
<PAGE>   1
                                                                       EXHIBIT 6

                    [Prudential Securities Inc. Letterhead]

CONFIDENTIAL


October 7, 1999



Mr. Joseph A. Pellegrini
BancBoston Robertson Stephens Inc.
555 California Street
Suite 2600
San Francisco, CA 94104


Dear Joe:

Thank you for the opportunity yesterday to more fully discuss the offer
submitted by Bull Run Corporation ("Bull Run") to acquire the outstanding
capital stock of Rawlings Sporting Goods Company, Inc. ("Rawlings"). This
letter is in response to the questions you raised and will, I hope, clarify
the key elements of Bull Run's offer. As you know, Bull Run and its advisors,
including Alston & Bird, Ernst & Young and Prudential Securities Incorporated,
have invested a substantial amount of time and resources towards completing a
successful business combination with Rawlings.

Transaction Structure. Bull Run's offer is constructed to offer each Rawlings
shareholder a choice of selling all or a portion (up to 92%) of their owned
shares. Shareholders may tender 100% of their shares in exchange for $12.25 per
share in cash ("Option A"). Alternatively, Shareholders may elect to retain an
equity interest in Rawlings by tendering from 0% to 92% of their shares at
$13.00 per share in cash ("Option B").

For example, a shareholder owning 100 shares of Rawlings stock may (a) tender
100 shares in exchange for $12.25 per share in cash, or $1,225.00, under Option
A; or (b) tender up to 92 shares for $13.00 per share in cash under Option B.
Assuming the tender of 92 shares, the shareholder would receive $1,196.00 in
cash and retain ownership of 8 Rawlings shares. Under Option B, the shareholder
could tender any amount of shares between zero and 92 for $13.00 per share in
cash; the amount of cash received and shares retained would vary accordingly.


<PAGE>   2
Bull Run's rationale for providing shareholders Option B is based upon Bull
Run's intention to preserve Rawlings as a public company for strategic reasons.
Bull Run and its advisors believe that Rawlings will have future opportunities
to grow its business with funding provided by the capital markets. The
opportunity to preserve a public company will mitigate the market timing risks
and costs associated with an initial public offering and will enable Rawlings
to access capital on a more efficient and cost-effective basis. Although
Rawlings will initially have a limited public float and trading market, we
believe that liquidity will improve in the intermediate term. As we have
discussed, Bull Run's equity partners principally represent professional
institutional equity investors. We anticipate that Rawlings will provide these
investors with registration rights according to customary terms and conditions
which are appropriate to protect the interests of all Rawlings shareholders. We
also anticipate that Rawlings will solicit and secure capital markets
sponsorship from qualified, consumer products oriented investment banks,
including Prudential Securities.

In addition to Bull Run's retention of all of its owned shares in Rawlings, Bull
Run believes that other Rawlings shareholders will elect to participate with
Bull Run in the acquisition of Rawlings. However, Bull Run is concerned that
Rawlings would assert that Bull Run is precluded from securing any such
commitments due to existing agreements with Rawlings. As we discussed, we
request that Rawlings confirm that Bull Run may solicit the support and
participation of selected existing Rawlings shareholders, which will enhance
the options for all shareholders. As you requested, Bull Run is confident that
it can secure commitments from these shareholders prior to executing a
definitive agreement with Rawlings. The shareholders Bull Run wishes to
consider involving in this transaction include _____________________(1)
(together with Bull Run, the "Retained Shares").

SOURCES AND USES OF FUNDS AND CAPITALIZATION.  Per your request, we have
attached as Exhibits 1 and 2 summaries of the expected sources and uses of
funds and capital structures for Option A and Option B. As you will note, we
expect to refinance Rawlings' existing bank credit facilities in order to
access adequate debt capital to fund the transaction and operate the business.
We expect that the tender offer will be financed principally with equity
capital provided by Bull Run and its equity partners and partially with debt.
Assuming that all shareholders elect to tender all of their shares under Option
A for $12.25 per share in cash, Bull Run expects to require funding of
approximately $68 million, plus fees and expenses. This assumes approximately
2.4 million Retained Shares, with the holders of the remaining approximately
5.5 million Rawlings shares (out of approximately 7.9 million total outstanding
Rawlings shares) tender all of their shares. Any shareholders electing Option
B, will serve to reduce the total funding required to consummate the
transaction.

The final capital structure depends, in part, on the final determination of
recapitalization accounting vs. purchase accounting treatment. Assuming that
purchase accounting is applied, we expect the final capital structure will
include approximately $80 million of

--------

(1) The name of each of the stockholders has been redacted to maintain its
    confidentiality.


                                       2
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outstanding borrowings, at least $20 million of borrowing availability under a
senior revolving credit facility to support working capital requirements and
approximately $35 million to $40 million of shareholders' equity. In addition,
we forecast that Rawlings will generate at least $15 million of net cash
proceeds within the first year from the liquidation of excess working capital
and other tangible assets, which will be applied to repay outstanding
borrowings. Refer to Exhibits 1 and 2 for the estimated pro forma
capitalization under each of Option A and Option B.

PRO FORMA ORGANIZATION STRUCTURE AND OWNERSHIP.  With respect to the mechanics
of the transaction, we contemplate the organization of an acquisition company
capitalized by Bull Run, its equity partners and its lenders. The acquisition
company would effect the tender offer for the outstanding Rawlings shares. The
acquisition company would then merge into Rawlings with Rawlings as the
surviving entity and with shares in Rawlings exchanged for all of the
outstanding shares of the acquisition company. Bull Run currently contemplates
that existing Rawlings shareholders will elect to retain 2.4 million to 3.0
million or more shares with new Rawlings shareholders owning approximately 3.5
million to 4.5 million shares. Our counsel will be pleased to discuss
separately the specific elements of the tender offer and subsequent merger.

