The Boston Red Sox released a statement Wednesday night in support of Torii Hunter after he recently spoke about hearing racial slurs at Fenway Park.
Hunter said last week on ESPN's "Golic and Wingo" that he experienced racial abuse from fans during games at Fenway Park in Boston throughout his career. Hunter also admitted he included the Red Sox in the no-trade clauses in his contracts due to the racial abuse he encountered in Boston.
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Here's the Red Sox statement:
Torii Hunter’s experience is real.
If you doubt him because you’ve never heard it yourself, take it from us, it happens.
Last year there were 7 reported incidents at Fenway Park where fans used racial slurs. Those are just the ones we know about.
And it’s not only players. It happens to the dedicated Black employees who work for us on game days. Their uniforms may be different, but their voices and experiences are just as important.
We are grateful to everyone who has spoken up and remain committed to using our platform to amplify the many voices who are calling out injustice.
There are well-established consequences for fans who use racial slurs and hate speech in our venue, and we know we have more work to do. This small group of fans does not represent who we are, but are rather a reflection of larger systemic issues that as an organization we need to address.
True change starts from within, and as we identify how we can do better, please know we are listening. We hear you, and we believe you.
Hunter responded to the Red Sox's statement with the following tweet:
Hunter made his MLB debut in 1998 and played the first 10 seasons of his career with the Minnesota Twins. He also played for the Los Angeles Angels and Detroit Tigers before retiring after the 2015 season.
