MLB fans remember Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga being robbed of perfect game 13 years ago: "Was sick watching it then and I'm still sick"

Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga was on the brink of destiny 13 years ago. On June 2, 2010, Galarraga took a perfect game into the ninth inning against the Cleveland Guardians.

After retiring the first 26 batters in order, his bid for a perfect game was over. Jason Donald rolled a grounder over to first, which caused Miguel Cabrera to come off the bag and field it. When he flipped it to Galarraga, who was covering first, umpire Jim Joyce ruled Donald safe. It seemed to be the wrong call as Galarraga was the clear winner to the bag.

This was a time before challenges became a thing in baseball. Everybody knew the wrong call was made, but nobody could do anything about it. It would be one of the biggest blunders regarding an umpire missing a call. The call killed a special achievement in Detroit Tigers' history.

People around MLB did all they could to get the call reversed but with no luck. Even Joyce, who made the call, knew he had made a mistake immediately after the game.

Fans would love to see the league reverse its decision and give Armando Galarraga the perfect game. If MLB had instant replay challenges like they do today, it would have been a perfect game.

This is one of the most famous umpire blunders of all time. Given the situation, fans can't believe Joyce didn't give Armando Galarraga the call. The Detroit Tigers went on to win 3-0, but that was the least of everyone's worries.

Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game will never be forgotten

Armando Galarraga's near-perfect game will never be forgotten. It blew up in the media, with everyone blaming umpire Jim Joyce. It got to Joyce, who made a tearful apology after the game.

Galarraga, surprisingly never held a grudge over Joyce. He admired how the umpire sought him out after the game to tell him he was sorry. The two ended up embracing each other in the tunnels.

Although he blew the call, Joyce manned up to it. He took all the heat and never passed the blame on anybody else. As unfortunate of a situation, it couldn't have been handled better.

About the author

Jared "Bloomy" Bloom is a journalist covering Major League Baseball at Sportskeeda and a former college baseball pitcher from Illinois, who just graduated with a Master's degree in Sport Psychology.

A writer with over 3 years of experience, Jared is consistently more concerned with quality than quantity, thoroughly checking multiple sources of information, and prides himself in being knowledgeable not just about MLB, but the game of baseball in general. He loves breaking down plays and game-changing moments, as well as looking closer into players' statistics.

Jared is a die-hard Chicago White Sox fan, and one of his earliest memories is seeing his great-grandfather, a huge Sox fan, in his rocking chair watching a game. Jared started playing from the age of 5 with his grandfather coaching him early on.

Jared loved Tim Lincecum for his quirky delivery and looked up to him as a role model when playing. His current favorite is Phillies star Bryce Harper, an exciting player who doesn't let injuries hold him back. Jared's favorite sports moment is Mark Buehrle's opening day between-the-legs glove flip to first base in 2010.

When he is not watching or writing about baseball, Jared can be found racing BMX at his local Rockford BMX track or coaching his local youth travel baseball team.

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