A gentleman's apology
Hall of Fame apologizes for snubbing Robbins


Sunday, April 20, 2003 at 07:00 JST
LOS ANGELES — The U.S. Baseball Hall of Fame president apologized Saturday after he was caught in a media firestorm for publicly snubbing stars Tim Robbins and Susan Sarandon over their opposition to the war in Iraq.

Dale Petroskey issued a letter in which he admitted making a public relations blunder when he summarily cancelled a screening of the stars' baseball film "Bull Durham" at the prestigious Hall of Fame later this month.

"There was a chance of politics being injected into The Hall during these sensitive times, and I made a decision to not take that chance," he said in the letter posted on the Hall's web site.

"But I inadvertently did exactly what I was trying to avoid. With the advantage of hindsight, it is clear I should have handled the matter differently," he said.

Petroskey however did not directly apologize to Hollywood pair Robbins and Sarandon, who reacted furiously to the Hall of Fame's very public slap in the face, delivered in a letter which was sent to the media.


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