Galarraga, Joyce together again

Armando Galarraga(notes) and Jim Joyce crossed paths again Friday.
Joyce, the umpire whose blown call cost nfl jerseys
the Detroit Tigers pitcher a perfect game, was behind the plate for Galarraga's start against the Baltimore Orioles at Comerica Park.
Both men tried to be low-key about the occasion, but they knew it would be difficult to put aside what happened June 2 in Detroit. That night, Joyce called Cleveland's Jason Donald(notes) safe on a play that should have been the 27th and final out of a perfect game by Galarraga.
"(Friday) was probably the second-hardest plate job of my life for the first three outs," Joyce said, comparing it to the game he called in Detroit the day after his mistake. "After those three outs, though, I felt like I could go back to being Jim Joyce the umpire."
Joyce said he only spoke to Galarraga to tell him when he was on his last warmup pitch before each inning.
"There's enough pressure on us without doing anything special today," he said. "He did his job, and I tried to do mine."
The pair publicly reconciled the afternoon after Minnesota Vikings jersey
Joyce's blunder, when Tigers manager Jim Leyland surprised the umpire by sending Galarraga to the plate with the lineup card. The pair hugged — a gesture that caused Joyce to tear up again. Joyce and Galarraga had one highly publicized meeting this summer, when they teamed up to present an award at the ESPYs.
That's why, like Joyce, Galarraga downplayed the emotions of Friday's game.
"I understand the hype — it was crazy what happened — but he's going to be behind the plate for me many, many more times," Galarraga said after getting a no-decision in Detroit's 6-3 loss. "I don't want to make it a big deal, and I'm sure he doesn't. He showed today that he is a professional — one of the best in the game."
The day's only sour note came before the game, when Joyce Dallas Cowboys jersey
apologized while telling media members that he had been told by Major League Baseball not to give interviews unless a request had been approved by the league office.
During the game, MLB spokesman Michael Teevan said in an e-mail that Joyce was free to speak after the game if he chose to, and the 54-year-old made himself available shortly after the final out.