VALUATION.  With respect to your request for our assessment of the
post-transaction valuation of Rawlings, we believe that the Rawlings share
price will appreciate materially from the tender offer valuation over an 18-24
month period as the impact of Bull Run's business plan for Rawlings generates
expected improvements in profitability, cash flow and competitive position.
However, as we discussed, Rawlings will have limited float and trading
liquidity in the near term, which may result in a downward bias on the stock.
Although we can provide no assurance, we expect the share price to trade near
the tender offer valuation in the near term with upward bias as calendar 2000
results are reported and capital markets sponsorship improves.

TIMING.  Based on the status of our due diligence investigation to date, we
contemplate that each of Bull Run, its advisors and its investment partners can
complete due diligence within a 20 day time frame. We would then expect to be
in a position to negotiate a definitive agreement without any contingencies,
including financing contingencies, other than, possibly, provisions for
regulatory approvals. Upon completion of our due diligence investigation, we
would expect a period of no more than ten days or so to execute a definitive
agreement and be in a position to proceed with the tender offer immediately
thereafter. However, this time frame is subject to Bull Run, Rawlings and their
respective advisors confirming the scope and timing of our due diligence
investigation and the availability of Rawlings' financial and operating data,
personnel and facilities.

DEFINITIVE AGREEMENT.  I understand that our respective counsel have discussed
the representations, warranties and tender offer conditions and have agreed
that mutually satisfactory terms and conditions can be negotiated.


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<PAGE>   4

Bull Run Board Approval. Per your request, attached as Exhibit 3 are the minutes
from the meeting of the Executive Committee of Bull Run's Board of Directors,
which confirm Bull Run's authority to submit the offer to acquire Rawlings and
to proceed to consummate such a transaction as set forth in Bull Run's letter to
you dated October 4, 1999.

The entire Bull Run team continues to be excited by the prospect of moving
aggressively to consummate the proposed transaction. We are available to you at
your convenience for further discussion. You can reach me via my office at
404-842-5902 or via my pager at 800-608-7023. We appreciate your kind
consideration.

Sincerely,

/s/ STEPHEN W. POWELL
---------------------

Attachments

Copy: Robert S. Prather, Jr.
      Stephen A. Opler
      Denis Kelly
      Timothy O'Neil
      Tracy Rosenbluth


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<PAGE>   5
                                                                       EXHIBIT 6

Exhibit 1
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Option A - $12.25 Purchase Price for 5.4 million shares               Prudential
($ in thousands)                                                      Securities

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Sources of Funds                               Uses of Funds
------------------------------------------     ------------------------------------------
<S>                               <C>          <C>                               <C>
Bank revolver                     $ 26,148     Purchase of equity                $ 67,124
Term loan                           55,000     Repayment of existing debt          52,699
New Equity                          45,000     Total fees and expenses              7,944
Existing cash                        1,619                                             --
                                  --------                                       --------
  Total                           $127,767                                       $127,767
                                  ========                                       ========

Capitalization
----------------------------------------------
                                  Pro Forma
                                 As Adjusted
                               August 31, 1999
                               ---------------
Bank revolver                     $ 26,148
Term loan                           55,500
Other long-term debt                    --
                                  --------
  Total debt                      $ 81,648

Total stockholders' equity          34,056
                                  --------

Total capitalization              $115,704
                                  ========
</TABLE>

-------------
* Purchase accounting assumed as conservative case.

<PAGE>   6

Exhibit 2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Option B - $13.00 Purchase Price for 4.8 million shares              (Prudential
($ in thousands)                                                      Securities
                                                                      Logo)

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Sources of Funds                             Uses of Funds
----------------------------------------     -----------------------------------------
<S>                             <C>          <C>                              <C>
Bank revolver                   $ 22,382     Purchase of equity               $ 63,452
Term loan                         55,000     Repayment of existing debt         52,699
New Equity                        45,000     Total fees and expenses             7,850
Existing cash                      1,619                                             -
                                --------                                      --------
  Total                         $124,001                                      $124,001
                                ========                                      ========


Capitalization
--------------------------------------------
                               Pro Forma
                              As Adjusted
                            August 31, 1999
                            ---------------
Bank revolver                   $ 22,382
Term loan                         55,500
Other long-term debt                   -
                                --------
  Total debt                    $ 77,882

Total stockholders' equity        34,150
                                --------

Total capitalization            $112,032
                                ========
</TABLE>

----------------
* Purchase accounting assumed as conservative case.
<PAGE>   7

                        MINUTES OF BULL RUN CORPORATION
                          EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING

     The Executive Committee of Bull Run Corporation, J. Mack Robinson and
Robert S. Prather, Jr., met on September 25, 1999. Robert S. Prather acted as
Secretary of the meeting. The Executive Committee authorized Bull Run
Corporation to lead a group of equity investors and current Rawlings
shareholders in structuring a proposal to acquire all or any portion of
Rawlings' issued and outstanding capital stock not owned by Bull Run Corporation
or certain other investors who elect to retain their equity ownership in
Rawlings. It is anticipated that Rawlings will remain an independent public
company with a recapitalized balance sheet, with equity owned by public
shareholders who elect to retain their equity ownership in Rawlings, as well as
Bull Run Corporation, certain institutional shareholders who retain their
current ownership and new equity holders who invest in the transaction.

     There being no further business, on motion duly made and seconded, the
meeting was adjourned.

     Respectfully submitted as of the 25th day of September, 1999.


                                        /s/ Robert S. Prather, Jr.
                                        -----------------------------------
                                        Robert S. Prather, Jr.
                                        President & Chief Executive Officer
                                        Secretary of the Meeting

