The Boston Red Sox pulled a bobblehead of David Ortiz after the team president decided that the toy looked like a racist caricature of the longtime star.
The dolls were to have been given out at Tuesday night’s game at Fenway Park against the rival New York Yankees. But when delivered, they had large, fat lips that were much whiter than the surrounding black skin — a classic style of racist caricature going back centuries.
According to ESPN business reporter Darren Rovell, “Red Sox prez Sam Kennedy tells me he thought Ortiz bobblehead came out as ’offensive’ and ’racially insensitive’.”
The Red Sox issued an apology statement calling the bobbleheads “unacceptable to the club and not appropriate for distribution.”
Ortiz is one of the most popular players in Red Sox history, having led the team to three World Series since 2004 (starting with an epic comeback from a 3-0 deficit against the Yankees) after a drought of almost 90 years including some painful playoff losses.
He is the all-time leader in baseball history for hits, home runs and RBIs by a designated hitter and was having a renaissance year this season, his last, going into Tuesday’s game with 25 Home runs and 87 RBIs.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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