Torii Hunter

[jad]

https://www.si.com/extra-mustard/2020/06/05/torii-hunter-boston-fans-racism-no-trade-clause

 

Alas, no surprise.

[a700hitter]

I can't say that I have seen that type of behavior as being prevalent at Fenway. I can say that it is the only ballpark where I have seen that type of behavior. I saw it as late as 1977 when Jim Rice hit a ball to the gap and a guy got up and yelled "Run N--!" over the rest of the crowd. I am from Brooklyn, NY and that would have started a race riot where I am from. My first reaction was to get ready to run for the exit because my fight or flight instinct kicked in. But nothing happened. No one reprimanded him or confronted him. He was not removed initially. It was appalling. It would be unfair to accuse the crowd of accepting the behavior. Clearly, from my observation, most people in the crowd were offended and did not approve. As the guy continued harping on Rice, my recollection is that he was booed and that he did not last the entire game.

 

The same leather throated ******* was also screaming at Yaz calling him a Pollack. It was only one guy, but it was an eye-opening experience for me. I haven't witnessed anything like that at Fenway in over 43 years, but I don't doubt that it has happened since then. It only takes 1 ******* to poison the environment. In NY, there would have been blacks in the crowd, and the guy would have been violently confronted immediately. Back then at Fenway, the crowd was almost entirely white. This guy got booed and eventually was removed from Fenway. I always felt that he was not from Boston and not a Red Sox fan as his attacks were entirely directed at the home team. The good news is I have not seen that type of behavior at Fenway or any ballpark in more than 40 years.

[mvp 78]

The problem is that Boston tends to say “yeah, but there’s racists elsewhere too” rather than step up and get rid of that s***. It’s always unacceptable.

[Elktonnick]

The problem is that Boston tends to say “yeah, but there’s racists elsewhere too” rather than step up and get rid of that s***. It’s always unacceptable.

White liberals in Massachusetts run away from the fact that Boston is a racist city. There are still parts of Boston that are no go zones for African Americans.

[notin]

White liberals in Massachusetts run away from the fact that Boston is a racist city. There are still parts of Boston that are no go zones for African Americans.

 

The first I heard of this kind of thing was when the Celtics drafted Dee Brown and he was accosted by police while house-hunting in Wellesley...

[Thunder]

It also seems like redlining and institutionalized discrimination/segregation is more clearly prevalent in Boston than anywhere else. Some of the best basketball players I've gotten to watch at UConn in recent years have been from Roxbury, which paints a picture of Boston that is vastly different than the one that most people know.

[jacksonianmarch]

It also seems like redlining and institutionalized discrimination/segregation is more clearly prevalent in Boston than anywhere else. Some of the best basketball players I've gotten to watch at UConn in recent years have been from Roxbury, which paints a picture of Boston that is vastly different than the one that most people know.

 

The most racially segregated city I have ever been in was Syracuse. Everything south of Salina St was minority housing/business and everything north was white housing/business. It was absolutely crazy how the demarcation was so abrupt

[mvp 78]

It also seems like redlining and institutionalized discrimination/segregation is more clearly prevalent in Boston than anywhere else. Some of the best basketball players I've gotten to watch at UConn in recent years have been from Roxbury, which paints a picture of Boston that is vastly different than the one that most people know.

 

Boston is a highly segregated city. https://www.masslive.com/news/boston/2015/08/boston_is_7th_most_racially_se.html

 

My first hand experience of living in the city for over 10 years agrees with this assessment.

[mvp 78]

The first I heard of this kind of thing was when the Celtics drafted Dee Brown and he was accosted by police while house-hunting in Wellesley...

 

I did a lengthy senior project on racism and professional sports in Boston and have been depressed ever since.

[Elktonnick]

I did a lengthy senior project on racism and professional sports in Boston and have been depressed ever since.

It isn't just racism, it is deep seated ethnocentrism.

[Thunder]

The most racially segregated city I have ever been in was Syracuse. Everything south of Salina St was minority housing/business and everything north was white housing/business. It was absolutely crazy how the demarcation was so abrupt

 

Based on what I've heard and seen from people from Syracuse, that doesn't surprise me

[5GoldGlovesOF,75]

White liberals in Massachusetts run away from the fact that Boston is a racist city. There are still parts of Boston that are no go zones for African Americans.

 

Once again, paranoia contradicts. Here's the definition of liberal: "open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values." When it changes to a capital L, it's: "Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed and equality before the law."

 

Many people are concerned about tolerance, reform and equality, and in favor of discarding traditions steeped in shame and injustice. Labeling groups perpetuates racism.

[a700hitter]

It isn't just racism, it is deep seated ethnocentrism.

Have the Italians and Irish stopped killing each other in Boston yet?

[oldtimer]

Once again, paranoia contradicts. Here's the definition of liberal: "open to new behavior or opinions and willing to discard traditional values." When it changes to a capital L, it's: "Liberalism is a political and moral philosophy based on liberty, consent of the governed and equality before the law."

 

Many people are concerned about tolerance, reform and equality, and in favor of discarding traditions steeped in shame and injustice. Labeling groups perpetuates racism.

 

There are always dopes that yell ethnic slurs from the stands. I sat in the stands at Fenway from the 1940's on. I have heard slurs about Polish, Italian, Latinos and African Americans. I have also seen the love for players like Yaz, Big Papi and Manny. By far, most of the fans are civil and don't engage in name calling.

[mvp 78]

There are always dopes that yell ethnic slurs from the stands. I sat in the stands at Fenway from the 1940's on. I have heard slurs about Polish, Italian, Latinos and African Americans. I have also seen the love for players like Yaz, Big Papi and Manny. By far, most of the fans are civil and don't engage in name calling.

 

It's a vocal minority that needs to be banned from Fenway IMO.

[notin]

There are always dopes that yell ethnic slurs from the stands. I sat in the stands at Fenway from the 1940's on. I have heard slurs about Polish, Italian, Latinos and African Americans. I have also seen the love for players like Yaz, Big Papi and Manny. By far, most of the fans are civil and don't engage in name calling.

 

At Fenway? Certainly Torii Hunter and Adam Jones (and Carl Crawford) agree. But other parks?

 

Did Hunter have other teams on his NTC for that reason? Unlike most of us, he’s been to all or nearly all of them...

[dgalehouse]

I hate to say it , but Red Sox fans quite often leave a lot to be desired in their attitude and behavior. That is evident at Fenway and even on this forum of ( allegedly) more educated , refined and sophisticated fans .

[mvp 78]

I hate to say it , but Red Sox fans quite often leave a lot to be desired in their attitude and behavior. That is evident at Fenway and even on this forum of ( allegedly) more educated , refined and sophisticated fans .

 

100%

[harmony]

Kevin Youkilis speaks out:

 

https://foxsportsradio.iheart.com/content/2020-06-08-former-red-sox-star-discusses-racism-he-witnessed-from-boston-fans/

[moonslav59]

The player who caused me to switch from being a Brewer fan to a Sox fan, Tommy Harper, faced a lot of racism while with the Sox.

 

tommy-harper-still-haunted-time-with-red-sox

 

tommy-harper-says-yawkey-philanthropy-doesn-outweigh-racial-harm

[jad]

Maybe those I've heard on various talk radio shows in the last couple of days, claiming that this didn't happen, should read the Red Sox organization's own statement that says it did.

 

https://www.si.com/mlb/2020/06/10/boston-red-sox-confirm-torii-hunter-racist-slurs-fenway-park