»» Columnists

Unprecedented? Keith Olbermann Names Bud Selig the Lone Worst Person

by Tommy Christopher | 8:51 am, June 4th, 2010

» 22 comments

In the 5 or so years I’ve been watching Countdown, I have never seen Keith Olbermann name just one person in his Worsts segment. That is, until tonight, when he gave the honor to baseball Commissioner Bud Selig, for failing to overturn the “safe” call that robbed Armando Galarraga of a perfect game.

In doing so, Olbermann managed to change the mind of someone who, only hours earlier, had mocked a friend for expressing a similar wish to overturn the call.

That stubborn, old-school purist would be me. Yes, I have become the old dudes I hated when I was a kid, who would never shut up about the DH rule, and night games, and free agency, and everything else that was ruining baseball. Truth be told, Major League Baseball was ruined for me the night Pete Rose got a standing ovation while standing on the same stage as Hank Aaron…in Atlanta!

But the game of baseball is a different story. It’s not like other games. It is eternal because it literally is eternal. The length of a baseball game, or even a single inning, is infinity, theoretically. All of the perversions that can beset the men who run the game, and the men who play it, are transcended by the game itself.

As a kid, all I needed were a tennis ball and a garage door to be transported back in time, to relive moments I had only ever seen in grainy black-and-white films. Throwing the last pitch of Don Larsen‘s 1956 World Series perfecto, or short-hopping the tennis ball off the garage so I could turn and chase it like Willie Mays making “The Catch,” always ensuring that my hat fell off in the process. It’s a kind of magic that no glacially-progressing Major League establishment, or remorseless cheating scoundrels, could ever ruin.

It’s why the 1919 Black Sox scandal was so monumental, yet ultimately inconsequential. The very unthinkability of throwing a World Series was proof of the game’s innate purity, so much so that the crestfallen plea to “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, “Say it ain’t so, Joe,” remain shorthand for shattering disillusionment to this day. The only thing that allows Pete Rose to go anywhere near a baseball game is the fact that even his worst detractors, myself included, don’t believe that he ever bet against his own team.

Perhaps the biggest stain on Major League Baseball was the pre-Jackie Robinson ban on black players, but the game of baseball always welcomed them, and wove legends around this injustice. Segregation in the old Negro Leagues did nothing to quash the heroism and romance of players like Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson. If anything, it enhanced them, as stories of their exploits filtered back through the majors from exhibition games between Negro League teams and Major League barnstormers.

That’s the great thing about baseball, it doesn’t need some governing body to tell its stories. Keith brought up Harvey Haddix during the show, a guy who threw 12 and 2/3 perfect innings, only to lose the game because his team couldn’t score (ironically, that game featured a call that was later overruled by the league president). Some say Haddix’ Pirates had a weak offense. I say the universe just couldn’t stand to let the greatest pitching achievement in baseball history rest on the shoulders of a guy nicknamed “The Kitten.”

As Olbermann mentioned, Major League Baseball changed the definition of a no-hitter in 1991, stripping Haddix of his perfecto in the record books. But that doesn’t change the enormity of Haddix’ accomplishment, nor will it ever stop baseball fans from remembering it.

In much the same way, Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds may appear atop legends like Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Roger Maris in those record books, but true baseball fans will always know the difference. The Kansas City Royals may have ultimately won the Pine Tar Game, but that will never deaden the pure joy I felt as a Yankees fan, watching George Brett lose his shit while Billy Martin stood there chuckling inwardly. Cal Ripken, Jr., may hold the consecutive games played record, but he’ll never hold a match, much less a candle, to the accomplishments of Lou Gehrig. And no matter their fans’ glee at breaking the Bambino’s Curse, the Boston Red Sox are still just “that team with two World Series Trophies.” (Sorry, that one was just for me.)

The point is, the game of baseball already knows that Armando Galarraga pitched a perfect game. No pronouncement from Bud Selig is going to change that, and Selig holds no conviction deeply enough to trump it.

