A Sunday Morning Reflection

Bull Durham 1988
Annie Savoy and Crash Davis

I woke up on Sunday, November 2 thinking about baseball.  The 2025 World Series had wrapped up the night before less than 12 hours ago.  I can't think of any other team (maybe Milwaukee or St. Louis) who I wanted more to NOT win than the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Here we are, the Los Angeles Dodgers are the World Series Champs and not just the WS Champs but back to back WS champs.  Congrats to them and their fans.  I firmly believe that to win the World Series back-to-back is more difficult than any of the major U.S. team sports (NBA, NFL, NHL).  

When I think of baseball on a Sunday morning, I can't help but think about the Church of Baseball.  This is not my creation, the Church of Baseball.  It comes from perhaps the best baseball film of all time, Bull Durham. 

I believe in the Church of Baseball.  I've tried all the major religions, and most of the minor ones.  And the only church that truly feeds the soul, day-in and day-out, is the Church of Baseball. 

         -Annie Savoy 

I woke up thinking about baseball and what a memorable season this has been for me.  It was an amazing first half of the season with the Cubs and Tigers leading the way in first place in their respective divisions.  Both teams giving us a peek at the future as both teams showed a youth movement as young players became team leaders.  Pete Crow Armstrong, Michael Busch, Matt Shaw, Cade Horton led by veterans Ian Happ, Kyle Tucker, James Taillon, Matthew Boyd, Seiya Suzuki were impactful players for the Cubs.  Colt Keith, Trey Sweeney, Riley Greene, Spencer Torkelson, Kerry Carpenter, Dillion Dingler, Casey Mize, Will Vest, Tarik  Skubal all emerged as players who make an impact for the Detroit Tigers.  While both teams struggled in the second half of the season, both went on to make the playoffs and both advanced to the NLDS and the ALDS.  I believe happy days are ahead. 

My thoughts returned to the World Series and what an amazing series it turned out to be.  Let's review: 

• Each team gets a win in games 1 and 2.
• An 18 inning Monday night game that the Dodgers win to go 2-1 in the series.
• The Blue Jays come back with two wins to make the series 3-2. 
• The Dodgers win in Toronto in Game Six to tie it up 3-3. 
• Game 7...let's recap
• Shohei Ohtani is the starting pitcher and bats leadoff for the Dodgers.
• Blue Jays starter Max Scherzer is the oldest (41 yrs) starting pitcher in WS game seven.
• Blue Jays objected to the more than 3 minutes Ohtani took between innings to start the inning.  
• Benches cleared in a shoving match situation after Gimenez is hit by pitch, the second time the Dodgers pitchers plunked him this World Series.  
• Light hitting Miguel Rojas ties the game for the Dodgers in the ninth with the  Blue Jays two outs from a World Series title. 
• Extra innings!  
• The Dodgers never led the game until the 11th inning.  
• Previous night's Dodgers starter Yoshinobu Yamamoto closes out the game

No wonder my mind was still buzzing with baseball when I woke up Sunday morning.  An amazing  baseball season replayed itself in my mind filling my soul with the Church of Baseball.  

Dream Season Part 2

The ALCS and the NLCS are underway.  After storybook seasons, neither of my teams are in the championship series.  As you may have discovered in a post from earlier this baseball season, Dream Season, I am a lifetime fan of the Chicago Cubs and the Detroit Tigers.  

After amazing first half of the season records for both teams, both the Tigers and Cubs stumbled into the playoffs.  The Tigers' fate came down to the last day of the regular season to confirm their playoff birth.  It was a nerve wracking finish to the regular season, but both teams made it to the Wildcard series.  The Tigers moved past the Cleveland Guardians 2 games to one, as the Cubs did the same to the San Diego Padres.  

