By now, most sports fans have seen or at least heard about the final moments of the Detroit Tigers/Cleveland Indians game on May 26. Even if you aren’t a Tigers’ fan, or even a baseball fan, you must understand the ramifications of umpire Jim Joyce’s utterly horrible call in the final moments of the game, which literally stole a “perfect game” from Detroit’s Armando Galarraga.

Filmed replays have proved it was not a close play at first base; certainly not a “tie goes to the runner” scenario. It was a blatant miscarriage of baseball justice, as Cleveland’s Jason Donald was clearly out by a full step.

The incident re-sparks a compelling argument for Major League Baseball to at least expand the use of instant replay to include potentially game-ending plays. Currently it is only used to verify home run calls.

I have been a baseball fan for as long as I can remember, and I will continue to be a fan of America’s game for as long as I live, but Joyce’s inept officiating has left a bad taste in my mouth — one that would have faded sooner if baseball Commissioner Bud Selig had done right by Galarraga and our national pastime by reversing the call; and it would fade sooner still if Joyce resigns from umpiring and never holds sway over the outcome of another baseball game.

Eric Griffey, Auburn