Baseball group launches anti-abortion effort

Arizona Republic.com ^ | 2-22-03 | Kelly Ettenborough and Michael Clancy

[Salvation]

Baseball group launches anti-abortion effort

By Kelly Ettenborough and Michael Clancy
The Arizona Republic
Feb. 22, 2003

Arizona Diamondbacks CEO Jerry Colangelo has joined 90 other baseball executives and players in support of a national effort to raise $1 million for an organization that opposes abortion under any circumstance, including rape, incest and saving the life of the mother.

In a press conference Friday at Bank One Ballpark, baseball players and the American Life League announced the Battin' 1000 campaign for preliminary work on a "Campus for Life" in Virginia, outside Washington. The campus, expected to be open in three years, would "provide an academic foundation for the pro-life movement" and train the next generation's leaders, said Jim Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League. The non-profit organization has a Catholic foundation.

Colangelo's wife had routine surgery on Friday, and he could not attend the program as planned. He declined comment later in the day. Colangelo is not Catholic but is known in the community as a devout Christian.

Marge Mead, legislative coordinator for the abortion-rights group AZ National Organization for Women, said the fund-raising efforts and publicity would be better used to help poor and abused children who already are here, some of whom live a few blocks from the ballpark.

"It is a free country, and Colangelo and his testosterone-charged ballplayers can do anything they want with their time and money, including this present enterprise," said Mead, a Sun City resident. "It is a free country, and women should be free to make their own reproductive choices.

"Colangelo's players, on the other hand, will never experience pregnancy, including an unintended pregnancy. Yet they will try to use what little moral authority their ball-playing fame has purchased to fund-raise for an organization that seeks to dictate women's reproductive choices."

About 90 current and retired Major League Baseball players and executives have signed on to the effort, and the players want to recruit other players to give $1,000 each in a friendly competition with "teams" competing against each other during the regular baseball schedule.

The best-known player involved is probably Scott Sanderson, who played for eight teams in a 19-year career before retiring after the 1996 season. He's now an agent who lives in Chicago and spoke on behalf of the players on Friday.

"None of us are here to force our views on anyone but rather to help in the educational process and let people make up their own minds," he said.

[Salvation]

For your information and comments!

[Salvation]

Can you ping your Pro-Life Ping List?

Thanks!

[11th_VA]

I don't think Angelos (Baltimore Orioles) is going to participate in this...

[mdittmar]

Here's to those testosterone-charged ballplayers,sweeet!

[Salvation]

Then maybe we should not go to see the Baltimore Orioles???

[Salvation]

I would have to agree with you. A toast to these sportmen for standing up and speaking out against the culture of death values of the modern world.

[Aarchaeus]

Here's to those testosterone-charged ballplayers,sweeet!

Behold the power of testosterone!

America needs more real men like this.

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Arizona Diamondbacks CEO Jerry Colangelo has joined 90 other baseball executives and players in support of a national effort to raise $1 million for an organization that opposes abortion under any circumstance, including rape, incest and saving the life of the mother.

Proving once again that having lots of money does not always mean one has sense.

Those are the three exceptions that will doom any initiative off the block - in fact, many pro-lifers would balk at that.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"that opposes abortion under any circumstance, including rape, incest and saving the life of the mother."

I am solidly pro-life, but when we start going down this road, you end up shifting people to the pro-abort side (especially on rape and life of the mother). Health emergencies, when all other avenues have failed, are justifiable.

[Salvation]

Do you have a ping list for pro-lifers?

Could you ping them to this article?

Thanks.

[pgkdan]

I'm a lifelong baseball lover, and from this moment forward a fan of the Arizona Diamondbacks!

[WFTR]

While I disagree about the exceptions, I think it's great that these players are working for a good cause. I hope that they'll also consider donations for crisis pregnancy centers as well. These charities do a great job of helping women in difficult situations.

Abortion - Not About Sex
Bill

[Salvation]

And perhaps prayers will work where reason fails.

[fieldmarshaldj]

"Those are the three exceptions that will doom any initiative off the block - in fact, many pro-lifers would balk at that."

Ditto that. Just focusing on abortions performed for reasons OTHER than those could cut the number of abortions performed by perhaps 90%, and we should direct our attention in that direction.

[Salvation]

I'll bump the Razorbacks!

[fieldmarshaldj]

"direct our attention in that direction."

Or TURN our attention. :-P

[Salvation]

**I hope that they'll also consider donations for crisis pregnancy centers as well. These charities do a great job of helping women in difficult situations.**

I agree wholeheartedly. We have four small homes here in my village.

[Cultural Jihad]

... Colangelo and his testosterone-charged ballplayers ...

Isn't that hate speech?

[Chancellor Palpatine]

Here is the problem - to the voting public (especially women, the ones most affected by this), the pro-life movement has always been about forcing women by law to go to term, even those who are the victims of rape or incest.

The specter of an 11 year old impregnated by a family member being forced to go to term based on definitions supplied by religious institutions weighs heavily in their minds, and overrides any utilitarian aspects of a general pro-life policy.

I can't say they're wrong, either.

[O.C. - Old Cracker]

Thanks for the good news!