Nobody’s Perfect:
Two Men, One Call, And A Game For Baseball History
by Armando Galarraga and Jim Joyce with Daniel Paisner
Grove Press, 2012
250 pages
One of the most heartwarming stories of the 2010 baseball season was the almost perfect game pitched by Armando Galarraga. A blown call in the bottom of the ninth inning by umpire Jim Joyce cost the pitcher his place in the history books, but the events that followed the game brought special attention to the sportsmanship and integrity of both individuals.
In Nobody’s Perfect, Galarraga and Joyce trade off chapters, telling their personal histories, their journeys through the minor leagues, the disappointments along the way, and the joy of finally making it to the big leagues. Galarraga’s story has been told a hundred times over, but Joyce’s contribution to this book really make it an interesting read. It is not often one hears about the umpire’s life, from school to the minor leagues to the call-up. Joyce truly offers a fresh perspective on a life in baseball.
Of course, the impetus behind the book was that fateful night in Detroit in June, 2010. The night that the ump saw something different than everyone else in the world. The humility Joyce showed after the game in admitting that he had messed up, as well as Galarraga’s attitude of immediate forgiveness without qualification, showed that there is still some good in this world. Not everyone is so self-centered that they feel they are entitled to perfection, and both sides of this controversy beautifully displayed that fact.
This book was originally released as a hardback in 2011, but recently received paperback treatment with a slightly different graphic. It is an excellent book, highly recommended for any baseball fan.
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