Buck was the first African-American coach in the majors (batting coach, Chicago Cubs), but he was never a manager in the majors. "Baseball's Greatest Ambassador" should be on the plaque somewhere, too. Buck had plenty of credentials to get in the hall on his own without us making up some new ones. You could tell that from Joe Morgan's remarks at the memorial event at Municipal Auditorium.
Sending these plaques to the hall with such a mistake that baseball people would notice right away would not be fair to Buck.
Mo Dickens,
Kansas City, Missouri
Editor's note: We were out of our minds with sadness over the loss of Buck O'Neil and with anger at his snub by the Hall of Fame. But that's no excuse for the error, which we regret — as well as leaving out the crucial "home run" in our definition of "hit for the cycle" ("This Week We Love," October 19). Download a corrected plaque to send to Cooperstown at www.pitch.com. Feature: "Don't Feed the Preacher," October 12
Pulpit Friction
I've just finished reading David Martin's article "Don't Feed the Preacher." I pastor a church in Liberty called Desperation Church. We are not a huge church — only about 400-500 people. We meet in an old warehouse. Our heart is to reach the hurting and to make a loud noise in our city and the surrounding areas for the cause of Jesus.
I'm 36, and perhaps the only preacher I know who reads the Pitch. I appreciated your article. My heart, as well as our church's heart, is to be authentic. I'm so sick of those who would use the name of Jesus for personal gain and to build their own kingdoms. Just last night, our own teenagers went out and picked up garbage. We filled numerous bags. We're trying to teach our kids that when we serve our community and ask for nothing in return, God is glorified to a greater degree. To read your article and see kids being used to do the exact opposite was upsetting, to say the least.
If I could say anything to you that might be a little negative, it would only be that sometimes your paper paints a picture of Christianity from only one perspective: the weirdo perspective. There are some of us out there who don't have scary Halloween tactics and who don't preach that Jesus was a white, middle-class Republican and that to be saved, you have to be just like that. We don't all hate homosexuals and Democrats. I'm sorry that that is how we're perceived by so many.
Thanks for exposing something that is so wrong. I pray that God blesses you big-time.
Michael Craft,
Liberty
The Preach Around
I had a horrible experience with a minister who claimed to be a man of God and then reneged on everything he said and signed. My judgment for $1,100-plus is still unpaid. I knew those candy hawkers were not being honest with the public, and I am glad you have exposed them.
It seems that some people will believe anything. And that the minister — if you can call him that — believes everything he says. Name withheld by request
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