Baseball Hall of Fame cancels 'Bull Durham' ceremony, cites actors' anti-war views

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. -- Plans to commemorate the 15th anniversary of the popular baseball movie. Bull Durham, later this month in Cooperstown, N.Y. were cancelled Wednesday because of anti-war criticisms made by two of the film's co-stars. The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum issued a release saying the recent views expressed by Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon "ultimately could put our troops in even more danger."

The event, scheduled for April 26-27, had been planned many months ago, according to Hall of Fame president and former Ronald Reagan press secretary Dale Petroskey. The latter sent an e-mail message to the Hall's employees which stated, "Sarandon and Robbins have publicly criticized the U.S.'s position to change the Iraqi regime, and to rid the Iraqis of deadly weapons which could be used against its enemies, including the United States."

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."

Robbins and Sarandon, his longtime partner, have been active in peace rallies to protest the war in Iraq. In his letter, Robbins said he remained "skeptical" of the war plans and told Petroskey he did not realize baseball was "a Republican sport."

"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 dishonour the words 'patriotism' and 'freedom' and dishonour 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."

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