Jim Joyce

A vote of confidence for Joyce Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, after seeing a replay of the blown call at first base last Wednesday night that cost Detroit's Armando Galarraga a perfect game, came to the defense of umpire Jim Joyce. "It happened to the best umpire we have in our game," Rivera told Tom Verducci of SI.com. "The best. And a perfect gentleman. Obviously, it was a mistake. It was a perfect game. It's a shame for both of them, for the pitcher and for the umpire. But I'm telling you he is the best baseball has, and a great guy. It's just a shame.

EVERYONE LOVES TO HATE the Yankees. Even major league players. Sports Illustrated conducted a poll, asking 185 players who they thought was the most overrated player. The top three vote-getters all wear Yankee pinstripes as do five of the top 10. Alex Rodriguez was No. 1, garnering 18 percent of the vote. He was followed by Joba Chamberlain (12 percent) and Derek Jeter (7). Former Phillie Jayson Werth, now with the Nationals, checked in at No. 4 and the Red Sox' Jonathan Papelbon was fifth.

  Another umpiring goof costs the Tigers Talk about deja vu - again, an umpire has admitted making a bad call against the Detroit Tigers. This time, it wasn't a perfect game on the line, but a close one. After the Tigers lost, 3-2, in Atlanta on Saturday night, Gary Cederstrom admitted he had erred when he called a full-count third strike on Johnny Damon for the last out with the bases loaded, when a walk would have tied it. "It was a sweeping pitch, going away from Damon," Cederstrom told the Detroit Free Press.

YOU HEAR IT in the press box, in the stands, in casual conversations these days. Major league umpires are returning to a level of confrontation and arrogance not seen since the late-1990s, before Major League Baseball broke its powerful union and its boss, Philadelphia attorney Richie Phillips. On Saturday, plate umpire Jim Joyce ejected Boston reliever Ramon Ramirez in the seventh inning of a 2-0 game for plunking Alex Rodriguez with a pitch. As Boston manager Terry Francona argued that it made no sense for Ramirez to hit Rodri-guez in such a situation, broadcaster Tim McCarver was making the same point to fans nationwide.

  When Greg Gibson was announced as the home-plate umpire Tuesday night, there was a smattering of boos from the still-arriving crowd at Citizens Bank Park. Before the game began, Gibson again declined the chance to explain his reasoning behind a disputed call in Monday's 3-2 Phillies loss. "I can't talk," Gibson said, insisting only Frank Robinson, baseball's senior vice president of major-league operations, could speak. Following Monday's game, Gibson did not comment either.

Yankees star Jorge Posada and Toronto reliever Jesse Carlson got into a fight near home plate, leading to a frenzied, bench-clearing brawl during Toronto's 10-4 victory over host New York last night. Toronto's Edwin Encarnacion and Aaron Hill were hit by pitches before Carlson threw behind Posada in the eighth. Posada glared out at the mound and Carlson motioned toward him as the benches and bullpens emptied. Order was restored, but moments later a fight broke out. After scoring on Brett Gardner's double, Posada brushed Carlson, who was on his way to back up the plate.

Mets lose Perez for season The New York Mets have lost their third pitcher for the season in two days. Lefthander Oliver Perez will require season-ending surgery to repair right-knee tendinosis, the team said after he was examined yesterday in New York. The injury ends a dismal season for Perez, who is expected to be ready for spring training. He is the 13th Mets player on the disabled list, with the pitching staff especially hard-hit this week. On Tuesday, the Mets said ace Johan Santana and reliever J.J. Putz are out for the season.

Near the end of the District 1 Track and Field Championships at Coatesville Saturday, several people were congratulating Chester High School coach Jim Joyce on his team's title - even though it had not been officially announced. "Until the kids have the trophy in their hands, I don't want to get too excited," Joyce said. "When I see the trophy, I'll believe it. " A few minutes later, the Clippers were announced as Class AAA champions, having accumulated 45 points. It was a well-deserved victory for Joyce, who was running coach when the Clippers won state titles in 1981 and '83 and a district title in 1982.

OUTBURSTS of temper and displays of anger might not solve a dang thing, but as Americans we still expect a good flare-up every so often. I'm not saying that it's right when people lose control and flip out when they're mad about something but that it's a behavior we've come to expect. You see it all the time in athletics and on reality TV as people seemingly don't even try to suppress their outrage. Something strikes them wrong, then bam! they're all up in the other person's grill, so to speak.

EVERYONE LOVES TO HATE the Yankees. Even major league players. Sports Illustrated conducted a poll, asking 185 players who they thought was the most overrated player. The top three vote-getters all wear Yankee pinstripes as do five of the top 10. Alex Rodriguez was No. 1, garnering 18 percent of the vote. He was followed by Joba Chamberlain (12 percent) and Derek Jeter (7). Former Phillie Jayson Werth, now with the Nationals, checked in at No. 4 and the Red Sox' Jonathan Papelbon was fifth.

TORONTO - Justin Verlander threw his second career no-hitter and the second in the big leagues this week, leading the Detroit Tigers to a 9-0 victory Saturday over the Toronto Blue Jays. Verlander barely missed a perfect game. The only runner he allowed came with one out in the eighth inning when J.P. Arencibia walked on a full count, with Verlander's 12th pitch to the rookie just an inch or two outside. Minnesota's Francisco Liriano pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

THE PHILLIES knew what was at stake. The Reds knew. The packed house at Citizens Bank Park knew. The national television audience knew. Everybody, including home-plate umpire John Hirschbeck, knew that Roy Halladay was working on a no-hitter. And Hirschbeck instinctively understood he might be the only one who couldn't let himself get caught up in the increasing frenzy around him. Only after it was over, after Halladay put the finishing touch on his second no-no of the season and the Phillies beat the Reds, 4-0, in Game 1 of their National League Division Series, did the veteran crew chief realize the full magnitude of what he had been a part of. "When we came in, I knew, of course, that it was a no-hitter.

Rangers' Lewis knows how Hamels feels It must be something about September that brings out previously absent run support for lefthanders. We saw the Phillies put 10 runs on the board for Cole Hamels Wednesday night, matching the aggregate total they had provided him in his previous six starts. Until Thursday night, Texas Rangers lefthander Colby Lewis had not won a game since mid-July, and one factor in that skid was the 17 runs his teammates provided him in his previous nine starts.

  When Greg Gibson was announced as the home-plate umpire Tuesday night, there was a smattering of boos from the still-arriving crowd at Citizens Bank Park. Before the game began, Gibson again declined the chance to explain his reasoning behind a disputed call in Monday's 3-2 Phillies loss. "I can't talk," Gibson said, insisting only Frank Robinson, baseball's senior vice president of major-league operations, could speak. Following Monday's game, Gibson did not comment either.

  Another umpiring goof costs the Tigers Talk about deja vu - again, an umpire has admitted making a bad call against the Detroit Tigers. This time, it wasn't a perfect game on the line, but a close one. After the Tigers lost, 3-2, in Atlanta on Saturday night, Gary Cederstrom admitted he had erred when he called a full-count third strike on Johnny Damon for the last out with the bases loaded, when a walk would have tied it. "It was a sweeping pitch, going away from Damon," Cederstrom told the Detroit Free Press.

OUTBURSTS of temper and displays of anger might not solve a dang thing, but as Americans we still expect a good flare-up every so often. I'm not saying that it's right when people lose control and flip out when they're mad about something but that it's a behavior we've come to expect. You see it all the time in athletics and on reality TV as people seemingly don't even try to suppress their outrage. Something strikes them wrong, then bam! they're all up in the other person's grill, so to speak.