Ken Griffey Jr. on MLB and race
In two words, he’s right.
Other Black athletes have been saying this to varying degrees but none of them have been the darling of the public eye like Griffey. When hot-heads like Sheffield and Milton Bradley say it, people just think they’re batshit crazy. It’s like if Carmelo Anthony started talking about racism in the NBA. Nobody believes you unless you have a spotless record. And while Griffey has had his moments, for most people he’s still The Kid. Maybe it’ll get people to start talking. Will it affect change? I doubt it. We did see, after all, the Houston Astros trot out in #42s while having no Black players on their squad. Which makes the Oakland A’s seem like the UN.