I disliked this man’s presidency like it was a contest, but what a wonderful human he is. This letter is so much more meaningful for his details, and his obvious biases and desperate passion for our game. Love this so much... thanks, Joe.
The politics and opinions on his presidency don’t matter in this case - very cool letter and must be exhilarating to receive. Congrats, Joe, and indeed, it is a remarkable book.
That is awesome. A former President read Joe's book and was so pleased by it that he took the time to write and send him a note THANKING HIM FOR WRITING IT. Politics aside, it is very cool any way you slice it.
If you could show this to 2010’s Joe, back when the first version of this started on your blog, or to 1980’s Joe sitting in math class writing about the Browns or submitting his future HOF predictions piece to Beckett’s, what do you think they would say?
Nice to see you and your work getting the recognition they deserve.
Very nice! I ran into George Sr. and Barbara at a grocery store in Houston once. Incredibly nice human beings. I miss the days where you could separate the person from their politics. Baseball, and all sports for that matter, should be an escape from politics and a place where we can find common ground.
Fella, I’m slightly left of Mao, politically (exaggerating, a little), but on THIS, we agree. What a beautiful note about our man’s amazing work. Full stop.
Sadly, that is exactly where 99% of the posts will go. Regardless of whether one agrees with the man, likes the man, dislikes the man, etc... When trying to understand things people do, decisions they make or don't make, I always try to imagine myself in the other persons shoes. These things in mind, it's impossible for me to get my head around what was going through his mind when he was reading to the elementary school children and was informed of the terrorists attacks. I will never forget the look on that mans face.
I went to a Rangers game with my Dad once, unusually good seats. I’ve got a lot of siblings so this was a rare chance to catch a game just the two of us. Partway through I realized George W. Bush was sitting about 30 yards away, and it turned what had been basically the best kind of day into a bizarre experience. This terrible person, a man who was handed everything and used what he was given to spread war and death, was just sitting there enjoying his day. It was like eating a nice meal across the room from Slobodan Milosevic—and everyone in the restaurant is pretending it’s cool, like he’s just another celebrity, War Crimes Bill Murray or something.
A lot of Joe’s best writing is about fathers and sons. I think of a son whose father gave him too much power and not enough virtue. Sons whose fathers can’t go to a game with them because Bush sent them to die in a a pointless war. Sons who never became fathers because Bush bombed their hometowns.
I’ve always felt guilty about not doing something at that game, yelling at him, just trying to make his day a little worse. Why should he get away with it? Just because it’s politically impractical to hold a guy like him accountable, that doesn’t mean some of us can’t try. I’m disappointed in myself for staying silent. And I guess now I’m disappointed in Joe, too.
Yeah, not really the place to go there. There are obviously a lot of different views about Bush - but 2 quick points - he operated in a system with democratic accountability (those systems may have not worked, you might say, but they were there) - completely unlike someone like Milosevic. Secondly, with all the info he had, he sincerely believed those were the best decisions for the country and even the world. If completely wrong, I believe they didn't come from a heart bent on doing wrong.
If you've followed Joe, you would highly doubt he is anywhere close to Bush politically. I think it's a tough call whether to post - cool baseball item vs stirring up political waters. In the end I guess I'm comfortable with him posting it. I respect your position too.
I can see how it would be exciting to receive from such a prominent figure, but I wish you hadn't posted it. A President is called to make a great many decisions of profound moral impact, and may our actions never be laid so transparently bare to be judged as theirs are, but this one fell grievously short in too many opportunities to uphold important values.
Not to defend President Bush, but...he has acted with humility and grace since he was President and has even owned up to mistakes and errors. He has served when called upon, has befriended other Presidents (most notably Democratic Presidents who preceded and followed him) and has generally stayed out of the fray. Many of us thought President Carter was a horrible President- but he is an admirable man with many redeeming traits, worthy of honor and respect. And I'd humbly submit that President Bush is equally worthy of respect. I'd be deeply honored if he ever took the time to write me a letter.