What really changed my mind, though, is that, on top of all of this, Keith Olbermann only named one Worst Person tonight. He doesn’t ever have to do that again, and maybe he won’t. This was a special case, so he made an exception. Selig should do the same.

http://thedailybarb.com Burnnotice

Thats Baseball Keith. its a microcosm of life. Fun and excitement at times, With periods of boredom, and sometimes Unfair. If you need to find the worst person in the world you don’t have to go far just look in the mirror…
http://insidecablenews.wordpress.com/ Spud

Sorry tommy but this isn’t the first time. I know he’s done it at least once before with Rudy Giuliani…

http://insidecable.blogsome.com/2007/11/02/keith-olbermann-apologizes-to-rudolph-giuliani-over-misquoting-him/
ImNotBlue

In doing so, Olbermann managed to change the mind of someone who, only hours earlier, had mocked a friend for expressing a similar wish to overturn the call.

We’ve noticed that about you, recently Tommy. Olbermann seems to be “changing your mind,” often these days. In the past, you were at least a little critical of KO’s nonsense… now you seem to have no problem excusing it, or re-arranging it to make some sort of sense (even if still grossly biased and misleading).

So what gives? Change of heart? Trying out to be a guest on his show (that’s a full time position you know, he only talks to about 7 people)? Or just found a new respect for the orange guy? What’s changed?

_______

As for the story itself… I say list in him the hall of fame as “Perfect,” but put an asterisk after it. Calls get blown all the time, it’s the “human error” the game allows for. If you start making special exceptions for this case, what happens the next time there’s a “special circumstance?” Either change the rules to allow replay, or live with the occasional rotten call.

But this, of course, demonstrates the difference between Keith Olbermann and so many other people. Keith names Selig the “worst person” because of this… and Galarraga comes out, in front of an entire stadium full of people to give the same umpire who cost him the perfect game a pat on the back! Did you see the video?! The umpire standing there in tears, as Galarraga showed everyone “it’s okay.” He showed class… A LOT of class. KO’s response did the opposite.
mproust

Unprecedented… What is “unprecedented” is Tommy Christopher’s pathetic obsession with Keith Olbermann. Very few people watch his show and/or care about what he thinks. Move on, Tommy!
Penguin60

So then what happens in the stat book for the runner. He made it to third, correct? What about the other batters, do they not get an AB? Baseball can not be re-written, what is done is done. What did they do when they didn’t have a replay…yell and move on. Keefy, for someone that aspires to be a baseball fanatic, this would be sacrilege to a purist. But then this is what I expect for a DB.
germ

The runner made it to third base on catcher-indifference. It doesn’t go down as a steal or an out. The next batter ground out to short to end the game, so it really wouldn’t have mattered. It’s not like this play happened in the 7th inning and there were seven batters after him.
Penguin60

Doesn’t matter if it was one or a hundred. The stats are just that. they are recorded and kept for ever. So, what do you do with the guy that batted after the missed call, does he just disappear? The scorecard has the the runner on third, do you just erase it? Nope, stays the way it is, unless they change the rules that you can have instant replay.
writer

Now Keith can return to his usual practice of only picking his worst persons from Fox News.
Penguin60

Remember Denkinger?

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/fellow-ump-goat-denkinger-calls-for-replay-060310
JohnSimpson

The perfect decision to an imperfect call was to let it stand. Look at Galarraga’s reaction after the call. He just smiled. He knew this was a game played by imperfect people doing their best. and Galarraga showed grace unlike the blatherskite, KO.

Perfection is a goal, not a job requirement and look, life IS unfair at times. A life lesson has been taught; now live it!
timzank

Well, the fact that Olbermann is simply a colossal douche aside, what this whole “brouhaha” boils down to is this:

Is it ok to change the rules after the game? Bad calls happen. Far too many people in this society want to “fix” things to be “fair”. Newsflash people, life ain’t fair.

