With three no-hitters (two of them perfect games!) already in the books...what could June possibly bring? Another no-hitter perhaps?
Perhaps a near perfect game?!? Nooo...that would NEVER happen!
Well...on June 2 it did!
One out away from what would be the third perfect game of the season, Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga suffered the greatest on field travesty since Monica Seles got stabbed by that crazed German when umpire Jim Joyce blew what would have been the 27th out of the game.
What followed was mayhem and, well, to be honest...Galarraga got the next out and ended the game with a one-hitter. But, you would have thought Joyce killed a guy...or stabbed a tennis player in the back.
Three weeks later, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Edwin Jackson no-hit the Tampa Bay Rays.
So here we are, folks…the All-Star break. What have we learned?
The Yankees, with their league-best 56-32 record are dominating their opponents. Home runs are making headlines night after night and big league umpires need, according to many fans…better glasses.
Now while you’re bound to come across plenty of first half re-caps, here are ten milestones (or stories) that The Hall of Very Good has found of particular interest.
Jason Heyward Hits Home Run in Major League Debut
With one swing of the bat, Atlanta Braves super rookie did something only 104 players had done prior to Opening Day 2010…ht a home run in his first at bat. Within weeks, three more players joined him…most notably was what Boston rookie Daniel Nava pulled off.
Mike Leake Skips Minors…Debuts in Reds Rotation
While most of the baseball world was applauding the debut of Jason Heyward and counting down the moments until Stephen Strasburg took the hill for the first time…Cincinnati starter Mike Leake was busy not playing in the Minors and taking his act to the pros, winning his first five starts in the process.
No-Hitters, Perfect and Notso Perfect Games
If one more person calls 2010 the “Year of the Pitcher” I’m going to vomit. So here we are…living in the Year of the Pitcher! Never before have we seen two perfect games (Dallas Braden and Roy Halladay), two no-hitters (Ubaldo Jimenez and Edwin Jackson) and whatever you call what Armando Galarraga pulled off…all before the All-Star break! I’m almost afraid to see what the second half of the season has in store for us.
Matt Stairs…Professional Hitter
My fascination with Matt Stairs started in his first season in the Minors…1989. More than 20 years and a Major League best 20 pinch hit home runs later…Stairs is still swinging for the fences. Matter of fact, he’s done so for more teams (11) than anyone else out there today.
Junior Retires
Fifth on the all-time home run list with 630 career bombs, "The Kid" was regarded as one of the game's premier players throughout the 1990s, nabbing ten straight Gold Gloves while playing with Seattle and being elected to start eleven straight All-Star Games. Quietly, he called it quits June 2 and made the 2016 Hall of Fame induction an easy day to schedule.
Stephen Strasburg Makes His Historic Debut
What can be written about Stephen Strasburg that hasn’t been written before? How about the fact that dude sold more jerseys (78,000) in June than any Washington National has in their history? Oh…a big thanks to those who have found The Hall while Googling “Stephen Strasburg shoe size”.
Home Run Milestones Aplenty!
Derrek Lee, Alfonso Soriano and Scott Rolen all reached the 300 home run plateau for their careers. Not to be outdone, Andruw Jones hit his 400th. The next big home run milestone on the docket? Alex Rodriguez is a mere three longballs from 600.
Jamie Moyer Becomes Home Run King
And speaking of home runs…did you hear the one about Jamie Moyer becoming the all-time leader in home runs by a pitcher. Last month, Moyer served up home run number 506 and later this month…he’ll get his AARP card. You know…because he’s old. ZING!
Jon Adkins Sets Save Record
Sure, it’s not a Major League milestone…but it IS a milestone. Good friend of The Hall, closer Jon Adkins became the all-time saves leader for the Cincinnati Red Triple-A affiliate Louisville Bats back in June. Unfortunately, Adkins won’t be able to add to his career total…the Reds released the pitcher on the eve of the Major League All-Star break Sunday night.
