The Atlanta Braves received a bevy of angry, racist letters this week after an interview baseball Hall of Famer Hank Aaron did with USA Today.
A few days ago, Aaron, the senior vice president of the Braves, told USA Today: “Sure, this country has a black president, but when you look at a black president, President Obama is left with his foot stuck in the mud from all of the Republicans with the way he’s treated. We have moved in the right direction, and there have been improvements, but we still have a long ways to go in the country. The bigger difference is that back then they had hoods. Now they have neckties and starched shirts.”
That set off a firestorm of mail to the Braves, including a letter from someone named Edward. (USA Today only referred to those who sent letters by their first names.) The letter, which included racial epithets, said: “Hank Aaron is a scumbag piece of s—.”
“The Braves have been besieged by hundreds of letters, e-mails and phone calls deriding Aaron for comments he made to USA TODAY Sports,” the newspaper said. Sportswriter Bob Nightengale continued:
Marion calls Aaron a “racist scumbag.” Ronald won’t attend another Braves game until Aaron is fired. Mark calls Aaron a “classless racist.” David says that he will burn Aaron’s I Had A Hammer autobiography.
Sheer racism, exposed in vile letters directed to Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, have poured into the Atlanta Braves offices over the past week.
Yes, it was like 1974 all over again, the year Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s all-time home run record, with letters laced with the most hateful epithet known to African Americans