Detroit Tigers Pitcher's 'Perfect Game' Set for Documentary

One of the most controversial moments in recent Detroit Tigers history will get the documentary treatment this week.

Detroit Tigers' Armando Galarraga and Cleveland Indians bench coach Tim Tolman hand the lineups to tearful home plate umpire Jim Joyce, prior to the start of the game Thursday, June 3, 2010 at Comerica Park. Joyce's blown call the night before cost Galarraga a perfect game. | Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC

Nearly 15 years after Detroit Tigers pitcher Armando Galarraga nearly threw a perfect game, ESPN is set to premiere a documentary that will explore a debate about the game.

Called “28 Outs: An Imperfect Story,” the documentary is part of ESPN’s E:60 series. It premieres on Sunday at 4 p.m. eastern.

Galarraga took a perfect game 26 outs into his start on June 2, 2010, at Comerica Park in Detroit. He appeared poised to join the exclusive list of pitchers that authored a perfect game — 27 hitters up and 27 hitters down — when Cleveland batter Jason Donald hit a ground ball to Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera. It would have been the first perfect game in franchise history.

Too far away from first base to handle the play himself, Cabrera tossed the ball to Galarraga, who was running to cover the bag. The right-hander caught the ball cleanly and beat Donald to the bag. Everyone in the park and watching on television thought Galarraga had just finished a perfect game.

In 2010, Armando Galarraga was one out away from baseball immortality when umpire Jim Joyce's controversial call changed everything.

Over a decade later, the debate rages on: Should Galarraga's name be etched in the MLB record books?

E60’s ‘28 Outs: An Imperfect Story,'… pic.twitter.com/3ahNO9XPUr

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But, first base umpire Jim Joyce disagreed, calling Donald safe. Replay clearly showed that Galarraga’s foot was on the bag and the ball was in his glove before Donald’s foot hit first base.

With Comerica Park’s crowd in shock, all Galarraga could do was grin and finish the game, as he got Cleveland’s Trevor Crowe to ground out.

Later, Joyce apologized to Galarraga for making the wrong call. Galarraga said afterward he forgave Joyce for the mistake.

“(He) probably feels more bad than me,” Galarraga said. “Nobody's perfect. Everybody's human. I understand. I give the guy a lot of credit for saying, 'I need to talk to you.' You don't see an umpire tell you that after a game. I gave him a hug.”

Joyce, for his part, said he was convinced Donald was safe until he saw the replay. He could not overturn the call. At the time, Major League Baseball only allowed the use of replay for disputed home run calls.

Later, Galarraga and Joyce combined on a book, written along with Daniel Paisner, called “Nobody's Perfect.”

The documentary, in part, followed a law class at Monmouth University which, in 2022, created an 82-page document to petition MLB commissioner Rob Manfred to award a perfect game to Galarraga retroactively.

The class cited occasions in which a commissioner or league president had overturned an on-field decision, such as the legendary pine tar incident involving Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett. Both Manfred and Galarraga met with the class via Zoom calls.