MLB

As Detroit Tiger Miguel Cabrera ranged to his right for a ground ball, pitcher Armando Galarraga rushed to cover first for the final out in what would complete a perfect game.

Except first base umpire Jim Joyce had other plans.

Although replays appeared to show that Cabrera's throw to Galarraga beat Cleveland Indians baserunner Jason Donald to the bag, Joyce saw differently.

And just like that, the second perfect game in five days vanished.

The perfect game. It's a beautiful thing. It's a historic moment. It's every pitcher's dream. And Wednesday night, that dream was crushed in the worst possible fashion.

It was perhaps the worst call in the history of Major League Baseball. Jim Joyce, a veteran umpire with over 22 years of service, blew a call that would have made history.

Detroit's Armando Galarraga was a step away from becoming the 21st pitcher in MLB history—and the third this season—to throw a perfect game.

General Motors Plants have been taken away over the years and Detroit has suffered. Detroit has suffered their share of pains by far, and another one occurred tonight. Armando Galarraga, the 28-year-old from Venezula, was one out away from a perfect game against the Indians.

What a season.

There have already been two perfect games thrown this year, in the same month, by a pitcher that you would have never expected it from and by a pitcher who we all expected it from sooner or later.

On June 2, in a game against the Cleveland Indians, Armando Galarraga had the chance to make baseball history. History that would have etched his name in the most prestigious of record books as the 21st pitcher to throw a perfect game in baseball history, and the third this year.

Don't mess with perfection... unless perfection has already been messed with.

Bud Selig must look at the tape, overturn the ninth inning call made by first base umpire Jim Joyce and award the 21st perfect game in major league history to Armando Antonio Galarraga.

The 28-year old Tigers right hander dealt the Cleveland Indians eight flawless innings before taking the mound in Detroit with only Mark Grudzielanek, Mike Redmond and Jason Donald standing between him and history.

One of the game's all-time greats called it a career on Wednesday. Ken Griffey Jr. officially announced his retirement, according to MLB.com, after 22 years in the game. Junior exits the game ranked fifth all time with 630 home runs, sitting behind only Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron, Babe Ruth, and Willie Mays.

Griffey, who's father Ken played 19 seasons himself, was drafted with the first overall pick in the 1987 First-Year Player Draft. Since then, he's become an instant legend. He's a 10-time Gold Glove winner and has won seven Silver Slugger awards.

Ken Griffey Jr will always be known to myself and many others as "The Kid." As of June 2, 2010, The Kid is retired until Cooperstown calls his number.

He gave a statement that read

"While I feel I am still able to make a contribution on the field and nobody in the Mariners front office has asked me to retire, I told the Mariners when I met with them prior to the 2009 season and was invited back that I will never allow myself to become a distraction.”

I recently wrote an article comparing the Cubs' two leadoff hitters, Ryan Theriot and Kosuke Fukudome, in which I ultimately came to the conclusion that Theriot was the better option to hit atop the batting order in large part because Fukudome might find himself on the bench before too long.

Shortly thereafter, Lou Piniella decided to replace Theriot at second base with Mike Fontenot and said the move might "be more than a one day thing." Suffice it to say that I wasn't feeling too smart when that news came across the wires.

I'm not against the move.

On Monday May 31 the Chicago Cubs called up their 2008 first-round draft pick, Andrew Cashner, and designated him to the bullpen.

Cashner was a closer at Texas Christian University, but the Cubs immedaitely moved him into the rotation. In this new roll, Cashner realized a great deal of success and improved at each level.

This season in a starting roll at Triple-A Iowa he was 3-0, with a 0.95 ERA, and 0.83 WHIP (with a 14:2 strikeout to walk ratio).  

Late in May the Cubs made the decision to convert him back to a reliever.

Great news coming from the U.S. edition of Reuters.com (the latest news from around the world) for all honest, ethical, hard working, intrinsically-driven major league ball players—a new and improved test for human growth hormone (HGH) is just around the corner.