Bobby Keppel’s bases-loaded fastball clearly grazed Brandon Inge. Joe Mauer’s slicing drive down the left field line landed fair by at least two feet. And Chase Utley needed not one, but two blown calls to reach base safely in the ninth. Or at least these misfortunes were clear enough on instant replay. But the umps ruled otherwise and another World Series dream was deferred for the Tigers, Twins, and Rockies—all small-market clubs, conspiracy theorists will be pleased to note.

We’re only through the division series, but Major League Baseball’s umpires have made enough blatantly bad calls that commentators have already begun their yearly rite of harping on umpire mistakes and raising the specter of broadening the use of instant replay in baseball. Equally true to form, Commissioner Bud Selig has already reiterated his staunch opposition to anything of the sort. Arguing against the innovation, Selig (and many others) cite the negative impact it would have on both the length of the games (already really long) and the integrity of the sport (its humanity at risk of being overrun by techno-wizardry). Both points are bogus.