Preparedness To Win

The Office of the Commissioner of Baseball
Allan H. (Bud) Selig, Commissioner
245 Park Avenue, 31st Floor
New York, NY 10167
(212) 931-3800

Dear Mr. Commissioner:


The Kansas City Chiefs have a decision to make. After dropping their third of three pre-season football games last night, the who-will-be-the-starting-quarterback debate weakens as the youngster Brodie Croyle continues to make poor decisions and throw interceptions. Last night’s opponent, the New Orleans Saints, made the Chiefs look like a team uncertain of its own identity. The Saints, be it running, passing or defending, have their football tactics honed and ready for regular-season play.


The Chiefs, however, seem far from that stage. There are great deals of steps they need to make in order to be ready for competition on Sundays. This week’s contract-extension signing of running back Larry Johnson should help. That, however, is only one facet of the game. The club has its work cut out for it if it anticipates being able to hit from both sides of the plate, if you will.


Switch-hitting, one of many talents Pete Rose had on the baseball field, translates in football to time management while in possession of the ball and keeping your defense fresh, rested and ready to make plays. Metaphorically, this is a tactic that opposing managers could never employ when preparing their hurlers to pitch to Rose, as he could push and pull the ball, regardless of the pitcher and his handedness. HBO and NFL Films’s “Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Kansas City Chiefs” attempts to cover what it takes to be ready to play the game.



A special of such a nature on Rose could be highly educational to the youth of America in learning the game of baseball. This is one more reason why the ban on Rose should be lifted.