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"I was like, what can I do to have a better
finish to the story?" Galarraga said in a story published
Tuesday by The Athletic. "How can Major League Baseball give me
the perfect game? Because it was perfect, right?"
On June 2, 2010, Galarraga retired the first 26 Cleveland
Indians batters in order, then induced a ground ball between
first and second base by Jason Donald. First baseman Miguel
Cabrera came off the bag to field the grounder and threw to
Galarraga, who caught the ball and clearly stepped on the base
before Donald arrived.
But first base umpire Jim Joyce ruled Donald safe, an error he
acknowledged immediately after the game. Galarraga retired the
next batter, but the perfect game (and no-hitter) was lost.
Now Galarraga wants to be given the 24th official perfect game
-- defined as retiring all 27 batters in order, with the
starting pitcher finishing the game -- in MLB history.
"Why not?" Galarraga said to The Athletic. "Why wait for so
long? I don't want to die, and then they'll be like, 'You know
what, he threw a perfect game.'"
Joyce, whom Galarraga forgave in a meeting at home plate a day
after the blown call, told The Athletic he believes Galarraga
should get credit.
"I agree with him," Joyce said. "I agree. Because he did it."
Galarraga, now 38, played just two more major league seasons,
appearing in eight games for the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2011
and five for the Houston Astros in 2012. He subsequently
finished his career with stints in Venezuela, China and Mexico.
He finished his major league career having gone 26-34 with a
4.78 ERA in 100 appearances (91 starts) with four teams,
including three years with the Tigers (2008-10) and one with the
Texas Rangers (2007).
--Field Level Media
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