Letters: Remembering Cardinal Park

Want to have your voice heard? Send a Letter to the Forum. Authors must sign their letters and include addresses and phone numbers for verification. Letters may be no longer than 300 words and will be edited for grammar, style and length. Send your submission to Mailbag, P.O. Box 1717, Johnson City, TN 37605-1717 or mailbag@johnsoncitypress.com.Remembering Cardinal ParkToday I came by Cardinal Park and it seems like I'm losing a loved one. Cardinal Park will probably never again be used as a home for professional ball players. What is really sad is the fat cats in the business world could not care the least about the average person who attends the only professional sport available to them.Cardinal Park is an icon to those who grew up with it and who have watched over the years how some of the not-so-great became the greats in the world of baseball. And the strange thing about minor league ball is the level of performance does not make greatness, but rather in the eyes of the fans greatness is made up of the total personality of an individual. That's what the fans came to Cardinal Park to see; and that's what they got over a lot of years.I'm saddened over the millions who have been struck down by this worldwide virus, and at the same time I hate to see a part of our culture disappear and I worry about the one little person who may never again be inspired by the words in a movie, "Build it and they will come."I was fortunate to play at Cardinal Park the first year the stadium was built. Well, I coached third base if you call that playing. But the park has meant a lot over the years, and I am sorry it can't be used for what it was intended.Don't take the Cardinals. Give the little person a shot and he or she will come through for you.MIKE HUNTERUnicoiShould we welcome race fans?There have been a few articles about the upcoming All-Star race at Bristol. I am amazed that there haven't been articles and editorials that are concerned with having so many people from all over the country into our area in this day and age of the pandemic.We have been so fortunate in this area to have had relatively so few cases. But it is still out there, and I don't see an end in sight, especially if we allow large gatherings without social distancing and face masks in our area.I think this is setting a very dangerous precedent. Charlotte turned them away which was I'm sure a painful but realistic decision for them. If we did it and had it spaced with only first responders and medical personnel allowed, I could understand this. But to allow so many thousands together does not make sense to me. In fact, I find it very frightening.I know that it would be nice to open everything up. But I don't think we are at the point yet where it can be done safely. Are they choosing money over lives saved?MICKEY SCHANDLER GROSSMANJohnson CityElect a responsive representativeThe House of Representatives of the United States was created by our founders with the idea that normal, everyday citizens would be elected by their constituents every two years to be sent to Washington to serve their district.Their hope was to keep the House responsive to the will of the people that they represent.We need to get back our government, and not by electing those who want to make it their "career."I think that Steve Darden; a hard-working, successful, self-made businessman, is the type of person that we need representing us in Washington and here at home.BARRY BLAIRJonesborough