Goodbye, Old Friends
In a season full of memorable debuts…we’ve also seen our fair share of departures. In May, the baseball world lost both Ernie Harwell and Jose Lima. And right before the All-Star break, longtime Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard passed. But in what will be regarded as one of the top sports/news stories of the year…Yankees owner George Steinbrenner succumbed to a heart attack early Tuesday morning.
To put a cap on the first half of the baseball season, Gar Ryness, better known as Batting Stance Guy was at the All-Star Game in Anaheim Tuesday night and ran into “reputable reporter” Tyler Kepner of the New York Times.
Here’s their round up of the 2010 season so far.
Last Thursday, you couldn't go near a TV, radio or computer without hearing numerous opinions on what Major League Baseball should or shouldn't do regarding Armando Galarraga's "perfect" game.
Now, color me jaded, while I like the fact that people were talking baseball...a tiny part of my love of the game died when I heard it being discussed by the likes of Hoda Kotb, Kathie Lee Gifford and Joy Behar.
Which brings me to some opinions that matter...those of current and former professional ballplayers. What follows are the real time tweets of some baseball players that took to the Twittersphere last Wednesday night and Thursday morning to make their thoughts public.
@michael_schlact (Michael Schlact): My old teammate and buddy Armando Galarraga is throwing a "gem" right now in Detroit. I highly, highly recommend you tune in NOW.
Minutes later...
@michael_schlact (Schlact): Worst call by an umpire. Ever. Armando Galarraga, you've been robbed of baseball history.
@CJNitkowski (C.J. Nitkowski): Wow!!!!! Not sure who I feel more sorry for, Gallaraga or Joyce.
@jonadkinsWV (Jon Adkins): Galaragga just was robbed of a perfect gm. Was not even close at 1b! Wow!
@MattAntonelli9 (Matt Antonelli): Man I hope jim joyce isn't on Twitter.
@RobbieW19 (Robbie Weinhardt): That's bad Jim Joyce!!!
@michael_schlact (Schlact): I think Miguel Cabrera's reaction to the whole play and to the ump's call really sums up the entire situation. Sad for everyone involved.
@broshuis (Garrett Broshuis): Perfect game means perfect--including umpiring.
@str8edgeracer (C.J. Wilson): I'm really really really glad I didn't see it but I'm 100% sure that expanding replay will be a topic during the offseason with union+selig
@Utbaseball30 (Scot Drucker): CHANGE THE CALL. It won't affect the outcome of the game, rather it gives credit to a feat that by all measures is one of the toughest things to do in sports. The guy deserves to have a perfect game to his credit. Nothing has ever been done like this before, but that's because nothing like this has ever happened before. The Tigers win the game no matter what the call is and I suspect Jason Donald won't cry too much to have a hit taken away. Galarraga deserves to have his name in the books and not have people say, "Well, he threw one, but it didn't count." That's crap. Not to mention the kid has been as classy as humanly possible.
@OzzieGuillen (Ozzie Guillen): Great job manager leyland you are class act send galarraga to the plate great baseball man
@TheGarfoose (Dirk Hayhurst): I feel bad for Joyce as well, knowing that he admits he's wrong but can't be absolved of his error must hurt more then Galarraga's wound
@TheGarfoose (Hayhurst): I have to rule in favor of reversal here, for both people involved. It's the right, and merciful thing to do, though historians may scoff
@broshuis (Broshuis): Have to agree with the decision not to overturn the call. Fallibility has a rich place within baseball history. It's now in the past.
There were PLENTY more tweets out there as all Hell broke loose across Twitter, but it is this sampling that tells the story best. While everyone was pretty much shocked at Jim Joyce's call...there was no consensus as to what MLB commissioner Bud Selig should do.
Former big leaguers C.J. Nitkowski and Brent Mayne took to their respective blogs to further voice their thoughts. Both are good reads and give some insight into how some players think.
Personally, I was in the "leave it alone" camp the minute I saw the play and I still am nearly a week later. Changing it would have opened up too many cans of worms.
What do you think? Vote over there in the righthand margin and leave your comments below!
With three no-hitters (two of them perfect games!) already in the books...what could June possibly bring? Another no-hitter perhaps?
