Sox

To the Editors of The Crimson:

John Rosenthal's column in today's Crimson ("Rise'n'Thal," October 7) was so offensively devoid of sense that I feel compelled to respond in the interest of fairness.

Rosenthal asserts that Wade Boggs' failure to play in the Red Sox final regular season series was a "strategy" designed to protect his league-leading batting average. "Shame on you, Wade Boggs," said Rosenthal.

Rosenthal would be wrong to complain even if Boggs was merely resting; there is ample precedent for players to protect their titles, even when their teams have not already clinched their divisional title, as the Sox had. But Boggs had a hamstring tear so severe that the Red Sox team physician was able to place his thumb through it. Rosenthal offers nothing to support his silly carping that Boggs' injury was less debilitating than those which sidelined three of his teammates during the same series.

But Rosenthal's discharge was an especially cheap shot, because Boggs played with a severe injury earlier this year and has also had to play all year in the shadow of his mother's death, which occurred in May. One would think that The Crimson would praise Boggs for enduring a tragedy which has in the past caused other players to take whole years off, rather than whining about Boggs playing "only" 149 games. Perhaps Boggs should have played and struck out intentionally three times before getting a hit, just to show Rosenthal that he was a truly deserving champion. Even better, maybe Boggs should have played and ruptured his hamstring altogether, just to show Rosenthal that he was really giving it his all.

And Rosenthal does the great Don Mattingly no credit by debasing the competition of which he was a part. Mattingly is in all likelihood a more valuable hitter than Boggs, but to imply that he was cheated out of a batting title when the man who won it had over 600 plate appearances this season is just plain dumb.

The next time The Crimson is looking for filler material, I suggest a public service ad rather than printing "Rise'n'Thal." Authors who criticize people for lacking "guts and class," as Rosenthal does Boggs, without bothering to present or even research the facts, are usually themselves lacking in those desired departments. Peter J. Keating '88