Jim Joyce, the umpire who made the “you’ve got to be (bleeping) kidding me” call of the last 100 years, stood at home plate and wiped a tear from his eye.

He then gave Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a friendly tap to the shoulder as he walked away.

The message at Comerica Park Thursday was “no hard feelings.”

Then Joyce, who was understandably showered with boos by the crowd, took his place behind home plate and umpired without incident during the Tigers’ 12-6 victory over the Cleveland Indians.

It was as if Galarraga, the Tigers, Joyce and baseball moved on quickly from Wednesday night’s blown call for the ages that denied Galarraga from becoming just the 21st pitcher in major league history to throw a perfect game.

“It was a nice day,” Tigers manager Jim Leyland said. “People were respectful of the umpires. They weren’t totally happy, but we respect he took it like a man.”

It was too neat a package. Too quick a cut from what transpired Wednesday when Joyce called the potential final out, Cleveland’s Jason Donald, safe – when he was so obviously out.

If there is anything that is understood in Michigan, it’s not what happens to you that necessarily counts. It’s how you react to it. It’s not so much whether you get knocked down that matters, but whether you get up.

Good for Joyce. He could have begged out of Thursday’s game. Some think he should have in case there was another controversial call that would have comprised him in his position. But at least he got back up.

Now it’s baseball’s turn. How are they going to react? Ultimately, Joyce will be fine, if for no other reason than the sympathy vote is rolling in. While there are many people bitter by nature, there are many more who display the virtue of empathy.

He is not the one who is necessarily wearing the symbolic black eye from this. It’s the game itself. And the people who run it, starting with Bud Selig.

If we have learned nothing else about baseball commissioner Bud Selig, a former used car salesman in Milwaukee, it’s that he loves to keep his head firmly buried in the sand.

He is the man, remember, who once canceled the World Series, which for baseball fans kind of makes him Scrooge being able to cancel Christmas.

He was the one pulling the lever on the cash register during baseball’s steroids era. He ended the All-Star Game after 14 innings one year because the teams were in danger of running out of pitchers, you know, like it was a Grapefruit League game on St. Patrick’s Day.

In an ideal world, baseball’s commissioner sees the blown call, makes a statement that night to admit a mistake was made – and sets a course of action.

But this isn’t an ideal world. It’s Bud’s World. When he finally got around to making a statement Thursday, it was predictably vague.

There have been so many blown calls during the history of sports, but there have been none more obvious than this one.

While it didn’t cost the Tigers the pennant or the World Series or even the game, it denied a moment that is genuinely baseball.

The clip of the final out. The players rushing onto the field to congratulate their teammate. The expression on the pitcher’s face that just can’t be repeated by imitation.

If Viagra Professional there were a replay rule, the action buy cialis brand would have merely been delayed. Instead, it has been denied.

Baseball is not known for preventive measures. To the contrary. It was just a matter of time until this type of thing happened. It’s surprising it didn’t occur sooner.

It is unclear how you can retrace the steps of the game and give Galarraga his perfect game. It would take an unprecedented ruling that could open a can of worms that could be more harmful than helpful.

However, certain steps can be made to prevent a similar occurrence in the future.

The implementation of replay for plays at bases. To prevent abuse from managers, merely make it extremely punitive for managers who call for the replay – and get it wrong. And limit it to one review per game.

A policy by MLB to answer to its issues. Selig issuing a written statement Thursday was essentially a cop out. He should be accountable for what happens in his sport and answer questions from the media about it. Face-to-Face. He should have been in Detroit Thursday. Or at least a representative from his office. What? They don’t have early flights from New York to Detroit? Fans deserve answers.

Umpires must be held accountable for such blatant missed calls. It’s obvious there was no intent by Joyce to make such a mistake, and he feels worse than anybody else about it, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t be culpable for it.

Given how far reaching this mistake digs, Joyce should be suspended.

It’s not so much this happened. It’s more it can’t happen again.

Author Bio: Pat Caputo is a senior sports reporter and columnist for The Oakland Press. Contact him at pat.caputo@oakpress.com and read more about the blown Armanda Galarraga game at Brand Cialis href=”http://theoaklandpress.com/articles/2010/06/03/sports/doc4c07c84bd8132153017659.txt”>TheOaklandPress.com. You can follow him on Twitter at @patcaputo98.

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Keywords: Armando Galarraga, Detroit Tigers, Comerica Park, baseball, Jim Joyce