Pappas hopes MLB has 'guts' to overturn Joyce's missed call

Former Cubs pitcher Milt Pappas, owner of baseball's other most famous near-perfect game, told SI.com in an interview Thursday that he hopes Bud Selig overturns the bad call at first base that cost Tigers starter Armando Galarraga a perfect game Wednesday night.

"I hope the commissioner's office has the guts to reverse it," Pappas said by telephone from his home in Illinois.

With two outs in the ninth inning Wednesday night, first-base umpire Jim Joyce erroneously ruled that the Indians' Jason Donald was safe at first after a throw from Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera to Galarraga, who was covering the bag. After seeing the replay himself, Joyce publicly admitted he was wrong and apologized to Galarraga.

There is no precedent for the commissioner intervening to overturn a blown call.

Pappas, owner of baseball's most famous near-perfect game, was one out away from a perfect game in 1972 when he walked the Padres' Larry Stahl on a borderline full-count pitch that home-plate umpire Bruce Froemming called ball four. Pappas has previously criticized Froemming for not calling that pitch strike three.

"I don't think instant replay belongs in baseball with balls and strikes, unless it's a perfect game," Pappas said. "In that instance it should be utilized.

"Maybe if he reverses this one, he'll reverse mine."