Race and the Boston Red Sox—Another Response

If you are reading this article then chances are that you know this is in response to an article written by a senior baseball writer for FOXsports.com in regards to the racial makeup of the Boston Red Sox. 

I choose not to link to the article as I feel it was poor reporting and a direct jab in an attempt to stir up a non-issue.

The article begins with a direct and bold jab, as the opening line reads, "The Red Sox look very white."

The author later begins to backtrack and says he thinks it is purely coincidental and agrees with GM Theo Epstein, who said, "Our player-personnel decision making is completely color-blind and always will be."

Then the question is why this article was even written.  If you agree that there is no issue, and that it was a matter of coincidence, then why choose to try and create the issue?

In the article, the author points out that after the trade of Manny Ramirez and the injury to Julio Lugo, the only non-Caucasian players left on the team are:

Coco Crisp, African American
David Ortiz, Dominican
Alex Cora, Puerto Rican
Javier Lopez, Puerto Rican
Jacoby Ellsbury, Native American
Daisuke Matsuzaka, Japanese
Hideki Okajima, Japanese
Manny Delcarmen, Dominican
Mike Lowell, Cuban

There is mention of Bartolo Colon, who is Dominican as well, not lasting.

A statement was made in context that Colon left the organization due to the roster not being racially diverse enough for him.  In fact, Colon was injured and spent most of the season on the DL before returning to Boston's farm system to ease him back to health in time for the postseason. 

Colon was asked to return to Boston's postseason roster as a reliever, but Colon returned to the Dominican Republic for family reasons, and then refused to come back as he felt he was a starter and not a reliever.

The article also points out that the Sox added prospects Jed Lowrie and Justin Masterson.  Lowrie replaced the injured Julio Lugo and Masterson was added as a reliever.  Masterson is in fact Caucasian, but the author fails to point out that Masterson is from Kingston, Jamaica.

This makes 10 men on their 25-man postseason roster—40 percent of their roster—who could identify themselves on a census report as non-Caucasian. 

Had Colon been cooperative to play, and Lugo not been hurt, that would be 48 percent non-Caucasian.  That is assuming Lowrie would not be on the roster and Colon would take the spot of Mike Timlin or Paul Byrd in the bullpen.

There was no mention of minor-league prospects that are in the Boston farm system, such as Devern Hansack.  A minor league pitcher for the Paw Sox from Pearl Lagoon, Nicaragua, Hansack was used at the end of the season to test his ability and give him some experience in the majors. 

Or what about Luis Alicea?  He was born in Santurce, Puerto Rico.  Alicea might not be a starting player on the roster, but he takes the field for Boston every game as the first base coach.

I am ashamed to have to write this response and allow the Fox sports writer to accomplish his demeaning motive of sparking controversy.

I hope I'm not alone when I say that it disgusts me to think that there are still people in our society that don't view everyone equally and would even consider a team's racial makeup as being a deciding factor on why other players might, or might not, want to be traded to that team.