Then, in the Division Series, the Tigers would  face the Seattle Mariners, and the Cubs went head to head with division rivals and the hottest team in baseball with the best regular season record, Milwaukee Brewers.  The Cubs scored in the first inning of each game (except game 5), but struggled to put runs on the board.  The Brewers took the first two games but the Cubs came back to take games 3 and 4.  The Cubs dropped Game 5 with a score 3-1.  It was the same result for the Tigers, but it went down quite a bit more suspenseful.  The Mariners and the Tigers each took one of each of the first two games.  Then, power surged for each team as the Mariners won 8-4 in game three, and the Tigers tied it all up 2-2 with a 9-3 win in game four.  Then came game 5.  The game sat at a score of 2 to2 as the 9th inning came to a close.  The game went past midnight in the central time zone as the home team, Mariners, scored in the 15th inning on a walk-off single.  

It is hard to see both of my teams lose in the playoffs in back-to-back nights, but in reflection, it was a great season.  I have never been so proud to be a Cubs and Tigers fan as this year with their dominant first half of the season.  It was fun to entertain the question from friends, "who do you cheer for if they both get to the World Series?"  It was nice to dream about that, but I will have to continue my wait. 

Regardless of the struggles and frustrations of the last couple months and the team power outage of both teams' bats, it has been fun.  You might even say it was almost a Dream Season.  

Dream Season

I have been a Chicago Cubs fan as far back as I can remember.  I had suffered many years, but I believe not riding the bandwagon of the hottest team has built character and taught me a thing or two about loyalty.  Check out this #ThrowbackThursday post for my thoughts on finding the silver lining as a fan of a perennial losing team. Things have changed in the last 10 years as a Chicago Cubs fan.  I have gotten used to listening to more Cubs wins than losses which includes a World Series win in 2016.  

In 2025, Chicago Cubs fans have been enjoying a wild winning ride.  The Cubs have been in first place for almost the entire season.  We have exciting players like Pete Crow-Armstrong, Kyle Tucker, Seiya Suzuki, Michael Busch, Matthew Boyd, Shota Imanaga, Daniel Palencia among others.  Anytime the list of exciting players passes 3 or 4, you must be rooting for a successful team.  As the second half of the season got started, but Cubs quickly achieved the best record in baseball while holding onto a one game division lead over the Milwaukee Brewers.  With the ebb and flow of baseball, hot streaks, cold streaks, injuries, and other superstitions, I never know how or when the season will turn.  

For a Cubs fan, all this makes for a dream season, but all of my friends know that this is a really special dream season for me.  Not only am I a Cubs fan, I am also a Detroit Tigers fan.  People often ask how that happened, and I think I have told the story somewhere in the history of this blog, but I am a Tigers fan because I am a Cubs fan.  

After last season's Cinderella story in the playoffs, the Detroit Tigers are showing that they are real.  The Tigers held the best record in the MLB up to the All-Star Game, before a losing streak set in.  This Tigers team has some pretty special players that have made this a fun season so far.  Those players are Spencer Torkelson, Riley Greene, Javy Baez, Kerry Carpenter, Zach McKinstry, Tarik Skubal, Reese Olson, Casey Mize, and others.  The story for the Tigers starts with their visionary manager A.J. Hinch.  He has sold this team on the TEAM concept.  Players understand that they may have to pocket their egos for the betterment of the team.  This concept got them deep into the playoffs, and that philosophy continues today.  This year they are getting some much needed starting pitching to support Tarik Skubal.  

It has been a dream season for me as a baseball fan.  Every season is a treat, but boy, it is nice to win.  Everyone asks me, what happens if they both get to the World Series?  Who will you root for?  If the World Series is the Chicago Cubs vs. the Detroit Tigers, it won't matter who wins!  That would be icing on the cake for the 2025 baseball season!  

Update 8/11/25

The Dream Season is at risk!!  Since the All-Star Break the Tigers are still in first place, but they are 9-13 since the break.  The Cubs have dropped to second place with the red-hot Milwaukee Brewers sitting atop the division.  The Cubs are 10-11 since the All-Star break.  It isn't the end of the season, but it certainly doesn't fit the language above.  

