Torii Hunter detailed the abhorrent racism he faced from Boston Red Sox fans in a 2020 interview
Former Minnesota Twins center fielder Torii Hunter was on the receiving end of a large amount of vile and racist abuse during his MLB playing days.
Following the death of George Floyd, there was an outpouring of emotion from the Black community in America, with some opening up about their experiences, while others demanded equal rights and answers for all the injustices all their life.
It was then that Torii too decided to speak up.
Torii Hunter speaks on experiencing racism as a professional baseball player https://t.co/x9PaGuXSv9
"Torii Hunter speaks on experiencing racism as a professional baseball player" - Bleacher Report, Twitter
During an appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," Torii stressed the repeated racial abuse he faced from fans of the Boston Red Sox. While he faced racist taunts at many MLB ballparks, the Red Sox faithful seemed to be the worst.
"When I went to Boston, it was so consistent," Hunter said. "It has nothing to do with the Red Sox. It has nothing to do with the players. It has nothing to do with the organization. It really has nothing to do with the fans. But that's the issue when you hear that."
Hunter also opened up about an episode where a couple of kids chanted the “N-word” at him during a game at Fenway. It was even more surprising that nobody in the stands asked them to stop, sadly not even the grown-ups.
"When I heard 'N-word, N-word' just chanting my name and I looked at these grown-ups and they are clapping and laughing," Hunter said. "I'm pointing saying, 'Tell them to shut up. That's bad.'"
Torii Hunter explained why he had a no-trade clause to Boston throughout his playing career.
(via @GolicAndWingo) https://t.co/1xNPOFD2gV
"Torii Hunter explained why he had a no-trade clause to Boston throughout his playing career. (via @GolicAndWingo)" - SportsCenter, Twitter
The racism was endless to the point that Hunter listed Boston in the no-trade clause of his contract.
Torii Hunter won the Golden Glove a record 9 times in a row
Torii Hunter plied his trade in Major League Baseball as a center fielder and right fielder from 1997 to 2015.
While he stayed with the Minnesota Twins for a big chunk of his career, Torii also played for the LA Angels and Detroit Tigers.
"@e_rosario20 @ahicks31 I’ve got more hops than y’all. Oh yeah, I was 40yrs old then." - Torii Hunter, Instagram
Torii won the Gold Glove Award as a center fielder from 1997 through 2015. Hunter was a five-time All-Star who won nine consecutive Gold Glove Awards as a center fielder and was a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner.
In addition to that, Torii also hit 300+ home runs. He sure will go down in history as one of the greatest all-around players in the league.