A martyr is someone who dies for a belief. Nearly every culture honors its martyrs. America has Memorial Day to remember fallen soldiers. Many saints were early Christians, persecuted then killed because of their faith. I could go on and on.

Detroit Tigers pitcher, Armando Galarraga will be remembered as a martyr of baseball.

Last night Galarraga had a perfect game until the first base umpire Jim Joyce blew a routine call on the very last out. For anyone who follows baseball, this is a tragedy of epic proportions.

The immediate reaction from pretty much everyone is that Major League Baseball should allow instant replay. This has been a debate for many years now, and this last instance looks like the straw that will finally break the camel's back.

This passionate, yet justified, outrage stems from the fact that Galarraga will never own his place in the record books like he deserves. In baseball the record books are everything.

So Armando Galarraga will never receive his rightful place as the 20th pitcher to throw a perfect game in Major League Baseball...

...BUT he may hold a much more important place in baseball lore. If instant replay is adopted quickly, we will forever remember that it was because of the Armando Galarraga's imperfect game.

It may seem like a consolation prize at first, but his lasting effect will be much greater. 10 years, 20 years, 50 years from now fewer and fewer people will remember that he ever pitched a perfect game, but instant replay will live forever alongside the DH as a landmark change to the game.

Let's not forget there was a second vital individual in this event, Umpire Jim Joyce. It's easy to consider him the scum of the universe, but when the smoke clears he's just a guy who happened to make a huge mistake. For the rest of this guy's life he'll have to live with his mistake as if he killed someone. If you ask me, the punishment doesn't fit the crime. Just ask Steve Bartman.

So Dear Mr. Selig, its time to institute instant replay. My suggestion, honor the fallen heroes for sacrificing their dream and livelihood, respectively. Call it the Galarraga-Joyce Rule.

-Matt