Donnelly Appreciates Support

The fan perceived injustice and took action, to the extent that he could. When Less Antman read that the players’ union had prevented reliever Brendan Donnelly’s name from appearing on T-shirts and other memorabilia commemorating the Angels’ championship season, he composed and circulated an online petition urging the union to lift the ban.

Donnelly served as a replacement player during the 1994-95 strike. The union does not admit those players as members, thus denying them a share of licensing revenue. The petition took no position on the membership issue but argued the omission of Donnelly’s name from the World Series championship roster printed on T-shirts and elsewhere was an act of historical revisionism that made the union appear “petty, vindictive and ridiculous.”

Antman, a personal financial advisor from the San Diego County town of Bonsall, gathered 798 signatures and recently presented a copy of the petition to Donnelly. Antman got an autographed picture with the inscription, “Thanks for everything.”

Said Donnelly: “It’s not going to change anything. But it’s cool that someone took the time to do that and people took the time to sign it.”

Antman submitted the petition to the union and is awaiting a response. Union spokesman Greg Bouris said he had not seen the petition.

“We appreciate this individual’s support of a player, of baseball and of his club,” Bouris said. “The players have reviewed the policy on this issue, and it has not changed.”

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