The Associated Press reports that the highest office in the land believed that Major League Baseball should have awarded Armando Galarraga a perfect game, overturning Jim Joyce’s blown call.
Presidential spokesman Robert Gibbs weighed in Thursday on the story that had the nation talking: umpire Jim Joyce’s muffed call that cost Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga a perfect game. Galarraga on Wednesday night almost had the rare feat secured — 27 up, 27 down — except Joyce incorrectly called a runner safe on what would have been the final play of the game against the Cleveland Indians.
Replays showed that Joyce got the call wrong, which he later acknowledged after the seeing the video himself.
Said Gibbs: "I hope that baseball awards a perfect game to that pitcher."
Gibbs went on to praise the conduct of both Galarraga and Joyce.
"I think it's tremendously heartening to see somebody understand that they made a mistake and somebody accept the apology from somebody who made that mistake," Gibbs said. "I think that's a good lesson in baseball. It's probably a good lesson in Washington."