Posted on 04/16/2003 8:42:46 AM PDT by TLBSHOW
Hall head stands firm
Says he could have handled cancellation of movie event better
The president of the National Baseball Hall of Fame said he could have "handled it a little differently," but stood by his decision to cancel an event involving two actors known for their anti-war sentiments.
Meanwhile, some in the hospitality business said despite negative e-mails and a couple cancellations, they didn't expect the controversy surrounding Dale Petroskey's decision to cancel an anniversary celebration of the movie "Bull Durham" to hurt the tourist industry.
Susan Sarandon and Tim Robbins had been scheduled to discuss the movie, a comic look at life in the minor leagues, at the Hall of Fame on April 25 and 26. Also slated to appear were NBC movie critic Jeffrey Lyon, "Bull Durham" director Ron Shelton and another movie co-star, Robert Wuhl.
Sarandon and Robbins were too big a part of the movie to exclude them from the event altogether, Petroskey said, and asking the two to keep politics out of the event was too risky, as they have a "proven track record of being outspoken."
He said he did not see the decision to cancel the event as partisan.
"My responsibility is to keep politics out of the Hall of Fame," Petroskey said. "This place is so special that I'll never allow it to be used as a platform for pro-military or anti-military demonstrations."
On April 7, Petroskey sent letters to Sarandon and Robbins, co-stars along with Kevin Costner in the 1988 film, canceling the event.
"What's critical is the timing," Petroskey said Tuesday. "With our troops in Iraq, I thought it was important to be as careful as possible.
"Maybe I could have handled it a little differently, but my heart was in the right place," he said.
Petroskey said later in the interview that if he made a mistake, it was contacting the actors by letter instead of calling them.
Though he consulted with the Hall's Board of Directors, including Chairwoman Jane Forbes Clark, Petroskey said it was ultimately his decision to cancel the event, which had been planned about a year in advance.
Petroskey said the Hall had received more responses from people opposed to the decision at first, but "as time goes on, it goes more and more the other way." He said the Hall has also had people, supportive of the decision, sign up for membership and give unsolicited donations.
It's too early to tell, he said, if there will be any long-term negative effect due to the cancellation.
Polly Renckens, executive administrator of the Cooperstown Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber had received about 100 e-mails and a few phone calls, faxes and letters pertaining to the issue. About half, she said, have threatened to boycott, but she said she's only heard of three cancellations so far.
"We are looking for a very, very good season here," she said, adding that the hotel operators she's talked to have reported that reservations are up from last year.
Heidi Stucky, owner of the Hickory Grove Motor Inn in Cooperstown, said she's received one cancellation directly related to the issue. Though she hasn't been able to read all her e-mail, she said, she has received a few negative responses.
In a season already "not up to par," possibly due to the war and gasoline prices, she said.
Managers at the Otesaga Resort Hotel and the Best Western Inn At The Commons in Cooperstown said they had not had a fall-off in business directly related to the issue.
Maureen Haralabatos, owner of the Country Lion Bed and Breakfast, said her business has not received any negative e-mails or cancellations related to the controversy. She said she doesn't expect it to negatively affect the tourist season.
"I think something else will happen and people will go on to that," she said. "It's a temporary thing like everything else. It's a change of pace from the war."
Melissa Scram can be reached at mscram@thedailystar.com or (607) 441-7213.
Well that settles it. End of controversy.
Mostly families go to the Hall anyway.
Just what exactly could they tell us about life in the minor leagues?
If we wanted to know the lens settings for different scenes and how difficult it was to remember certain lines and how long it took to block certain scenes they have some expertise.
But life in the minors? Someone needs to get a grip and not a key grip.
Oh, they are "actors", not ballplayers?
Never mind.
That is incorrect...
I say celebrate the 200th anniversary of the stinkin' movie...
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