ESPN: Ballplayers Favor Ump Who Blew Perfect Game

Jim Joyce, the umpire who blew the call of a would-be perfect game for a Detroit Tigers pitcher on the last play, and admitted it, is considered the best of the lot, according to an ESPN survey of Major League players.

“Joyce, the umpire whose missed call deprived Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga of a perfect game on June 2, is baseball's best umpire nonetheless, according to an exclusive ESPN The Magazine Baseball Confidential poll of 100 major league players."

It also added: “Players also were decidedly opposed to replay and overwhelmingly applauded commissioner Bud Selig for not overturning Joyce's call that kept Galarraga from being the 21st pitcher in history to throw a perfect game.”

I wonder if Galarraga was among those 100 players surveyed.

If you did not see the controversial call, here it is below: