Yankees: Red Sox Back Torii Hunter and Reveal Reported Use of Racial Slurs

Former MLB star Torii Hunter recently came out and described dealing with racial abuse in Boston.

The Boston Red Sox have been in the news for all the wrong reasons as protests have engulfed the United States in the wake of George Floyd’s death. People have taken to the streets to fight against racism, discrimination and social injustice.

Sadly, this has spilled over to the sports world, where Hunter revealed he had no-trade clauses in all of his contracts to avoid landing in Boston, where he said he was the subject of racial abuse by fans at Fenway Park. This isn’t anything new, however. Former Yankee CC Sabathia as well as former Oriole Adam Jones, both of whom played for a very long time in the AL East, have also come forward to make such shocking revelations.

Even current Red Sox outfielder Jackie Bradley Jr. suggested he’s dealt with the same when responding to a tweet that featured quotes from Hunter and a response from Jones.

The discouraging reality is that this does indeed happen, and the Red Sox released a statement to squash any speculation denying it.

This overwhelmingly supportive statement from the Red Sox is exactly what was needed to help further address the hardships black athletes sometimes deal with regularly. Seven reported incidents is seven too many, especially when black employees at Fenway Park are subject to such abuse.

The more organizations that speak out on this matter will certainly help mitigate these horrible experiences. There’s absolutely no reason racial abuse should still be prevalent in today’s society, ESPECIALLY at a baseball game where it’s largely a family environment.

The Red Sox must be commended for this statement considering their transparency on the issue will help further combat those who claim this harsh reality doesn’t exist. When players get this kind of support, it certainly creates more awareness, which is what’s greatly needed right now.