Hub Still Smarting
One day after Major League Baseball completed it's celebration of the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson's debut, Boston Herald columnist Steve Buckley brings up point many people don't like to remember:
When it comes to minorities in baseball, Boston has nothing to be proud of.
Buckley approaches the topic from the angle of former Sox owner and magnate Tom Yawkey, who has a plaque hanging in Cooperstown despite only backing one World Series team. Yawkey's Red Sox were rife with cronyism and bigotry, stemming back to before the first efforts to integrate even the lower levels of the minor league system. Yawkey's team was famous for prejudice against Italians in particular, fielding a nine of Irish Catholics and Southerners. Most infamously, however, the Yawke-era Red Sox were the last major league team to integrate its roster, signing Pumpsie Green in 1959 to play second base and shortstop, though Green only lasted a short time. As a result of the delayed integration, as well as the city's own publicized issues with race, Boston has stuggled to shake the characterization as being a racist city.
Until lately, that is. Boston, along with the rest of the Northeast, has seen a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants, particularly Latinos. It's an increase that has been reflected dramatically in the most popular stars of the last 15 or so years. Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Pedro Martinez each came to the Red Sox with their own individual ticks and quirks, but each has managed to endear himself to New England, embraced as perhaps few player groups have been. Boston, though it bears an enormous responsibility for delaying full integration of the major leagues, has also managed to redeem itself in recent years.
Hopefully this weekend's celebration and the resurgent popularity of the game will help educate and inform the younger fans, avoiding the roadblocks that were in place not so long ago.
When it comes to minorities in baseball, Boston has nothing to be proud of.
Buckley approaches the topic from the angle of former Sox owner and magnate Tom Yawkey, who has a plaque hanging in Cooperstown despite only backing one World Series team. Yawkey's Red Sox were rife with cronyism and bigotry, stemming back to before the first efforts to integrate even the lower levels of the minor league system. Yawkey's team was famous for prejudice against Italians in particular, fielding a nine of Irish Catholics and Southerners. Most infamously, however, the Yawke-era Red Sox were the last major league team to integrate its roster, signing Pumpsie Green in 1959 to play second base and shortstop, though Green only lasted a short time. As a result of the delayed integration, as well as the city's own publicized issues with race, Boston has stuggled to shake the characterization as being a racist city.
Until lately, that is. Boston, along with the rest of the Northeast, has seen a dramatic increase in the number of immigrants, particularly Latinos. It's an increase that has been reflected dramatically in the most popular stars of the last 15 or so years. Nomar Garciaparra, Manny Ramirez, David Ortiz, and Pedro Martinez each came to the Red Sox with their own individual ticks and quirks, but each has managed to endear himself to New England, embraced as perhaps few player groups have been. Boston, though it bears an enormous responsibility for delaying full integration of the major leagues, has also managed to redeem itself in recent years.
Hopefully this weekend's celebration and the resurgent popularity of the game will help educate and inform the younger fans, avoiding the roadblocks that were in place not so long ago.
Labels: Commentary
Ryan Brodeur at 2:13 PM
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