Nothing is more exciting for a journalist than reading upbeat reactions about a story he wrote--and this is exactly what happened to me when I read the reactions about my baseball story http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/71740.html ] I loved every single word the readers wrote because they wrote with real feeling. From "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC to a man inMinnesota
who wanted to send a baseball rulebook, the generosity of so many Americans to a small group of young men who just wanted to play baseball has been overwhelming. As a result of these and other contributions, the baseball team is getting new baseballs, bats, gloves, spikes and uniforms. The uniforms show the Iraqi flag on the left breast, the player's number on the right and, across the back, 'Iraq Baseball.' The dozens of contributions will bring this team to life and help it to be a real baseball squad. Take this letter from Justin Horton, Old Greenwich, Conn.: "I just finished reading your story about the Baghdad baseball team. I know there is probably quite a logistical nightmare involved in an American citizen shipping items to Iraq, but I was wondering if you knew of any way that I could send these guys the baseball rulebook they were looking for butcould not find. I'm a recent college graduate so my means are fairly limited, but I would love to be able to send them something, and I could afford to pay for the book and whatever shipping costs would have to be incurred. If you have the time and have the information, it would really mean a lot to me to be able to send them the book."
He wrote this after I mentioned in the story that the assistant coach went to a book fair at Baghda University looking for a baseball rulebook. He didn't find one.
It is always the same among ordinary people, like all the Americans who felt touched by the team's story and reached deep to help players they don't know and will never see play. These kinds of people feel one another's pain, especially when governments stand on the sidelines or, worse, introduce weapons to the field. Governments everywhere have their own measures for relations with one another, and those relations are based only on interests--not to matters of the heart or soul.
The positive feelings of people about the baseball story will have an equally positive effect on the Iraqi baseball team. I talked to the assistant coach, ane he couldn't believe all the donations that were being mailed for them. He promised to work hard with all the team to say a practical THANK YOU to all donors.
I wish governments all over the world, especially our Arab neighbors, would show similar sympathy and generosity of spirit toward the Iraqi people. We don't need them to send us donations. We only want them to accept the truth that we are no longer the old regime, but a new nation, trying to find our way in the world. We don't need their donations of death. Like all the Americans who gave so much to a few young guys learning a new sport, we want our neighbors simply to accept that we Iraqis are trying to learn a new way, a new life.
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« Freedom of the Press? | Main | A Return to '1984'? »
July 19, 2009
Baseball Reactions
Nothing is more exciting for a journalist than reading upbeat reactions about a story he wrote--and this is exactly what happened to me when I read the reactions about my baseball story http://www.mcclatchydc.com/iraq/story/71740.html ] I loved every single word the readers wrote because they wrote with real feeling. From "The Rachel Maddow Show" on MSNBC to a man inMinnesota
who wanted to send a baseball rulebook, the generosity of so many Americans to a small group of young men who just wanted to play baseball has been overwhelming. As a result of these and other contributions, the baseball team is getting new baseballs, bats, gloves, spikes and uniforms. The uniforms show the Iraqi flag on the left breast, the player's number on the right and, across the back, 'Iraq Baseball.' The dozens of contributions will bring this team to life and help it to be a real baseball squad. Take this letter from Justin Horton, Old Greenwich, Conn.: "I just finished reading your story about the Baghdad baseball team. I know there is probably quite a logistical nightmare involved in an American citizen shipping items to Iraq, but I was wondering if you knew of any way that I could send these guys the baseball rulebook they were looking for butcould not find. I'm a recent college graduate so my means are fairly limited, but I would love to be able to send them something, and I could afford to pay for the book and whatever shipping costs would have to be incurred. If you have the time and have the information, it would really mean a lot to me to be able to send them the book."
He wrote this after I mentioned in the story that the assistant coach went to a book fair at Baghda University looking for a baseball rulebook. He didn't find one.
It is always the same among ordinary people, like all the Americans who felt touched by the team's story and reached deep to help players they don't know and will never see play. These kinds of people feel one another's pain, especially when governments stand on the sidelines or, worse, introduce weapons to the field. Governments everywhere have their own measures for relations with one another, and those relations are based only on interests--not to matters of the heart or soul.
