Pastor Allen gave a wonderful illustration of grace in his sermon by alluding to Armando Galarraga's response to the umpire's bad call which robbed him of a perfect game. Here is columnist Andrea Reiher's commentary:
"Wednesday, June 2 will forever be in baseball fans' minds as the night we saw Detroit Tigers' pitcher Armando Galarraga throw the third perfect game inside of a month. It would have been only the 21st perfecto thrown in 135 years of baseball. It's considered one of the rarest feats in all of sports. To have two perfect games thrown in the same season is remarkable, let alone three thrown in the span of 25 days.
And after first base umpire Jim Joyce blew the call on what would have been the 27th out, as fans booed and the announcers went crazy, what did pitcher Armando Galarraga do? He smiled, readjusted his cap and headed back to the mound to finish the game. It brings tears to our eyes just thinking about it.
Other people yelled and screamed. Detroit Tigers manager Jim Leyland (and several players) gave the umpire the business. But not Galarraga. He showed some disbelief at the call and then went right back to doing his job, earning himself a 28-out perfect game. Even after the game Galarraga didn't display any hard feelings. "I feel sad" is what he said. About Joyce, he said, 'He feels so bad -- really bad ... I told him, "Nobody's perfect."'
What a display of grace by Galarraga.
'I just cost that kid a perfect game,' Joyce said afterward. 'I thought he beat the throw. I was convinced he beat the throw, until I saw the replay.'
'I don't blame them a bit or anything that was said. I would've said it myself if I had been Galarraga. I would've been the first person in my face, and he never said a word to me,' said Joyce.
Such graciousness, but not only by Galarraga but by the umpire. In admitting he was wrong."
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