Fantasy Baseball: Coca Cola Kids "A Team" Baseball Club Weeks 7-12

The Kids are off to a great start in 2025.  Even after a blowout loss in Week 6, they are still 21 wins over losses (63-42-15).  Two key players on the team are currently on the IL, SP Shota Imanaga and OF Teoscar Hernandez.  Both of these players have been key in the Coca Cola Kids hot start.  The Kids are also waiting for OF Garrett Mitchell to come off the IL too.  

It seems that the top comeback player of the year candidate, Spencer Torkelson, is beginning to cool off after his hot start.  But Torkelson is tied in team lead in doubles (11) for the Kids, second on the team in both runs scored (28) and RBI (33) and among team leaders in home runs (10).  

The Kids management did well with their Keepers from last season.  Elly De La Cruz leads the team in stolen bases with 14 and is among team leaders in runs scored (26) and hits (29).  Cal Raleigh has been pounding the ball in April and May.  He leads the team in Home Runs (12) and walks (27) and is among the leaders in runs scored (26).  Julio Rodriguez is the most pedestrian from last year's keepers.  It didn't seem that he could have as dismal a season as last year, so it seemed worth the risk to keep him.  It isn't paying off quite as much as management had hoped, but his numbers are strong enough to call it a win so far.  He leads the team in triples (2) and is among team leaders in runs scored (27).  The team would like to see more in the power and speed categories, but we will take slow and steady in his performance.  

Pete Crow-Armstrong is the MVP and RoY for the team in the first six weeks.  He leads the team in runs scored (31), tied for first in doubles (11), and second on the team in stolen bases (13).  Additionally, Crow-Armstrong is among team leaders in home runs (10) and runs batted in (28). 

Here is the team roster as of the beginning of Week 7: 

C: Cal Raleigh Mariners

1B: Michael Busch, Cubs

2B: Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks

3B: Isaac Paredes, Astros

SS: Elly De La Cruz, Reds

OF: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners

OF: Pete Crow Armstrong, Cubs

OF: Kerry Carpenter, Tigers

Utility: Spencer Torkelson, Tigers

Bench: Josh Naylor, Diamondbacks

Bench: Bryson Stott, Phillies

Bench: Teoscar Hernandez, Dodgers (IL)

Bench: Pete Crow Armstrong, Cubs

Bench: Ozzie Albies, Braves

IL: Garrett Mitchell, Brewers

NA: Matt Shaw, Cubs

SP: Luis Severino, A's

SP: Michael Boyd, Cubs

SP: Framber Valdez, Astros

SP: Freddy Peralta, Brewers

RP: Luke Weaver, Yankees

RP: Jason Adam, Padres

P: Fernando Cruz, Yankees

P: MacKenzie Gore, Nationals

Bullpen: Kirby Yates, Dodgers

IL: Shota Imanaga, Cubs

Picked up in the first six weeks: 

Spencer Torkelson 1B

Ozzie Albies 2B

Michael Boyd  SP

Fernando Cruz RP

See Weeks 1-6 Here

Week 7: 

Kids vs. BrownTown  10-7 "A Balanced Offense and Pitching Attack brings Win for Kids"  

(1st Division, 1st League) 

Week 8: 

Kids (73-49-18) vs. Oxford Publicans (57-65-18) 12-5 "Publicans Offense Can't Keep Up with the Kids"

(1st Division, 1st League)

Week 9: 

Kids (85-54-21) vs. ACEsymptomatic (57-88-15) 10-9  "The Kids Squeak One Out Against ACE" 

(1st Division, 1st League)

Week 10: 

Kids (95-63-22) vs. Orange Drink (71-88-21)  9-11  "Kid's Pitching Can't Keep It Together for Loss"

(1st Division, 1st League)

Week 11:  

Kids (104-74-22) vs. Pacaya Chilitepes (88-90-22)  10-8  "Kid's Win with Balanced Attack"  

(1st Division, 1st League) 

Week 12:  

