I received an interesting email the other day about a protest to be held (or not) at the All-Star game. The protest is to reinstate Buck Weaver, one of the so-called Black Sox, as the game is to be held at the new Comiskey.

Protesting will be held from 4pm to 7pm at the old 3rd base at Comiskey Park. More details to follow.

Here's a brochure on their cause.

Here's a letter from Bud Selig saying, basically, "Thanks but no thanks," when it comes to a meeting with the protestors.

And here's a letter from the Sox telling them to stay out of the parking lot.

Be forewarned that their literature is full of good ol' fashioned hokum like, "Weaver was an All-Star before there was such a thing. Called a 'natural ball player of natural ball players' by the Saturday Evening Post..."

I'm not much for open protests myself, but given the anecdotal evidence I have heard (mainly from John Cusack's portrayal of Weaver in Eight Men Out), it seems that Weaver was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Throwing ballgames was apparently not uncommon around the turn of the century. Hal Chase made a cottage industry out of it, and greats Tris Speaker and Ty Cobb were tarnished by it.

Weaver knew about the fix, did nothing, and was held responsible by commissioner Landis. Was that morally correct? Probably not, since many knew of Chase's indescretions and were not punished for having the knowledge. If the incident happened today, Weaver would most certainly by banned. The Black Sox were the tipping point, however. I'm not sure what becomes of Weaver.

If I were commissioner-heck, if I were commissioner, I'd replace Sandy Alderson with Morganna the Kissing Bandit. Anyway, if I were commissioner, I would have some flunky investigate and if the story checked out, I would go ahead and remove his name from the banned list. The man is dead. It just clears his name anyway. And besides, it doesn't send a bad message to the current players.

And maybe that's what Bud Selig would do after he stops monkeying with All-Star game. However, there's one bowl-coiffed problem, Peter Edward Rose. As Weaver goes so must Rose, some will argue, the logical-impaired masses that is. Selig won't touch Weaver with a ten-foot pole until Rose's de-excommunication is complete. And he's in no hurry to even address that. So I'm afraid Buck is going to have to wait another decade or so.

(By the way, the headline is a reference to the seminal folk band the Weavers... And comedy ensued.)