"Blacks may not have some of the necessities to be a field manager or perhaps a general manager" - When Former Los Angeles Dodgers president Al Campanis's racist remarks sparked outrage in the MLB world
Al Campanis, the former Dodgers Vice President, created quite a stir on ABC TV’s “Nightline” in April 1987.
He said that blacks “may not have some of the necessities” to become managers or high-level team executives. He made several comments that were seen as being insensitive at best and borderline racist.
He was fired by the National League team immediately, a couple of days after his comment.
Within 48 hours, there was a huge furor amongst the community calling for his job. Well, he resigned before he was fired.
"Comments given by Al Campanis are so far removed from what the organization believes that it is impossible for Al to continue his responsibilities," team president Peter O'Malley said in Houston after breaking the news to Campanis. The team dismissed it him in light of his remarks.
Al Campanis, had worked at the Dodgers since 1943, as the team’s director of player personnel for 19 years. His duties were temporarily taken over by Fred Claire, the team’s executive vice president.
Koppel's interview with Campanis has now been discovered by a whole new audience thanks to the Brian Flores situation and people are gobsmacked.
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"Koppel's interview with Campanis has now been discovered by a whole new audience thanks to the Brian Flores situation and people are gobsmacked." - Jzo Sports, Twitter
The Dodgers and Al Campanis gave written apologies following the latter's firing. It did very little to quell the criticism of the baseball executive’s remark.
“I have never said blacks aren’t intelligent,” Campanis said during the interview. “Many of them are highly intelligent, but they may not have the desire to be in the front office.”
He also made several stereotypical remarks about blacks being “gifted” athletically and at one point asked, “Why aren’t blacks good swimmers? Because they don’t have buoyancy.”
MLB reacts to Al Campanis' racist remarks
Hank Aaron, vice president of the Atlanta Braves, reacted to Al Campani’s remarks, calling it “backward” and “unbelievably racist.”
“All that shows is how ignorant the man is,” said Aaron, who also said that Al Campanis should “apologize to every single black person in America”.
Los Angeles mayor Tom Bradley and Assemblywoman Maxine Waters were outraged and criticized him for his remarks. Bradley said he “does not accept” what Campanis’ had to say, and Waters, described his statement as “unbelieveably racist”.
Dodgers manager Tom Lasorda, a close friend of Campanis, had a different view of the situation. He voiced his disappointment at the decision to fire Campanis.
“It’s a shame, a crime,” Lasorda said. “I think of all the people he’s worked for and helped. He made one mistake. Why he said it, who knows? To see him go out this way. . . .
“I hope and pray that the people of America can forgive a man who made one mistake and it cost him. . . . This man is going to have to live with this for the rest of his life. It’s not the way it should have ended. The man should’ve gone out with style and class.”