Kids (114-82-24) vs. Tuffy's Tamaskan Buddhas (101-88-31)  8-8 "Kids Come From Behind to Tie It Up"  

(1st Division, 1st League) 

Head over to Weeks 13-18

Fantasy Baseball: Coca Cola Kids "B Team" Weeks 1-6

Okay, so "B Team" implies the second best.  That is not the case here.  It is simply the designation between one team and another.  Last week, I wrote about the Coca Cola Kids "A Team" fantasy baseball team that is part of the League of Gorgeous Rogues.  You can read that and keep up with the "A Team" weekly RIGHT HERE  

This week the focus is on the Coca Cola Kids "B Team."  The B is a part of the UPCbaseball league which has been in existence since 2010, and the Kids best league finish is 3rd place which they finished in 2011.  They have finished 4th in the league twice (2012 and 2017).  Like the "A Team," the kids are professors of mediocrity.  

This league is a high maintenance league as managers can make adjustments to the team daily.  Managing two clubs, as the owner, there just isn't the time to do daily changes.  Nonetheless, the Kids fight every day and thank the baseball gods for the opportunity to play ball!

Here is the 2025 Roster of the Coca Cola Kids "B Team"

C: Cal Raleigh, Mariners

1B:  Matt Olson, Braves

2B:  Andres Gimenez, Blue Jays

3B: Willi Castro, Twins

SS:  Mookie Betts, Dodgers

OF:  Kyle Tucker, Cubs

OF:  Kyle Schwarber, Phillies

OF:  Kerry Carpenter, Tigers

Utility: Seiya Suzuki, Cubs

Bench: Jeremy Pena, Astros

Bench: Jackson Merrill, Padres

Bench: Willy Adames, Giants

SP:  Jason DeGrom, Rangers

SP:  Shota Imanaga, Cubs

SP:  Spencer Schwellenbach, Braves

RP:  Ryan Helsley, Cardinals

RP:  Jordan Romano, Phillies

P:     Bryan Woo, Mariners

P:    Tylor Megill, Mets

P:     Nick Pivetta, Padres

Bullpen: Jesus Luzardo, Phillies

Bullpen:  Kevin Gausman, Blue Jays

The Kids B have gotten off to a hot start in the 2025 season.  Week 1 found them  cruising to a win 12-5 over the All Choked Up club.  That win placed the Kids B in 3rd place after week one behind the Splendid Splinters and Gourmet by Gorman.  

Follow this post as it will be updated weekly with each match-up Weeks 1-6.   

Week 1:

Kids vs All Choked Up 12-5 (3rd in League) "Kids Power Win with 22 HR in Week 1"

Week 2: 

Kids vs Unerdawgs  13-3  (1st in League)   "Kids Dominate" 

Week 3: 

Kids vs. Release the Kimbrel  8-7 (2nd in League) "Kids offence with .800 OPS in Win" 

Week 4: 

Trot's Cardinals vs. Kids  7-10 (3rd in League)  "Kids Offense Cools Off to Finish May" 

Week 5: 

Kids vs. Acuna Matada  9-7 (2nd in League)  "Offense Flexes Muscle with 17 HR, .932 OPS" 

Week 6: 

Kids vs. you have to C it  5-12 (3rd in League) "Kids Slip in Standings after Big Loss"  

See Weeks 6-12 Here

Fantasy Baseball 2025: The Coca Cola Kids "A Team" Weeks 1-6

Smell the Earth reawakening as winter begins to thaw!  That means only one thing...Baseball season is here!  As of this writing, both the Cubs and Tigers are playing well in April.  That just makes my day!  

Baseball season also means Fantasy Baseball is here too.  The Coca Cola Kids have been around since 1988 and the Kids have and A team and a B team in two different leagues.  The Kids A team has been in action since 2005 in the ball league, League of the Gorgeous Rogues.  In 20 years of playing fantasy ball in The League of the Gorgeous Rogues, the Kids have been Champions twice (2026, 2013) and third place twice (2007, 2021).  The rest of the seasons are mostly less than mediocre, but we have fun anyway.  

