8 Times Hank Aaron Faced Racism (Recap)

One last thought on racism in baseball, and sports in general: It still exists. Oh, things are better than ever for minorities in baseball thanks to men like Jackie Robinson and later Hank Aaron and Roberto Clemente. Baseball, like society has come a long way. Still, African-American athletes face the whole stereotype of the "natural" athlete versus the "thinking" athlete. They are less likely to be hired as both managers and coaches. They are much less likely to hold executive positions in a front office. They are virtually non-existent in ownership. 

Worse yet, any attempt to call out the professional sports leagues for not doing enough is usually met with accusations, usually made by white guys, of playing the "race card". I can't find the source, but I read one guy who, on his blog, said that any African-American athlete who complains about racist treatment cheapens the struggles of men like Hank Aaron. Look, African-American athletes can be every bit as petty and selfish as any other athlete. Not every accusation of racism is going to be true. Still, knowing the history of not just baseball or sports in general, but knowing the history of our nation, we should recognize that what cheapens the memories of Jackie Robinson, or even Reverend King, is to pretend the job is finished when it isn't. 

We can, and should, acknowledge and celebrate how far we've come. We shouldn't pretend the journey is over.

1. The Negro Leagues
2. Even in Wisconsin
3. Integrating the Sally League
4. Major League Rookie
5. A Natural Hitter?
6. Atlanta
7. 715
8. The Managing Incident

My primary source for the information in this series is Hank Aaron's 1991 autobiography, I Had a Hammer: The Hank Aaron Story, co-written with Lonnie Wheeler.