Jason Donald hit the most scrutinized infield single of the season
Jason Donald was called safe on a blown call by Jim Joyce. Paul Sancya/Associated Press
The perfect game. Here in Philadelphia we are well aware of the historic significance of the most incredible single game achievement in sports. Roy Halladay just tossed a perfect game, the 20th in Major League Baseball history, last Saturday in Florida and it has helped fans get through the mess of an offense the team is displaying right now.
Last night in Detroit Armando Galarraga had gone 26 up, 26 down against the Cleveland Indians. Looking to break up the perfect game for the Indians was former Phillies prospect Jason Donald. Donald was part of the package deal last season that brought Cliff Lee to the Phillies.
Donald, a star infielder with the Phillies coming up in the minor leagues never reached the point where he could make a difference for the Phillies, so Ruben Amaro used him to bring in Lee, after the initial trade offer to bring Roy Halladay to the team from Toronto fell through. This season Donald is hitting .277 in limited playing time so far, but there will be no question as to which “hit” will be the most memorable when this season is over.
With Galarraga one out away from the 21st perfect game in major league history, and the third this season, Donald dribbled a grounder between first and second base. Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrerra fielded the ball to his right, planted his feet and threw to first base, where Galarraga was there to field the 27th out of his perfect game.
But first base umpire Jim Joyce saw things differently. The call was that Donald was safe. Judging by the screenshot (below), it looked as though Donald knew he was out at first (of course, he was).
Jason Donald reacts after recahing first base. Screenshot
Jason Donald quotes on the play, via MLB.com:
“It’s pretty crazy,” Donald said of coming to the plate in that situation. “I was really just trying to focus as much as I possibly could. Everybody knew what was on the line and the pressure that was going on.”
“When I saw Cabrera move to his right for the ball, I knew it was going to be a foot race with the pitcher,” Donald said. “I just put my head down and ran as hard as I could. I knew it was in that area to where it’s one of those tricky plays that you work on all the time. The second baseman will take it or the first baseman will come over to take it. So when I hit it, I knew I had a chance to beat it out.”
“It was just so bang-bang,” he said. “I thought for sure I was going to get called out, because of everything that was at stake.”
Original Story:
http://machorow.us/2010/06/03/former-...
