Though the Red Sox [team stats] have done a great deal to remake the image of Fenway Park [map] in recent years, visiting players continue to voice concerns about fan conduct. The latest example came from Angels center fielder Torii Hunter.
Hunter told the Press-Enterprise of Riverside, Calif., that until the last couple of years, he regularly heard racist taunts when visiting Fenway as a member of the Minnesota Twins.
"I've been called whatever they call me - a lot - since I was a kid," Hunter told the newspaper. "My first five or six (years), I was 'That N-word.' Some people would chant that out, some people would throw beer or whatever . . . batteries."
Yesterday, Hunter was reluctant to discuss the incidents. Initially, he politely declined comment, suggesting that such offensive remarks were a thing of the past.
"I'm not going to talk about it," Hunter said before the Angels' 7-6 loss to the Red Sox. "That was a couple of years ago."
He had, however, informed Red Sox slugger and close friend David Ortiz [stats] - with whom Hunter spent six seasons as a teammate in Minnesota - of the racist comments he'd encountered. Ortiz remains dismayed that such behavior occurred in his home ballpark.
"He told me those complaints before, but what can I do about it?" said Ortiz. "You know how it is. When you play for the other team, you're going to hear some (stuff) like that - wherever you're at. He's aware of that.
"(But) he heard some stuff that I'm surprised at. One of the security guys told me it was true. They were screaming that kind of stuff at him. That's not right."
Even so, Hunter seems not to harbor any ill will toward the fans at Fenway as a result of such comments. As a visitor, he tirelessly signs autographs before games here.
Though a contract he signed with the Twins in 2003 included a provision that allowed Hunter to veto a trade to the Sox, he was vocal in the past about his interest in making his home at Fenway. While playing for the Twins, Hunter often was asked about where he might like to go in a trade or as a free agent. The two-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glover routinely suggested that he would welcome playing for the Sox.
Apparently, the actions of a few did not entirely spoil Hunter's impressions of Fenway.
"I like the fans. They come out," Hunter said yesterday. "I did want to come here (at one point). But it didn't work out. No phone call. It's OK."
Original Story:
http://bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/....
Hunter told the Press-Enterprise of Riverside, Calif., that until the last couple of years, he regularly heard racist taunts when visiting Fenway as a member of the Minnesota Twins.
"I've been called whatever they call me - a lot - since I was a kid," Hunter told the newspaper. "My first five or six (years), I was 'That N-word.' Some people would chant that out, some people would throw beer or whatever . . . batteries."
Yesterday, Hunter was reluctant to discuss the incidents. Initially, he politely declined comment, suggesting that such offensive remarks were a thing of the past.
"I'm not going to talk about it," Hunter said before the Angels' 7-6 loss to the Red Sox. "That was a couple of years ago."
He had, however, informed Red Sox slugger and close friend David Ortiz [stats] - with whom Hunter spent six seasons as a teammate in Minnesota - of the racist comments he'd encountered. Ortiz remains dismayed that such behavior occurred in his home ballpark.
"He told me those complaints before, but what can I do about it?" said Ortiz. "You know how it is. When you play for the other team, you're going to hear some (stuff) like that - wherever you're at. He's aware of that.
"(But) he heard some stuff that I'm surprised at. One of the security guys told me it was true. They were screaming that kind of stuff at him. That's not right."
Even so, Hunter seems not to harbor any ill will toward the fans at Fenway as a result of such comments. As a visitor, he tirelessly signs autographs before games here.
Though a contract he signed with the Twins in 2003 included a provision that allowed Hunter to veto a trade to the Sox, he was vocal in the past about his interest in making his home at Fenway. While playing for the Twins, Hunter often was asked about where he might like to go in a trade or as a free agent. The two-time All-Star and seven-time Gold Glover routinely suggested that he would welcome playing for the Sox.
Apparently, the actions of a few did not entirely spoil Hunter's impressions of Fenway.
"I like the fans. They come out," Hunter said yesterday. "I did want to come here (at one point). But it didn't work out. No phone call. It's OK."
Original Story:
http://bostonherald.com/sports/baseball/....
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