Sox weigh in on (im)perfect storm

Mark Buehrle knows what it's like to pitch a perfect game.

He can only wonder what Detroit Tigers starter Armando Galarraga is feeling after being denied the gem Wednesday night when first-base umpire Jim Joyce made the wrong call with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

"In the heat of the moment, I don't know if I would have handled it as good as Galarraga did," Buehrle said. "At the same time, it's part of the game and you have to move on."

While his teammates and Tigers manager Jim Leyland pounced on Joyce after he incorrectly ruled Cleveland's Jason Donald safe at first base, Galarraga remained calm and collected.

"Again, in the heat of the battle, you don't know what you are going to do," said Buehrle, who also pitched a no-hitter in 2007. "He just kind of looked over and smirked and kind of had a smile. I don't think I would have handled it that well."

Buehrle was also impressed with Joyce for admitting the mistake and apologizing for the colossal gaffe.

"As far as calling games, I can't think of anything good or bad," Buehrle said.

"But he's a great guy. I've joked around on the field and mingled with him a little bit. He's a great guy and outgoing and having fun with me. I feel for him."

When Galarraga brought out the lineup card before Thursday afternoon's game against Cleveland and got a tap from the teary-eyed Joyce at home plate, White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen had trouble controlling his emotions.

"The way Galarraga handled it, and the way Detroit fans handled it was outstanding," Guillen said. "We need to get the ugly flavor out of what happened last night where everyone knew (Donald) was out, and then the umpire comes out and say what he says. That part caused one of the ugliest parts of the game to be one of the best ones.

"I think what they did there was very classy, and I don't know why bad things happen to good people. I love him (Joyce) more now. I got more respect for that umpire now than I ever have, because that was very classy.

"It's something you really like to see in baseball. Not just in baseball, but in every sport. This is a family game, we have to learn from that. People make mistakes, and you move on and continue to work. I thought it was one of the best things I've ever seen. There's only a few things that will put tears in my eyes, and when I saw that this morning, I had tears in my eyes."

As for overturning the call and awarding Galarraga the perfect game, it's not going to happen. And Buehrle hopes Major League Baseball doesn't start reviewing plays other than home runs.

"There are so many close calls in a game, so where do you draw the line?" Buehrle said. "Stolen bases, guys tagged out at home, so many plays at first base that are bang-bang plays, where do you draw the line? The game is already long enough. It's just going to add a half hour or a hour longer to review 10 or 15 plays. I don't see how they can."