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Venezuelan Prez Praises Galarraga, Joyce

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Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez is many things. One of them, apparently, is a huge baseball fan.

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The outspoken Venezuelan leader praised the grace of the Tigers’ Armando Galarraga and umpire Jim Joyce in his weekly radio and television programs.

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Chavez called for a round of applause for the Venezuelan pitcher during his weekly TV and radio program, saying “everyone knows he pitched a perfect game.”

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“From here we salute Armando,” Chavez said.

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Chavez also called umpire Jim Joyce “noble” for his handling of the situation.

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“The umpire was wrong … but, well, the umpire is the umpire,” the president said.

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The president also recalled moments from his days as a baseball player himself; he mentioned walking his mentor Fidel Castro and striking out slugger Sammy Sosa.