Armando Galarraga Redefines Bud Selig's Holy Human Element

Pitcher's Forgiveness
Keeps It A Perfect Game

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

Sure Bud Selig's antiquated approach to governing America's pastime could use a makeover, but I'm not completely soured by his decision to keep Armando Galarraga's imperfect game as it stands.

Our narrow-sighted culture only seems to recognize what's tangible—money, fake tits, and our favorite slugger's home run total.

If ever something could have been better, we cry that it wasn't, and under the bus we throw those responsible.

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Armando Galarraga finished off that complete game Wednesday and it would have been great for him to have gotten credit for such an accomplishment.

But a man regarded as one of the best at his profession made an honest mistake, then, at his first opportunity, admitted it for every newspaper and online publication in the world. He felt terrible, but we piled on anyway, not giving a second thought to the fact that we screw up at work probably more often than Jim Joyce does, and we do so under little or no pressure and without the media microscope.

The human element that Selig insists on preserving in baseball was indeed at play Wednesday and Thursday. Only it wasn't an umpire's mistake; it was Galarraga's tender forgiveness. I realize we won't be able to profit from such an outstanding gesture of sportsmanship, but it's more than enough for Wednesday's game to remain a perfect one in my memory for many years to come.