Armando Galarraga came within one bad call by Jim Joyce from baseball immortality.

And the man who pitched the most famous perfect game of all didn’t envy their situations.

“Boy, I’d hate to be in either one of their shoes,” Don Larsen said yesterday after watching highlights of Galarraga’s near-perfect game yesterday at his home in Idaho.

“I hate to even think about it,” added Larsen, who threw the only perfect game in postseason history when the Yankees beat the Brooklyn Dodgers, 2-0, in Game 5 of the 1956 Series. “I’m glad it didn’t happen to me.”

Larsen understood both sides.

“Everyone can have a bad game or make a mistake, but in that situation, it’s hard,” Larsen said. “You hope both of them can move on, but neither one will ever forget it.”

Larsen had no trouble seeing that it was the wrong call.

“When I saw the play, I was very surprised,” said the 80-yearold Larsen, who didn’t know if the outcry would lead to increased use of instant replay. “He was obviously out. But umpires have a tough job. Whenever there’s a close call late in a game like that, it’s difficult, but the last out of the game? That’s unbelievable. I hope both of them can move on and maybe something good can come of it.”

That won’t be easy, according to Larsen.

“It’s a once in a lifetime game and a once in a lifetime call,” Larsen said. “Everyone’s career is going to have ups and downs, but this was different. I can’t even imagine.”

He also hoped Joyce’s career wouldn’t be defined by Wednesday night.

“He’s had a long career and that would be a shame,” Larsen said.