The Coca Cola Kids B team plays in the UPC Baseball league.  The UPC Baseball league has been in existence since 2010.  In that time the Kids have never won the league, but took a 3rd place finish in 2011. 

Both leagues are super competitive with active players, but the UPC league is high maintenance with daily team adjustments as options where as the Rogues league has weekly roster adjustments.  

So allow me to introduce, from the League of the Gorgeous Rogues, the 2025 Coca Cola Kids A team:

C: Cal Raleigh Mariners

1B: Josh Naylor, Diamondbacks

2B: Bryson Stott, Phillies

3B: Maikel Garcia, Royals

SS: Elly De La Cruz, Reds

OF: Julio Rodriguez, Mariners

OF: Teoscar Hernandez, Dodgers

OF: Kerry Carpenter, Tigers

Utility: Ketel Marte, Diamondbacks

Bench: Isaac Paredes, Astros

Bench: Pete Crow Armstrong, Cubs

Bench: Garrett Mitchell, Brewers

Bench: Michael Bush, Cubs

Bench: Zach Gelof, A's

SP: Dylan Cease, A's

SP: Shota Imanaga, Cubs

SP: Framber Valdez, Astros

SP: Freddy Peralta, Brewers

RP: Kirby Yates, Dodgers

RP: Jason Adam, Padres

P: Luis Severino, A's

P: MacKenzie Gore, Nationals

Bullpen: Luke Weaver, Yankees

After the first weekend of baseball, the Kids snatched up undrafted Tigers infielder, Spencer Torkleson, which, so far, has paid off really well. 

After week 1, The Kids are in first place of the North Division with a 12-4-4 record.  First place overall belongs to the Oxford Publicans with a 16-3-1 record. 

It is a great start to what The Kids are hoping to be a great season!  

Week 1: 

Kids vs. Tuffy's Tamaskan Buddhas 12-4 "Kids Offense Dominates with 17 HR, 56 RBI"

(1st Division, 2nd League)  

Week 2: 

Kids vs. Pacaya Chiltepes 9-9 "Kids Come from Behind to Secure Tie"  

(2nd Division, 3rd League) 

Week 3: 

Kids vs ACEsymptomatic 11-8 "Offense Comes Alive while the Kid's Pitching Holds the Wins"

Week 4: 

Kids vs. Fried Chicken Bucket  15-3 "Kids Dominate as De La Cruz and Crow-Armstrong Heat Up"

(1st Division, 1st League)

Week 5: 

Kids vs. Oxford Publicans  12-3 "Kids Pitchers post 5 Wins, 2.63 ERA to Dominate the Week"

(1st Division, 1st League)

Week 6: 

Kids vs. The Mecca of Red Necka  4-15 "Kids Suffer First Lost in Grand Style!"  

(1st Division, 1st League) 

See the new post for Weeks 6 - 12 here.  

 

Celebrate like the Baddoos

"Don't give up. Your day will come!"  I don't know if Akil Baddoo ever heard that, but he certainly lived it.  Who is Akil Baddoo?  That's what I was asking when he came up to the plate for the Detroit Tigers (my second favorite MLB team).  All that is on the ESPN.com is that he is a 22-year-old centerfielder for the Detroit Tigers.  A little more digging discovered that he remarkably made the Tigers after spending several years in low A minor league ball for the Minnesota Twins.  The Tigers picked Baddoo up this last winter in the unprotected player draft.  After a great spring training with the Tigers, he made the major league team

What did he do?  In his first game in the major leagues when he came up to bat against the Cleveland Indians, he took the first pitch to the opposite field for a 370 foot home run. It was a great moment (check the video).  While one home run, even in your first at-bat, doesn't define a career, it certainly defines a positive moment of hope and achievement for hard work.  It defines a positive moment in the young baseball season where fans are back and the world is trying to figure out what a post-pandemic era will feel like.  It defines a positive moment for a family who was there to see it.  

