In response to the article ""Despite complaints, baseball still unnecessary for UW athletics"" by Crystal Crowns.
I just read your opinion piece on the back sports page of The Daily Cardinal today, and it so strongly hit a sore nerve that I felt compelled to write you so that you can understand how deeply disappointed I am that you wrote this article, let alone that The Daily Cardinal editorial staff chose to put it on the back cover of the paper.
I am a die-hard baseball fan—especially when it has anything to do with the great state of Wisconsin. I love the Milwaukee Brewers and Madison Mallards and try to attend as many of their games during the summer as I can. I mean, c'mon ... let's face it—there is no better way to spend a sunny summer afternoon than in the Duck Blind at the Duck Pond.
But even with the Brewers and Mallards around to satisfy my lust for the national pastime, I cannot even begin to describe to you how badly I would love to see the UW bring back a varsity baseball team to Madison. And I know that I am not the only one who feels this way. Just ask the guys playing for the UW club baseball teams. Yes, I said teams. There are so many guys that come out to play that they actually field two teams—an ""A"" team and a ""B"" team. The ""A"" team consists of the most talented and experienced players and the ""B"" team is comprised of players working their hardest to get moved up. None of these students play on scholarships, have trainers who take care of their injuries or have tutors who help them pass their classes. Instead, they have to beg and plead with area high schools and recreation centers so that both teams can practice on an actual baseball field. They have to pay $100 in yearly dues to cover the cost of jerseys, cleats, bats, balls, gloves, hats, etc. and do not even give it a second thought. They play their home games in front of crowds that consist mainly of family and friends, with the occasional passerby stopping to watch some truly high-caliber baseball.
But let's step back a moment and focus on the average UW-Madison student. Why would they be interested at all in having a baseball team brought back to campus? The answer is simple: It would offer a new opportunity for students to experience all that is great about Badger athletics. Seriously, who wouldn't love having yet another excuse to put on your best red and white attire (anything worn during football season would be just fine), crack open a cold Miller Lite (or 10) and then go crazy while cheering on the Badgers as they kick Michigan's ass in yet another men's sport. And for those who are just looking to get some fresh air and enjoy a warm spring afternoon, they can find everything they're looking for at the ballpark. They can even bring their books and study in the stands if they want to. That's the beauty of baseball: The experience is what you choose to make of it.
In conclusion, when you say that it was ""the most logical decision"" for the athletic program to cut the baseball program after the 1991 season, I must say that I strongly disagree. No offense to the men's and women's rowing teams, but can anyone honestly say that they are truly ""passionate"" fans of rowing? The answer to the question is an emphatic hell no. So, if the university is looking to field varsity teams in sports that students are actually interested in, then there is absolutely no excuse why the University of Wisconsin-Madison is the only Big Ten school without a baseball team.
—Dan Ladwig
UW-Madison senior, Mechanical Engineering
