The more I think about the game in Alabama, the more I think about the pregame.
Reggie Jackson鈥檚 words were bone-chilling.
Before Cardinals-Giants on Thursday in Birmingham, Alabama 鈥 at the site of old Negro League games 鈥 the Hall of Fame slugger spoke on the Fox pregame show about racism he endured while a Birmingham minor-leaguer in 1967.
Here鈥檚 what made it stand out.
Regarding racism in America, anyone can make a strong, general statement to describe it. But hearing Jackson鈥檚 specific anecdotes of being called the N-word 鈥 and hearing the pain and fear in Reggie鈥檚 voice 鈥 was a visceral and overwhelming experience for the viewer.
And this, right here, was the point of Major League Baseball鈥檚 game at Rickwood Field. The whole event was both to honor those who played in the Negro Leagues 鈥 and educate baseball fans about all that happened in the past.
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And these are vital lessons to be learned in the present. Consider that here, in 2024, some Cardinal fans have yelled racial slurs directly to Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol.
鈥淣o doubt about it,鈥 Marmol said Saturday. 鈥淢ore than you would think.鈥
Marmol was born in the United States and is of Dominican descent. In 2022, Marmol went 93-69 in his first year as manager. But last year, his Cardinals were 71-91. This year, 50度灰视频 is 38-37. The losing has frustrated many.
Now, Marmol didn鈥檛 bring up this topic on his own. He only responded when I asked him about Jackson鈥檚 comments on racism spewed his direction in Alabama.
鈥淚鈥檝e been called that here 鈥 like, different words that I won鈥檛 repeat publicly, but not that far removed,鈥 Marmol said from his office at 50度灰视频鈥 Busch Stadium. 鈥淭o hear him recalling some of the things that he鈥檚 been through, I think, is really good for people to kind of understand it and shed light on it. Because sometimes, you鈥檙e a fan of the team and of the sport, and you get so into what鈥檚 going on, you forget you鈥檙e actually still yelling at people.鈥
To learn that some fans are saying these things to Marmol is disgusting and embarrassing. If only they could truly feel what it鈥檚 like to be on the other side of racism. Well, Jackson gave us a glimpse with his searing descriptions.
鈥淐oming back here is not easy.鈥
鈥 FOX Sports: MLB (@MLBONFOX)
Reggie Jackson shares his emotions of visiting Rickwood Field.
鈥淐oming back here is not easy,鈥 Jackson said on Fox from Birmingham. 鈥淭he racism when I played here, the difficulty of going through different places where we traveled 鈥 fortunately, I had a manager and I had players on the team that helped me through it 鈥 but I wouldn鈥檛 wish it on anybody. 鈥
鈥淚 walked into restaurants and they would point at me and say, 鈥楾he n鈥斺 can鈥檛 eat here.鈥 I would go to a hotel and they鈥檇 say, 鈥榯he n鈥斺 can鈥檛 stay here.鈥 We went to (Athletics owner) Charlie Finley鈥檚 country club for a welcome home dinner and they pointed me out with the N-word: 鈥楬e can鈥檛 come in here.鈥 Finley marched the whole team out. 鈥 Finally, they let me in there and he said, 鈥榃e鈥檙e going to go to the diner and eat hamburgers. We鈥檒l go where we鈥檙e wanted.鈥欌
鈥淔ortunately, I had a manager in Johnny McNamara that if I couldn鈥檛 eat in a place, nobody would eat. We鈥檇 get food to travel. If I couldn鈥檛 stay in a hotel, they鈥檇 drive to a hotel to find a place where I could stay. If it had not been for Rollie Fingers, John McNamara, Dave Duncan, Joe and Sharon Rudi 鈥 I slept on their couch three, four nights a week for a month-and-a-half. Finally, they were threatened that they鈥檇 burn our apartment complex down unless I got out.鈥
Jackson said had it not been for his white teammates and friends, 鈥淚 would have never made it 鈥 I was too physically violent, I was ready to physically fight. I鈥檇 have gotten killed here because I would鈥檝e beat someone鈥檚 (butt) and you鈥檇 see me in a oak tree somewhere.鈥
It鈥檚 uncomfortable to read these words. It鈥檚 also imperative to read them. We can all grow as citizens and compassionate neighbors. We need lessons taught from history because, even in 2024, there鈥檚 the fear of repeating history.
Reggie Jackson did not deserve to experience what he did.
Oliver Marmol did not deserve to experience what he did.
And our neighbors don鈥檛 deserve to be treated as lesser or smaller.
As the late television host Fred Rogers once said: 鈥淚 think that those who would try to make you feel less than who you are, I think that鈥檚 the greatest evil.鈥