Much of the world reacted with shock when Baltimore Orioles center fielder Adam Jones revealed that he had been called the N-word and had peanuts thrown at him by Boston Red Sox fans Monday night at Fenway Park.
However, Yankees player CC Sabathia couldn’t have been less surprised.
Sabathia told reporters, “We know. There’s 62 of us. We all know. When you go to Boston, expect it.”
Sabathia meant American-born black players when he said, “there’s 62 of us.”
Speaking again with reporters before the Yankees game against the Blue Jays on Tuesday, Sabathia said, “I’ve never been called the N-word” anywhere but in Boston.
Sabathia pointed out that he only heard those slurs while playing with the Indians, not while playing with the Yankees, due to the fact that the Yankees provide security for players as they move about the field.
Sabathia said, “Even shagging in the outfield before the game sometimes you get it. I was just in Cleveland, so nobody cared.”
When asked about any possible solutions to the racial taunts, Sabathia said, “I have no idea. I really don’t know. I don’t have any solution for what they should do, but I think it’s sad that in 2017 you still have to deal with racism in baseball. It’s crazy.”
It’s odd to think the media wouldn’t care about racism just because Sabathia happened to play in Cleveland. Jim Brown, who played in Cleveland, was and is outspoken on the issue of race, and people care about that. LeBron James plays in Cleveland, and everyone cares about what he says. Even Cleveland players with zero name recognition, like Browns player Johnson Bademosi who wore an “I Can’t Breathe” shirt in pre-game warmups, received national attention.
Interesting that for a stadium supposedly linked with racism, this issue has only blown up now. Breitbart’s own Daniel Flynn worked at Fenway Park for seven years and says he never heard a racial slur. Of course, that doesn’t mean racism doesn’t exist, or that Adam Jones and CC Sabathia are lying, but a little proof would be nice.
After all, if a tree falls in the woods and no one hears it, it may or may not make a sound depending on who you talk to. However, when an n-word gets dropped in America today, it makes a sound. So, why do only athletes seem to hear it?
Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter: @themightygwinn
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