Letters to the Editor | Aug. 14, 2025

I couldn’t disagree more with William O’Toole’s recent letter attempting to rewrite history regarding Dick Allen. As a child, I, too, went to games at Connie Mack Stadium with my father, and it was “Richie” Allen who helped form my early love of Major League Baseball. I was always thrilled at seeing him in the on-deck circle, and his at-bats were not to be missed. I was sad to see the way he was treated by racist fans and the media, and, in retrospect, Phillies management was no better. I am glad to see a correct rewrite of his history after what the Philly sports media and Phillies management did to a sensitive man who was unprepared for the criticism. And please, to compare his character in any way with Pete Rose is especially egregious.

Bill Maginnis, North Wales

A recent letter to the editor stating the reason Richie Allen didn’t get into the Hall of Fame was: Richie Allen. He stated Allen’s bad behavior, such as being ill-tempered (uppity?), smoking in the dugout, being late for practice, and missing games without explanation. I’m sure some of the white players did the same things Allen was accused of, but for some reason they’re behavior wasn’t amplified in the press. Gee, I wonder why? The writer stated he was a kid during this time, watching Allen play. I was, too. When I went to the games with my dad, I couldn’t understand why everyone booed him when he was introduced, but cheered him when he crushed a home run. It wasn’t until later in life that I understood why he wanted out of Philadelphia.

The writer did mention that he had no doubt Allen suffered from the overt racism Philadelphia threw at players of color. That is putting it mildly regarding Allen. Starting with death threats when he was in the minors, to having to wear a helmet on the field at all times because of hard objects being thrown at him. His family also felt the wrath of racism with verbal assaults and bomb threats on their home.

My boyhood hero, Richie Allen, should have been enshrined in the hall many years ago, and should’ve been able to bask in it in his golden years. For the loyalty he gave to the fans and for his incredible stats and stellar play, he may have deserved it more than anyone.

John H. Ross, Kennett Square

When Sen. Dave McCormick was a cadet at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., he was bound by the cadet honor code: “A cadet will not lie, cheat, or steal, or tolerate those who do.” Several times in his military — and now congressional — career, he has sworn an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States.

Sen. McCormick has evidently abandoned these oaths and principles, as evidenced by remarks made during recent telephone town halls and other events. To hear him tell it, the gravest threat facing our nation is not the illegal actions of the Department of Government Efficiency that have left thousands out of work and compromised the security of our personal data; not the tariff-palooza that has plunged the global economy into chaos and wiped billions of dollars from Americans’ retirement accounts; not the illegal arrest and imprisonment of law-abiding persons; and certainly not the censorship, silencing, or elimination of media and universities perceived as not aligned with the Trump regime. To McCormick, all else pales beside the issue of fentanyl being smuggled into this country.

During one recent town hall, Sen. McCormick repeatedly leaned on the tired Republican talking points about border security, parroting the false narrative that undocumented immigrants are to blame for the fentanyl influx. He surely knows quite well that this is a lie. Even the libertarian-leaning Cato Institute concedes that most fentanyl is smuggled into the U.S. by U.S. citizens — and at established border-crossing checkpoints, not at illegal entry points.

Sen. McCormick proudly asserted that he supports the Trump agenda. By doing so, he has forsaken his honor, his oath, our democracy, and his right to represent the citizens of Pennsylvania.

Jennifer Bryant, West Chester

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