Roger Kahn, the author of The Boys of Summer, has cancelled a speech at the Baseball Hall of Fame to protest the cancellation of the Bull Durham tribute. He wrote he won't be going to talk about his new book on the 1978 Yankees because:
"By canceling the Hall of Fame anniversary celebration of 'Bull Durham' for political reasons, you are, far from supporting our troops, defying the noblest of the American spirit. You are choking freedom of dissent. How ironic. In theory, at least, we have been fighting this war to give Iraqis freedom of dissent.
But here you, through the great institution you head, have moved to rob Tim Robbins, Susan Sarandon and Ron Shelton of that very freedom. In support of the American right to dissent, I have no choice but to cancel my August speaking appearance at the Hall.''
The HOF has gotten over 5000 emails on the decision (you can send email here). The AP story says:
Petroskey also released a statement..."As much as The Hall of Fame honors our armed forces, this institution should never be used as a platform for public pro-war sentiments — nor public anti-war sentiments. Given the track record of Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, and the timing — with our troops committed in Iraq — a strong possibility existed that they could have used The Hall of Fame as a backdrop for their views.
"Mr. Robbins and Ms. Sarandon have every right to express their opinions. But The Baseball Hall of Fame is not the proper venue for highly charged political expressions, whatever they may be,'' Petroskey wrote.
Robbins said this week that he had planned to talk about baseball, not the war and politics.
"This was just a celebration, a chance to see some friends from the movie and make what's become almost an annual trip with our boys,'' Sarandon said.
"As far as I knew, we weren't speaking. I wasn't even planning to wear makeup. And to politicize baseball is to violate the spirit of what it's all about,'' she said.
The "Bull Durham'' affair, planned months ago, also was to feature actor Robert Wuhl and writer-director Ron Shelton. Robbins plays an up-and-coming minor league pitcher in the 1988 film and Sarandon plays a fan who helps him focus his erratic talent.
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