What really caught my attention was his reaction and that of his parents who were in the stands that afternoon (again, check the video).  You could see the joy in Baddoo's face and actions as he rounded the bases, and he knew exactly where his parents were sitting.  He gave them recognition as he crossed home plate which I think is a total class act.  The cameras knew where his parents were too as if they knew something special would happen that day.  The cameras captured their instant reaction, and as a parent, it was beautiful to see.  Even though I wasn't there for all the little league games, high school baseball, years of summer ball, and what was likely a difficult decision to go pro, I could see the reward; we all could.  

We should mark Akil Baddoo's moment in time and remind ourselves of what can be achieved by the daily grind.  Our hard work will have celebratory moments.  It may not be in front of 10,000 fans and televised.  It may not be in front of all our friends or even our parents, but those moments do come.  Own those moments when you achieve them.  Take credit for your success and be proud of your accomplishments.

If you are a parent, look for the achievement, even small, in your own children and celebrate like the Baddoos did.  Be proud of your work as a parent and be proud of what your children are becoming.  I love baseball for reasons like this, but look around, I am sure there are moments like this to be found every day if we look for it.   

Akil Baddoo update 4/6/21

Baddoo's legendary start to his major league career grows.  In his second game for Detroit on Monday, he smashed a grand slam.  Then today, Tuesday, he was a pinch-runner in the eighth inning of a tied 3-3 game with Minnesota.  He stayed in the game defensively then in his first at-bat of the game in the 10th inning he hit a walk off single to win the game 4-3.  Keep an eye on this guy, he is fun to watch.  

The MLB is back! My Top 5 Reasons for Being Excited

One month ago the temperature around here barely got above 0 degrees.  Today, we topped out at 71 wonderful degrees.  That might mean lots of different things to people, but to me, that means baseball is just around the corner.  

It shouldn't be any secret that I love the game and have since I was a little kid, but like many things in 2021, the return of baseball just seems to be extra special.  Yes, we got a bit of a season and a World Series in 2020, but the prospects of a full season, postseason, and World Series with fans in the stands seems different.  

Here are the top 5 reasons I am excited for the return of baseball: 

5. The exciting young players in the game: 

This is a great time to be a baseball fan.  There are some really exciting veteran players out there who put on a show every game: Aaron Judge, Javy Baez, Freddie Freeman, Mookie Betts to name just a few.  The exciting young players in the league; however, may be the reason to tune in to games this year.  First there are the sons of former baseball stars: Vladimir Gurerro Jr. Cavan Biggio, Bo Bichette, Fernando Tatis, Jr.  Then there are the other exciting young players like Eloy Jimenez, Luis Robert, Randy Arozarena, and Ke'Bryan Hayes. I could keep going on there are so many to watch.  

4. Fantasy Baseball:

I have been doing some sort of Fantasy Baseball since 1988.  It started with pencil and paper and digging through the USA Today team stats that would publish on Tuesdays (I think), to Sandbox, to now, Yahoo Fantasy Baseball.  I have been in the league I am with now for several years.  I am not particularly good at Fantasy Baseball because I draft with my heart and loyalties and I draft who I "feel" will have great years.  I rarely draft stars of the game.  I don't know why, but it has turned out well a few seasons.  In our league of 10 teams, I am one of four of us who has won the league at least twice.  I will never have a dynasty Fantasy Baseball team, but I do look forward to putting a team together and seeing how it does.    

3. Long Saturday and Sunday afternoons with a ballgame on: 

Oh my goodness, how is this not number one or two?  There is nothing greater than a warm weekend afternoon, turning on a game, laying down, dozing off in the third or fourth inning to wake in the seventh or eighth inning to watch the end of the game.  What is better than that????  

