What was MLB thinking? Were they?

Tonight's game at Citi Field between the Mets and Cubs featured a very well done pre-game ceremony honoring the members of the FDNY, NYPD, PAPD and NYC's EMS.  It also included many of Tuesday's Children (children of victims of 9/11), who entered the field with Mets players.

During the pre-game ceremony, the players and coaches wore FDNY, NYPD and PAPD caps...and planned to wear them during the game.  MLB entered the picture and forbade them from doing so, under threat of a "very heavy fine" to the team.  Now, clearly MLB threatened the team with a fine, because if they threatened to or actually did fine a player for wearing the highly offensive cap, the MLBPA would have wiped the floor with MLB.

Then, we received word of the utterly preposterous statement from Joe Torre, in which he claimed he made the decision to not allow the caps, under the pretense of not wanting to "pick sides" (uhh, there's a big competition between NYPD and LAPD at a Mets home game? What did I miss here?) and a desire for things to be "consistent".  Uhh, what about in the first game after play resumed after 9/11, in which this EXACT thing happened?  As Keith Olbermann indicated in a tweet, the Mets had to fight for that, but MLB ultimately allowed it.

I still fully intend to write a letter to MLB condemning such a foolish stance and if I do, I'll share it here.  I'm not so enraged over this decision over mere jingoism or "you do this, the terrorists win" silliness.  I am anti-stupidity.  There was no reason, at all, for this decision.  It was an utterly stupid decision to make in the first place and a stupid situation where none of the adults at MLB reversed it.

If Joe Torre really did make this decision all on his own, he should be removed from his position and put out to pasture.  If you really can't take a situation like "Oh, 10th anniversary of 9/11, you want to wear caps honoring the firefighters and police?" and come up with anything other than "OK", then you can't be trusted to make truly important decisions like expanding replay and evaluating other truly meaningful on-field issues.  If this was a group decision and Torre was the patsy, I'm not sure that's better--so more than 1 person all agreed this was right?

What a pitiful way to draw attention from a day/night where there should have only been ONE THING in focus.  I'll always remember the sacrifices made 10 years ago...and trust me, Joe Torre and Bud Selig, I'll never forget the decision you made today.  No check that--you're not worth the use of that heartfelt phrase--to never forget.  Instead, I think I'd rather just forget men like you are in charge of the game I love.