Rob Manfred: MLB considers guidelines for racist taunts
Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said the league is considering implementing guidelines after racial slurs were directed at Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones by a fan earlier this week.
Jones was the target on racial slurs and had peanuts thrown at him during Monday night's game against the Red Sox in Boston. The Red Sox and Boston's mayor each issued an apology to Jones with the team calling the fan's racist comments "inexcusable."
Manfred was in Minneapolis on Friday and discussed of the challenges facing the game.
“What we’re in the process of doing is gathering information from the clubs to get a good feel for what their practices are [and] make a judgment as to what the best practices are so that we in fact can provide our players with an environment in which they feel comfortable in every Major League stadium that they’re asked to play [in],” Manfred said, “We want to make sure we know exactly what the clubs are doing before we start recommending changes and we’re in the process of gathering that information right now.”
A different fan was kicked out of Fenway Park and banned for life the next day after the Jones incident, and other African-Americans players around the majors have said that Boston fans are routinely verbally abusive towards them.
Manfred did not comment on specific guidelines the league is looking at.
"We want to make sure that we know exactly what the clubs are doing before we start recommending changes," Manfred said. "We're in the process of gathering information right now."
Manfred also said he doesn't regret intervening the continuing feud between the Red Sox and Orioles, where several players where hit with baseballs this week.
- Scooby Axson