2. Watching my favorite teams the Detroit Tigers and the Chicago Cubs: 

I have always been a Cubs fan.  I grew up in a football house where the Chicago Bears ruled, but somehow I fell in love with the Cubs.  Was it that they were on WGN?  Was it that they played at 1:20 (2:20 on Fridays) and were on when I came home from school?  Was it the visits to Wrigley Field with a church group once or twice a season?  Was it the pinstripes, the success of the 1984 team?  I have no idea, but I don't remember a time in my life when I didn't love the North Side Cubbies.  Why I follow the Detroit Tigers is a story for another day, but it goes back to Sparky Anderson, Allan Trammel, Sweet Lou Whitaker, Jack Morris, Cecil Fielder, Ivan Rodriguez, and more.  

1. Sitting in the stands watching a ballgame in person: 

Any other year, this would be fourth or fifth on my list.  I don't go to many games anymore.  Two years ago, I was able to take my oldest daughter, who is a loyal Cub fan, to Wrigley to see the Cubs play.  They lost that game, and I turned to her and said, "Well, now you are truly a Cubs fan."  

This reason to be excited is that I didn't feel that I missed much in the pandemic.  I didn't miss going to school functions like choir or band concerts, eating in restaurants, attending graduations, stuff like that.  I am not generally a crowd kind of person, but I did miss sitting in a stadium, small or large, watching the most perfect game.  I miss seeing a live double play develop in front of my eyes.  I miss hearing the bat hitting the ball on the sweet spot and knowing that is a home run.  I miss the announcers and the cheesy music. I miss spilling overpriced beer on the toes of my shoes.  I miss filling out the scorecard and being possibly the only one doing it for fun.  I miss it all.  I can't wait to sit in the stands of our local high A minor league team.  I hope to visit a large stadium in Chicago or St. Louis and take in the sound of the crowd on a pivotal moment strikeout or home run, or third out in the ninth inning.  That is what baseball does for me.  It brings me hope.  Hope that everything will be okay.  Win or lose, it will be okay.  

The Perfect Response to the Almost Perfect Game

On June 2, Armando Galarraga of the Detroit Tigers had 26 of 27 straight outs in a game; he was one out from a Perfect Game!  Then on a close play at first base, the umpire, Jim Joyce, called the runner safe thus ending the chase for a perfect game.

I always think that call is a difficult one, and as an armchair viewer of the game, I frequently call it wrong.  But in this situation, it was especially stressful for everyone: the umpire, the pitcher, the opposing team, the fans in the stands. This call ended a perfect game for the pitcher, but the ump got it wrong.  Replay showed that the runner was out by at least half a step. A disappointing ending for a run at a perfect game, but this is where the real story begins. 

Jim Joyce saw the replay in the clubhouse after the game, and immediately went to the Tigers locker room to tearfully apologized to Galarraga. He called for the media in the press room, and he apologized in public in front of the fans, his peers, and anyone who would listen. 

How many times do we make mistakes and hide behind excuses? How many other professionals in the spotlight like a major league umpire make huge miscues in their calls or plays and never apologize? As a 33 year professional and one of the best in baseball, he didn't have to do this, but he did. What a great example for all of us.  That is a great story, but it continues.

After the missed call was made, Armando Galarraga didn't argue.  He didn't go to the press room to call out the umpire.  He finished the game and celebrated a win for his team.   In an interview with Sports Illustrated Galarraga said of the apology, "He tried to talk. He'd say a couple words. 'You were perfect, I was not.' I felt so bad. I didn't feel bad for me. I felt bad for him." This pitcher missed a milestone that kids dream about in little league and the umpire "blew it," and Galarraga was humble about entire  situation. He took it in stride with the best sportsmanship on display. Tiger fans and fans of sports of all kinds should look to Galarraga as a model.  Galarraga saw the humanity in the game.  He saw humanity in a judgment call that could have defined his career.  With that, he did something bigger.  His reaction defined who he is as a person. 

I've been a Tiger fan for 26 years, and I will always remember Galarraga not for his almost perfect game, but for the sportsmanship he displayed and for the honorable actions of Jim Joyce.