Baseball Hall of Fame cancels event to quash anti-war criticism [WWW.STOPNATO.OR

["David Quarter" <davidquarter@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

AP. 10 April 2003. Anti-War Words Stops 'Bull Durham' Event.

NEW YORK -- The baseball Hall of Fame has canceled a 15th anniversary
celebration of the film "Bull Durham," and the shrine's president said
it was because of anti-war criticism by co-stars Tim Robbins and Susan
Sarandon.

Hall president Dale Petroskey sent a letter to Robbins and Sarandon this
week, telling them the festivities April 26-27 at Cooperstown, N.Y., had
been called off.

Petroskey, a former White House assistant press secretary under Ronald
Reagan, said recent comments by the actors "ultimately could put our
troops in even more danger."

Reached Wednesday night, Robbins said he was "dismayed" by the decision.

He responded with a letter he planned to send to Petroskey, telling him:
"You belong with the cowards and ideologues in a hall of infamy and
shame."

The weekend affair, planned months ago, also was to feature "Bull
Durham" actor Robert Wuhl and Ron Shelton, who wrote and directed the
1988 film.

Instead of commemorating the movie, the Hall canceled the celebration in
a letter Tuesday sent to the scheduled participants.

Robbins and Sarandon, his longtime partner, have been active in peace
rallies to protest the war in Iraq.

In his letter, Robbins told Petroskey: "To suggest that my criticism of
the President put the troops in danger is absurd.

"I wish you had, in your letter, saved me the rhetoric and talked
honestly about your ties to the Bush and Reagan administrations.

"You invoke patriotism and use words like 'freedom' in an attempt to
intimidate and bully.

"In doing so, you dishonor the words 'patriotism' and 'freedom' and
dishonor the men and women who have fought wars to keep this nation a
place where one can freely express their opinions without fear of
reprisal or punishment."