An open letter to Dale Petroskey

Our reader, quality control guru, and public relations consultant Gene Allen advises us that Dale Petroskey has decided to cancel the Bull Durham 15th Anniversary Celebration at the Baseball Hall of Fame due to the anti-war antics of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon who were scheduled to attend. Gene has written an eloquent open letter to Petroskey and authorized us to share it with our readers:
“I commend you for the tremendous courage you exhibited in canceling the festivities scheduled for April 26-27 at Cooperstown to commemorate the fifteenth anniversary of the movie ‘Bull Durham.’ The rancorous reactions of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon to your decision to cancel this event are evidence of their intent to use baseball and the Hall of Fame to advance their perverse agenda. These officious intermeddlers from Hollywood have no regard for baseball or its rich history of patriotism, and they have no business being at the Hall of Fame.
“It comes as no surprise that you stand firmly behind President Bush and our troops; you are simply acting as baseball people have always done. Some like Eddie Grant, the first player turned soldier to die in World War I, and the 34 major and minor league players killed while serving in the military in World War II, paid the ultimate price. Many would-be stars also died in defense of liberty before they had the opportunity to fulfil their dreams of playing in the big leagues. More than 1,000 players with major league experience and more then 100 Negro League players served in the Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy during WW II. Babe Ruth appeared in golf tournaments and exhibition games to
help raise money for the war effort and at these events the Babe spoke to fans urging them to buy more War Bonds. And during WWII, many baseball publications and advertisements featured patriotic images.
“The cowardly antics of Robbins and Sarandon stand in sharp contrast with the many baseball players who interrupted their professional careers to serve in the United States military. Baseball is a slice of American life, and baseball people have historically taken risks and made sacrifices to defend America. Thank you for maintaining this tradition at the Hall of Fame.”