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Jim Joyce is one of the 5 or 6 MLB umpires for whom I have nothing but pure respect and admiration. Check out his Home Plate Umpire Factor, as found by the Fiato/Souders run-attribution matrix:
1989: 97
1990: 99
1991: 101
1992: 100
1993: 105
1994: 102
1995: 99
1996: 98
1997: 97
1998: 100
1999: 100
2000: 100
2001: 103
2002: 101
2003: 101
2004: 95
2005: 97
2006: 100
2007: 100
LOL!
Now *THAT*...is a professional caliber CONSISTENT strikezone. No bias in that man's eyesight. This is what an umpire is supposed to look like.
It helps that he admitted IMMEDIATELY that he got the call wrong...that he really did feel horrible about it...and that he wants all of the anger and frustration directed at him. His own words...."I'm a big boy - I can handle this...I'll take whatever you've got...however long you've got it. I just don't want any of this directed at my family. They don't deserve that."
Good for you, Jim...you're one of the few umpires I can point to as being truly objective and having a strong enough character to not let emotion creep into your judgment. If th Mariners are playing the Yankees, I EXPECT the umps to stiff us in at least a dozen unique and equally painful and costly ways...but if you're one of the umps, I don't expect it to come from you. There is no higher praise I can give.