You know, you're not wrong. He's been amiable, he's stood up for democratic norms, he's avoided throwing fuel on the fire when many others haven't. He's done much to preserve the dignity of the institution. It would go a long way toward redeeming him, if my differences with him were the standard things that his party was espousing back when it had an ideology - the polite fictions that it would cost too much to provide more for our most vulnerable, that poverty and addiction were in significant part failures of character, that freedom means only freedom from coercion and not also meaningful agency to pursue happiness.
Now that I expect the readership has moved on to the next article and I'm not wantonly derailing an unrelated discussion with politics, I hope you don't mind just a brief explanation - the thing that's hard to get over, that shocked my conscience and undermined what I thought America stood for, was the violation of the norm that America didn't engage in wars of aggression. Of course there had been actions taken on flimsy pretexts before, but this time, for the first time I'd say since 1848, there was not even a claim that there was an imminent threat. Even the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction weren't claimed to be an imminent threat, just a potential future threat, and so "did he know they didn't exist or was he overly credulous of bad intelligence," while important, isn't even the fundamental question. It wasn't quite a Melian Dialogue moment - "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must" - but it was closer than I ever thought my country would go.
I appreciate the thoughtful response. It's a far cry from the vitriol prevalent on a lot of other platforms.
I get your perspective (and agree in great measure). My biggest issue, as a veteran, was advocating torture. It broke my heart that we'd go there (as one of my heroes John McCain said at the time). So, we agree...and I hope we can celebrate the honor that Joe received
I disliked this man’s presidency like it was a contest, but what a wonderful human he is. This letter is so much more meaningful for his details, and his obvious biases and desperate passion for our game. Love this so much... thanks, Joe.
Incredible
It's a letter from a baseball fan who happens to be a former president, for gosh sakes. Some people live angry, I reckon. Thanks for posting.
Cool. President Bush’s handwriting is worse than mine.
Forget politics , the letter was about Baseball. Glad you posted it. Can’t wait for your next book.
This is obviously the note of a man angling to have a certain first pitch included in Why We Love Baseball...
And he might deserve it. Lol!
The politics and opinions on his presidency don’t matter in this case - very cool letter and must be exhilarating to receive. Congrats, Joe, and indeed, it is a remarkable book.
So, I wonder if the last line is a dig at Barbara? After all, it's always the Mom who throws the baseball cards out, right?
Were you able to have his note translated so you could read it??
That is awesome. A former President read Joe's book and was so pleased by it that he took the time to write and send him a note THANKING HIM FOR WRITING IT. Politics aside, it is very cool any way you slice it.
(And thank you Joe for posting it for us!)
If you could show this to 2010’s Joe, back when the first version of this started on your blog, or to 1980’s Joe sitting in math class writing about the Browns or submitting his future HOF predictions piece to Beckett’s, what do you think they would say?
Nice to see you and your work getting the recognition they deserve.
Unreal- what a great letter!!! Wow Joe- that's a treasure. Congratulations
Very nice! I ran into George Sr. and Barbara at a grocery store in Houston once. Incredibly nice human beings. I miss the days where you could separate the person from their politics. Baseball, and all sports for that matter, should be an escape from politics and a place where we can find common ground.
Any person on this thread who dives straight into politics is the reason this country is so broken.
Fella, I’m slightly left of Mao, politically (exaggerating, a little), but on THIS, we agree. What a beautiful note about our man’s amazing work. Full stop.
Sadly, that is exactly where 99% of the posts will go. Regardless of whether one agrees with the man, likes the man, dislikes the man, etc... When trying to understand things people do, decisions they make or don't make, I always try to imagine myself in the other persons shoes. These things in mind, it's impossible for me to get my head around what was going through his mind when he was reading to the elementary school children and was informed of the terrorists attacks. I will never forget the look on that mans face.
