"Well, I've probably been at an all-time low, and steadily climbing to, I guess, an all-time high, I guess," Joyce said in a phone interview Friday with NBC's "Today" show.
On Wednesday night, Joyce got the call wrong on what would have been the final out of Armando Galarraga's perfect game.
Joyce called Cleveland's Jason Donald safe at first base.
Replays later showed he missed the call, and Joyce admitted he blew it.
He was devastated, and apologized to Galarraga in person and hugged him after the Tigers' 3-0 win Wednesday. Galarraga was also supportive, saying he respected Joyce for apologizing and admitting his mistake.
Galarraga appeared on the CBS "Early Show" Friday and said "nobody's perfect," including the umpire.
Wrong name, wrong number
TOLEDO, Ohio -- An Ohio man had to turn off his phone service because he shares the same name with the umpire who blew a call that cost a Detroit pitcher a perfect game.
The Toledo man says the harassing calls started not long after the bad call on Wednesday night, and some were pretty vulgar.
Jim Joyce tells WTOL-TV the confusion came about because umpire Jim Joyce grew up in Toledo and graduated from high school in the city, which is about 50 miles south of Detroit.
Joyce says he got at least 40 irate calls and someone even posted his name, address and phone number on Facebook.
He says he's a Tigers fan and was watching the game when the other Jim Joyce got the call wrong on the final out at first base involving pitcher Armando Galarraga.
-- The Associated Press
"I'm a calm person. At that moment, [I did] not get angry, I was more sad about it," Galarraga said.
Galarraga said he looked at the replays later and realized, "Oh my God, it was out. Not even a close play."
He felt empathy for Joyce during their home-plate reunion before Thursday's game, when Galarraga presented the Tigers' lineup card to Joyce -- a gesture thought up by Tigers manager Jim Leyland.
"He couldn't even talk, he was crying," Galarraga said. "I understand, nobody's perfect."
Joyce said he's gotten encouragement from many quarters.
"Well, it just comes from the support I've received from my family, from the Tigers organization, the Indians organization, Major League Baseball . . . and to be quite honest with you, the fans from the Detroit area," Joyce said.
NBC's Matt Lauer told Joyce he was going to use the umpire's willingness to admit to his mistake and apologize for it as an example for his kids.
"I think a lot of applause should go to Armando Galarraga," Joyce said. "Because he has been stand-up throughout the whole thing.
"A bad situation turned into a good situation."
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