The positive feelings of people about the baseball story will have an equally positive effect on the Iraqi baseball team. I talked to the assistant coach, ane he couldn't believe all the donations that were being mailed for them. He promised to work hard with all the team to say a practical THANK YOU to all donors.
I wish governments all over the world, especially our Arab neighbors, would show similar sympathy and generosity of spirit toward the Iraqi people. We don't need them to send us donations. We only want them to accept the truth that we are no longer the old regime, but a new nation, trying to find our way in the world. We don't need their donations of death. Like all the Americans who gave so much to a few young guys learning a new sport, we want our neighbors simply to accept that we Iraqis are trying to learn a new way, a new life.
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Comments
house clearance
Can i use this blog as reference in my college report
Regards
Posted by: house clearance | November 21, 2009 at 07:59 AM
Duke Covone
We were proud to be apart of it. Duke Covone CTG Athletics/Verdero
Posted by: Duke Covone | July 29, 2009 at 04:47 PM
Patricia
Rachel made it happen!!
Posted by: Patricia | July 24, 2009 at 01:00 PM
afisher
This is the best way for the people of Iraq to understand that the USA is more than a military. The people to people connection via baseball is better than any amount of money that has been used to by the government to...build an embassy or pay off public officials!
Kudos to McClatchy News and RMaddow show!
Posted by: afisher | July 22, 2009 at 11:27 AM
Terace Greene
I think this is one of the most uplifting stories I've followed in a while! Congratulations for your reporting this story and for the many others who have contributed!!
Posted by: Terace Greene | July 21, 2009 at 03:23 PM
NativeSonKY
Stories like this make me proud to be associated with Americans. Unlike our government We the People are a soft-hearted lot when it comes down to it. The small gestures individuals make towards others show that we don't always share the same ideologies that our leaders do. I'm really glad the Iraq International team will be able to play, and hope the uniforms and equipment give them a feeling of being a real team!
Posted by: NativeSonKY | July 21, 2009 at 11:42 AM
aj
Amen, Julia. Rachel did a great show tonight !!
She's a breath of fresh air....:}
Posted by: aj | July 20, 2009 at 11:37 PM
Susan
That was really touching. We all need to help one another out now and then.
Posted by: silagra | February 09, 2010 at 12:41 PM
Can i use this blog as reference in my college report
Regards
Posted by: house clearance | November 21, 2009 at 07:59 AM
We were proud to be apart of it. Duke Covone CTG Athletics/Verdero
Posted by: Duke Covone | July 29, 2009 at 04:47 PM
Rachel made it happen!!
Posted by: Patricia | July 24, 2009 at 01:00 PM
This is the best way for the people of Iraq to understand that the USA is more than a military. The people to people connection via baseball is better than any amount of money that has been used to by the government to...build an embassy or pay off public officials!
Kudos to McClatchy News and RMaddow show!
Posted by: afisher | July 22, 2009 at 11:27 AM
I think this is one of the most uplifting stories I've followed in a while! Congratulations for your reporting this story and for the many others who have contributed!!
Posted by: Terace Greene | July 21, 2009 at 03:23 PM
Stories like this make me proud to be associated with Americans. Unlike our government We the People are a soft-hearted lot when it comes down to it. The small gestures individuals make towards others show that we don't always share the same ideologies that our leaders do. I'm really glad the Iraq International team will be able to play, and hope the uniforms and equipment give them a feeling of being a real team!
Posted by: NativeSonKY | July 21, 2009 at 11:42 AM
Amen, Julia. Rachel did a great show tonight !!
She's a breath of fresh air....:}
Posted by: aj | July 20, 2009 at 11:37 PM
That was really touching. We all need to help one another out now and then.
(I didn't know there was an International Series in baseball.)
Posted by: Susan | July 20, 2009 at 12:37 AM
Way Cool! I hope to see the Iraqi team play in the International Series in the near future.
Posted by: kim | July 19, 2009 at 05:11 PM
This post is so lovely, every bit of it.
Posted by: Laura | July 19, 2009 at 12:29 PM