I went to a Rangers game with my Dad once, unusually good seats. I’ve got a lot of siblings so this was a rare chance to catch a game just the two of us. Partway through I realized George W. Bush was sitting about 30 yards away, and it turned what had been basically the best kind of day into a bizarre experience. This terrible person, a man who was handed everything and used what he was given to spread war and death, was just sitting there enjoying his day. It was like eating a nice meal across the room from Slobodan Milosevic—and everyone in the restaurant is pretending it’s cool, like he’s just another celebrity, War Crimes Bill Murray or something.
A lot of Joe’s best writing is about fathers and sons. I think of a son whose father gave him too much power and not enough virtue. Sons whose fathers can’t go to a game with them because Bush sent them to die in a a pointless war. Sons who never became fathers because Bush bombed their hometowns.
I’ve always felt guilty about not doing something at that game, yelling at him, just trying to make his day a little worse. Why should he get away with it? Just because it’s politically impractical to hold a guy like him accountable, that doesn’t mean some of us can’t try. I’m disappointed in myself for staying silent. And I guess now I’m disappointed in Joe, too.
You seem to be conflating incompetence with evil. Please don't do that - it only makes things worse.
Yeah, not really the place to go there. There are obviously a lot of different views about Bush - but 2 quick points - he operated in a system with democratic accountability (those systems may have not worked, you might say, but they were there) - completely unlike someone like Milosevic. Secondly, with all the info he had, he sincerely believed those were the best decisions for the country and even the world. If completely wrong, I believe they didn't come from a heart bent on doing wrong.
If you've followed Joe, you would highly doubt he is anywhere close to Bush politically. I think it's a tough call whether to post - cool baseball item vs stirring up political waters. In the end I guess I'm comfortable with him posting it. I respect your position too.
I can see how it would be exciting to receive from such a prominent figure, but I wish you hadn't posted it. A President is called to make a great many decisions of profound moral impact, and may our actions never be laid so transparently bare to be judged as theirs are, but this one fell grievously short in too many opportunities to uphold important values.
I can see how it would be to dump on someone else’s good moment, but I wish you hadn’t posted it.
Not to defend President Bush, but...he has acted with humility and grace since he was President and has even owned up to mistakes and errors. He has served when called upon, has befriended other Presidents (most notably Democratic Presidents who preceded and followed him) and has generally stayed out of the fray. Many of us thought President Carter was a horrible President- but he is an admirable man with many redeeming traits, worthy of honor and respect. And I'd humbly submit that President Bush is equally worthy of respect. I'd be deeply honored if he ever took the time to write me a letter.
Just sayin...
You know, you're not wrong. He's been amiable, he's stood up for democratic norms, he's avoided throwing fuel on the fire when many others haven't. He's done much to preserve the dignity of the institution. It would go a long way toward redeeming him, if my differences with him were the standard things that his party was espousing back when it had an ideology - the polite fictions that it would cost too much to provide more for our most vulnerable, that poverty and addiction were in significant part failures of character, that freedom means only freedom from coercion and not also meaningful agency to pursue happiness.
Now that I expect the readership has moved on to the next article and I'm not wantonly derailing an unrelated discussion with politics, I hope you don't mind just a brief explanation - the thing that's hard to get over, that shocked my conscience and undermined what I thought America stood for, was the violation of the norm that America didn't engage in wars of aggression. Of course there had been actions taken on flimsy pretexts before, but this time, for the first time I'd say since 1848, there was not even a claim that there was an imminent threat. Even the nonexistent weapons of mass destruction weren't claimed to be an imminent threat, just a potential future threat, and so "did he know they didn't exist or was he overly credulous of bad intelligence," while important, isn't even the fundamental question. It wasn't quite a Melian Dialogue moment - "the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must" - but it was closer than I ever thought my country would go.
I appreciate the thoughtful response. It's a far cry from the vitriol prevalent on a lot of other platforms.
I get your perspective (and agree in great measure). My biggest issue, as a veteran, was advocating torture. It broke my heart that we'd go there (as one of my heroes John McCain said at the time). So, we agree...and I hope we can celebrate the honor that Joe received