrounded me at home plate.

After talks between the shortstop and umpires, the ump ruled that I had indeed touched all the bases, and the game was over.

I have no idea why I just told that story, because it in no way relates to what happened last night.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga had retired 26 consecutive Cleveland Indians when Jason Donald came up to the plate.

Donald hit a ground ball that was fielded by first baseman Miggy Cabrera and thrown to Galarraga, who was covering first base.

Donald was out by a full step.

Galarraga lifted his hands, celebrating baseball's 21st perfect game and the third this season.

Galarraga looked over at first base umpire Jim Joyce, who was calling Donald safe.

As Galarraga stood smiling in disbelief, his Tiger teammates, including manager Jim Leyland, came over to argue the call.

Joyce stood by his call, and Galarraga's perfect game was over.

It wasn't until after the game that Joyce admitted his mistake.

"I truly felt the runner was safe." Joyce said after the game. "It was the biggest call of my career...I just cost that kid a perfect game."

A tearful Joyce found Galarraga after the game, hugged him and apologized.

Leyland came Joyce's defense in his post-game press conference.

"He is a very, very good umpire. Has been a long time. Nobody feels worse than he does right now. I'm sure. But it's understandable. The umpires are human."

But perhaps the most admirable and stoic about the situation was Galarraga himself.

"I told him nobody's perfect. Hopefully it will happen again. But I'll tell you something, I'm going to keep a copy of that game, and I'll tell my son, 'I got one. It's not in the book. It's not official. But I got one.'"

The last person to lose a no-hitter on the last batter was Dave Stieb of the Toronto Blue Jays against the Cleveland Indians in 1988. But that no-hitter was broken up by Julio Franco, not the officiating crew.

Stieb, who lost three no-hitters in the ninth inning over two seasons, finally got one in 1990 against the Cleveland Indians.

There has been talk that commissioner Bud Selig should reverse the call to give Galarraga his perfect game. But this is a very slippery slope. What happens next time this happens, say Game Seven of the World Series? If the last out is a blown call that would have won the championship for the other team, would he reverse the call the next day to give the title to the other team?

I admire Armando Galarraga. He isn't whining. He isn't complaining. He knows what he did. His teammates (who doused him in beer after the game) know what he did. Fans know what he did. Jim Joyce knows what he did.

And someday, Galarraga's son will know what he did.