Amazing Grace on the Field

As a life-long fan of the Detroit Tigers, allow me to throw my hat in the ring with all the others who have commented on the extraordinary events surrounding the Tigers vs. Indians game last week. Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game, but a blown call by first base umpire Jim Joyce robbed Galarraga of his spot in history as only the 21st pitcher ever to retire 27 batters in a row, and the first in Tiger's history.

What makes this story extaordinary is not the blown call. That happens all the time. It's not even the perfect game, though that's why everyone is taking such notice. In my opinion, what is truly amazing is the outpouring of grace by Galarraga himself that began the moment the call was blown and history was lost. You see, it was Galarraga himself who covered first base for the final out. He was the one who caught the ball and looked to the umpire for the out-signal. And in that moment, when Galarraga's hands started to climb to the air in victory, and he saw the safe call from Jim Joyce, all Galarraga did was smile. He smiled.

I was watching the game. I was yelling at the screen, nearly waking my son. And my anger compounded when seconds later I was subjected to viewing the replay from about 6 angles, all clearly portraying a not-even-close out. But not Galarraga. He just walked back out and coaxed a ground ball from the next guy, giving him the only 28 out perfect game in MLB history.

Grace. This is costly grace. When he saw the replay, Galarraga simply said, "Nobody's perfect. Everyone is human." He's right. But it's one thing to say that in retrospect, when the emotions subside. It takes a new level of grace all together to let this be your guide in the heat of the moment when it costs you everything.

The next day, Galarraga walked the line-up card out to a very contrite, emotional Jim Joyce standing at the plate. This is normally a task for the manager, but in perhaps the classiest move I have ever seen in sports, Tiger's manager Jim Leyland asked Galarraga to walk out there. And with grace unbounded, he not only gave Joyce the card, but shook his hand and showed the sporting world the power of forgiving grace.