LETTER from KEVIN GRADY

Want To Revive Baseball?

Make It Kid-Centric Again

To the Editor (and baseball fans everywhere):

Kudos to former Baseball Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson for co-founding Grassroots Baseball, an effort to connect young kids to what at one time was our National Pastime. When my generation was growing up, we would race home after school to catch the World Series at about the third inning, creating fond, lifelong memories.

My kids didn’t have that opportunity. For too long, all MLB playoff and World Series games start past Little Leaguer bedtimes. As usual in our country, the almighty dollar runs the show.

On another note, I read the other day of MLB’s plans to have the White Sox and the Yankees play A REGULAR SEASON GAME at the corn field in Iowa where “Field of Dreams” was filmed. I hope it’s a day game.

The Yankees and Red Sox played TWO REGULAR SEASON GAMES in London earlier this year and there are plans for games in Williamsport, Pa., and Omaha, Neb. I think it’s wonderful that MLB is taking the initiative to reconnect people to baseball.

Once upon a time for more than 50 years, two Major League teams played AN EXHIBITION GAME every year on Doubleday Field to celebrate the induction of baseball’s greatest players into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Commissioner Manfred, would you care to comment about any of this?

KEVIN GRADY
Cooperstown