This is what socialists and progressives want to do with everything, change the rules after the fact so everyone is a winner. That’s why we’re becoming a nation of pussies.
Averreauxii

timzank, you are a moron. Umpires are not infallible. When egregious mistakes of this proportion are made, the commissioner ought to correct them. It happens in other major sports. This is not awarding a distinction to someone for something that was not earned. The guy earned it fair and square. Your inability to discern the difference is clouded by your hatred for liberals. KO was approaching this as a baseball enthusiast (which he is) and not from some political ideological mindset. Unhook the flavor aid IV drip for a second and think rationally for once.
ImNotBlue

Averreauxii says:
June 4, 2010 at 12:18 pm

timzank, you are a moron.

Starting off a well reasoned and respectful response…

Umpires are not infallible.

I’m pretty sure everyone has acknowledged that.

When egregious mistakes of this proportion are made, the commissioner ought to correct them.

Now that’s the question… what is “egregious?” In this case, it’s easy to call it egregious because he was standing on top of a perfect game. But what if the mistake had been made in the second inning? What if instead of in the 9th, it was early on… only to learn later that it would have been?

What about a player who could have made his 200th homerun this season, but it was called a double instead? Do personal records count? To team or MLB records count? “Egregious” becomes too fuzzy. You have to play within the confines of the rules… the good and the bad.
Penguin60

OK I held my nose, had a vomit bag nearby and watched this DB. No way did he convince me, not even close. Equating the Pine Tar game to safe/out call known to be wrong because of instant replay, are you absolutely mad? And news flash, baseball ain’t football, so wrong again. This guy never ceases to amaze me how wrong he is. How many tags have I made where I know the guy is out and the umpire says he was safe, or vice versa? Do like Galaragga, smile and keep on going. That is a sportsman, Keefey is a DB.
panatitle

Still can’t get over the first sentence…..Dang, you’ve been watching K.O., for 5 yrs? Good grief, how do you do it?
http://insidecablenews.wordpress.com/ Spud

Ok, I take it back…this was different. Just one person on a single worst list isn’t the same thing as naming the same person three different times.
Nachi

Grow up, Keith. Don’t be a typical Murcuhn Sport-Slug. MG!
fanofamerica

mNotBlue says:
June 4, 2010 at 12:49 pm

“But what if the mistake had been made in the second inning? What if instead of in the 9th, it was early on… only to learn later that it would have been?”

My thought exactly INB. And do they next go through every at bat and pitch of the game and confirm that strike calls really were strikes and not balls because that could have changed the whole outcome as well.

Like everyone my heart sank seeing that bad call made, but where do the exceptions to the rules end once you open that can of worms?
TROLLING4LIBS

All politics aside, once AGAIN , Olbermann shows his bitterness and hatred, and takes the unpopular opinion. True baseball purists ,historians, and sports guys, do not want to see Selig , give the perfect game after the fact , even though it was horribly , a bad call. The pitcher took it like a man and showed more class than Olbermann could come close to in a 100 lifetimes. Keith Olbermann would have stormed off the field and would have quit playing baseball.
Grammie

fanofamerica says:
June 4, 2010 at 4:41 pm

mNotBlue says:
June 4, 2010 at 12:49 pm

What about an opposite scenario?

What if on further review it was found that the ump had called a runner out who was actually safe. Do you take away the perfect game from the pitcher? What do you do about the score then? Talk about a can of worms.

If baseball wants to go to instant replay that’s different but only for games played after new rules are in place. Besides, Garalagga may well have pitched what will historically become the most famous perfect game that was not ever. His place in baseball history is assured!
http://thedailybarb.com Burnnotice

Yep Grammie I agree.It works both ways. I say leave baseball alone no instant replays, whats done is done. If a person doesn’t like the umps calls then become one! Guess what. You will find out what a stressful job is…..
http://www.facebook.com/people/Saje-Williams/1281538115 Saje Williams

Clearly this site is overrun with clueless Republican assholes… Hah! Triple redundancy. A hat trick! I win.