America's Baseball Ignorance

I cannot help but say that I was disgusted with the ignorant and insulting sports page column written by Nancy E. Greene ("Stealing Baseball's Poetry," October 26).

On behalf of all Canadians, and those who witnessed a truly stunning 1992 World Series Championship, Greene should realize that baseball's highest honor was simply won by the Blue Jays, not "stolen," as she would suggest.

I phoned Greene over the content of her rude article, which described Toronto baseball fans as "the most baseball-ignorant fans in the history of the game." She seemed to think she knew an awful lot about the city of Toronto and its baseball supporters, considering that she has only actually attended one SkyDome game in her life.

I have been a constant fan of the Blue Jays since their inception into the league in 1977.

I might add that Toronto, which lies on virtually the same latitude as Boston, does not have "a climate that necessitates a dome." Our weather has four perfect seasons.

Building the SkyDome was one the best things that could have happened to the city of Toronto. A city of three million people is a wonderful market to bring baseball into. We bring in 50,000 people each and every home game simply because it is a great stadium to watch baseball in. There aren't any bad seats. How many other stadiums can make that claim?

I know the fans of the Blue Jays. I am one of the many in existence, all across Canada. Greene grew up as a Baltimore Orioles fan. Is there a slight chance she could be bitter about the O's collapse at the end of the 1992 season?

Perhaps.

What should be examined instead is a comparison with the National Hockey League.

You took Canada's game into the south, but we don't complain. We send our Canadian players over your border to play for you, but we don't complain. Of the past six teams to reach the Stanley Cup finals, only one was Canadian, but we don't complain. You build franchises where water was never meant to freeze (Tampa Bay, San Jose and Los Angeles), but we don't complain.

Cities like Pittsburgh hail their (Canadian-born) hockey stars like gods, but we don't complain. We have your American baseball players play for us, and pay them well. You do the same with your Canadian hockey players. Nancy Greene will complain. But we won't.

What Greene wrote goes to prove further what all Canadians believe: Americans are as ignorant about Canada as they are selfish about their national pasttime.

But we still don't complain. Ian Kennish '94