I heard about this story last Friday. Torii Hunter, the 11th highest paid MLB baseball player in 2009 provides us yet another example of why athletes should stick to sports and leave the social commentary to others. Article here
"As African-American players, we have a theory that baseball can go get an imitator and pass them off as us," Hunter says. "It's like they had to get some kind of dark faces, so they go to the Dominican or Venezuela because you can get them cheaper. It's like, 'Why should I get this kid from the South Side of Chicago and have Scott Boras represent him and pay him $5 million when you can get a Dominican guy for a bag of chips?'
The consensus seem to be that Hunter will get a pass for this. Baseball people have come to his defense and many have said his comments were out of context and misinterpreted. The quote above is pretty emphatic and so I’m finding it difficult to find any context where Hunter is worthy his pass. I found his entire rant racist in a way that feels inspired by jealousy and envy and ignorance. School Daze was a 1988 flick.
Readers already know my wife and children are Dominican and I’ve spent a lot of time in D.R so I say this from experience. The Dominican Republic is a black country because they have the blood of African slaves running through their veins the same way Torii Hunter does. Dominicans, who are a fiercely proud and patriotic people, consider themselves Dominican first and Latino second but it doesn’t diminish the fact that the slavery history of the country makes it impossible for them to be called black imposters in any context.
Additionally, Hunter should summer league in D.R soon because his baseball knowledge is severely lacking as well. Baseball is the national sport in the Dominican Republic in a way it will never be on the south side of Chicago or anywhere else in America. Some Dominicans play a little basketball (my wife’s father was a basketball player) and Dominicans love to watch a good boxing match but aside from that there is nothing else but baseball. There’s no football, soccer, tennis, lacrosse or track. Kids of all ages play baseball. They start with a stick and few rocks as soon as they can stand on their own two feet and if they’re lucky, they get invited to participate in one of the many baseball schools on the island where they do nothing else their entire childhood but get better at playing baseball.
As for the dumb ass bag of chips comment, Torii should check that list of MLB salaries, there are multiple Dominicans who make at least what he makes and the top two highest paid in players in 2009, who make double what he does, are both Dominican and represented by Scott Boras.
UPDATE: Speaking of Dominican Baseball, I caught Sugar again last night. While I have problems with the movie and its portrayal of Dominican tenacity and temperment there is no question this is a movie about boys who are poor as dirt trying to make something of themselves through baseball. It is their hoop dreams. Let me know if you see a white Dominican face in the vid. Maybe Vlad should rent this for Torii?