In a response to Astros Daily, Astros rep Mike Acosta wrote:
During our discussion with Major League Baseball, it was expressed to us that we could wear the uniform as long as the pistol was removed. We realize this changes the original design, but we still want to honor the Colt .45s. We are also under an obligation to follow Major League Baseball's requests.
I had a very similar response to Yahoo's Kevin Kaduk, so in deference to the guy who published it first, I'll insert this:
It's two games. It's one gun. Baseball should either remember history right or it shouldn't remember it at all.
I was a history major in college. I currently work at a historic site that deals with some of the most uncomfortable topics in American history. Do you know what would happen if we took those stories out of the interpretation of the site for which I work? Weeping. Gnashing of teeth. At best it's just ignorant. At worst it's racist. And rightly so - you can't change history because it's uncomfortable.
So to remove a gun from a uniform that was only going to be used for two games, and likely in front of 40,000 people - tops - to which ESPN would give perhaps 20 seconds of coverage - tops - is preposterous. No one is going to leave Minute Maid Park on April 10 and 20 and think, "Damn those unis were hot! I'm going to get a Colt .45 and shoot somebody." At least no one who is not already in prison. Selig must think that this would be the result, as people head out into the Houston night.
A quick look at the 2nd Amendment would tell you that a well-regulated militia has the right to keep and bear arms. Baseball teams, and the Astros, in particular, are not well-regulated militias, so they would not fall under 2nd Amendment protection, so MLB has the Consititutional right to deny the Astros to bear arms on their uniforms. (/sarcasm)
But seriously, are you surprised? (I didn't think Selig had it in for Houston or the Astros, but I'm now starting to wonder). Prior to the 1953 season, the Cincinnati Reds changed their name to the Redlegs lest good, clean, capitalist Americans think they Cincinnati was fielding a team full of Communists.
Every now and then we at Astros County try to tell you how to feel. So should you be outraged by MLB? It's okay to be angry, but by God, if Selig makes the Astros house British soldiers at Minute Maid, then we're burning MLB down.
To repeat Kevin Kaduk:
It's two games. It's one gun.
