INBOX

FOR JUNE 26, 2017

Steve Rushin's book excerpt went well beyond warm nostalgia; it celebrated the blissful ignorance of youth. Whether calculated or not, Rushin chose a year—1974—when the President resigned, people lined up for gas and national disillusionment over an unpopular war hung in the air. May our own children be allowed their precious innocence in today's tumultuous world.

Steve Julio, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Even as a 19-year-old millennial I was able to relate to many of Rushin's experiences. (I'm happy to say that counting "Mississippi" has endured.) The piece also made me chuckle at the thought of major leaguers working off-season jobs, especially in full team uniform. I just hope that our evolving technological society doesn't interfere with younger kids' ability to relate in years to come.

Jackson Reetz, Mount Pleasant, Mich.

I appreciated the irony of running Tom Verducci's story on baseball's pace of play (Standstill), in which he laments the proliferation of strikeouts and the increased use of relief pitchers, immediately before his feature on Red Sox reliever Craig Kimbrel(Special K), who has struck out nearly half the batters he's faced.

G. Parr, Falls Church, Va.

I don't particularly care that the average time between pitches has increased by two seconds since 2007. I go to games to talk to friends, eat peanuts, drink beer and—when the pitcher throws—watch some baseball. When I went to my first game in the Astrodome with my dad, I remember wishing the game would last all night.

Judy Bailey, Utopia, Texas

COVER

The only thing more underwhelming than Brooks Koepka's reaction to winning the U.S. Open was the course itself (The Power and the Glory). This tournament turned out to be a long-drive contest on a toothless Erin Hills course whose so-called defense was overgrown fescue 40 yards from either side of the fairway.

James Stevens

San Antonio

PAGE 12

SCORECARD

Lonzo Ball and his father, LaVar? Please. I suggest your readers go back to the 1950s and review the story of Cal quarterback Ronnie Knox and his overly involved stepfather, Harvey (SI, Sept. 6, 1954). They set the standard for father-son sports drama.

John Coleman

Fairfield, Calif.

PAGE 64

POINT AFTER

Michael Rosenberg's column was a masterpiece, calling out the word-garbage that often flows from general managers' mouths when they make bad personnel decisions for the sake of money.

Mark Daniell

Albuquerque

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