Hall of Fame Cancels Over Antiwar Stance

Stung by antiwar criticism from Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon, the baseball Hall of Fame has canceled a 15th anniversary celebration of the film “Bull Durham” that was to feature the co-stars.

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

Petroskey, a former White House assistant press secretary under President 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, was also 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.

“We believe your very public criticism of President Bush at this important -- and sensitive -- time in our nation’s history helps undermine the U.S. position, which ultimately could put our troops in even more danger. As an institution, we stand behind our President and our troops in this conflict,” Petroskey wrote.

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

Robbins signed his letter with a reference to an old World Series champion.

“Long live democracy, free speech and the ’69 Mets -- all improbable, glorious miracles that I have always believed in,” he wrote.

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Count Hall of Famer Ralph Kiner among those who do not want to see Pete Rose enshrined in Cooperstown.

The former Pirates star was emphatic during his visit to Pittsburgh this week that Rose disgraced the game with his gambling and should not be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“The integrity of baseball relies on there being no betting,” Kiner said. “From what I understand, he bet on games involving his own team. I don’t have a say in whether he gets in, though I do have a vote [on the Veterans’ Committee], but I do have a right to say what I think, and I don’t think he belongs.”