Elk Hunting or Witch Hunting?

More fun in Boston sports. The Boston Red Sox organization, renowned throughout the league for its progressive policy in race relations, looks ready to earn more points in what is shaping up as an unpleasant and lengthy battle with Tommy Harper, the recently dismissed Special Assistant to Sox General Manager Lou Gorman.

Harper, who was dismissed by the Red Sox on December 18, 1985, announced at a press conference today at the Parker House that he was filing a charge of racial discrimination against the Boston Red Sox.

Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that a person may not be fired for speaking out against what he or she perceives as a discriminatory practice.

Harper, in his charge, accused the Red Sox of violating Title VII, and with subjecting "Blacks, as a class, to different terms and conditions of employment related to fringe benefits accorded only to Caucasian employees."

Harper, who had been with the club for three years as a player, ending 1974, and for eight years as a player represenative, major league coach and special assistant, attributed his dismissal to his having spoken to members of the media about the situation in Winter Haven, Florida, where the Sox train.

Harper was referring to the Red Sox practice, during spring training, of distributing free passes to the Winter Haven, Fla. Elks Club, to the white players and media, but not to Black players, coaches, or media. The Elks Club, according to Harper, "maintains an official policy of racial discrimination."

In March, 1984, Harper, then the Red Sox first base coach, expressed his concern to Red Sox President Haywood Sullivan. "I felt the situation was getting out of hand and could be an embarassment to the ballclub," Harper related. "In a private meeting, Sullivan said 'we'll take care of it."'

The following year, however, the passes apppeared again in the Red Sox clubhouse, for white team members and media only.

When interviewed by Boston Globe columnist Michael Madden about the practice of distributing passes, Harper responded and his comments were published in Madden's March 15, 1985 article.

Hello, Lou

"After the article, I don't think I've had two hellos from Lou Gorman," Harper said, even though he was then serving as Special Assistant to Lou Gorman. By contrast, Johnny Pesky, who had a similar position to Harper's, received a detailed itinerary for the 1985 season, according to Harper, while Harper received "no direction, then or ever again."

Eventually, Harper went on his own to the director of the Red Sox minor leagues to offer his services.

On December 18, 1985, Harper received a letter from Gorman notifying him that he would not be rehired in 1986.

"I was shocked by the content of the letter. It's cut and dried. A minor league instructor is going to come back. You mean I can coach major league players but not minor league players?" Harper said, referring to his previous experience as a major league coach.

Harper said the letter implied no criticism of him and that at no time during the season did any member of the Red Sox express any dissatisfaction with his job performance.

Talent-Laden

Those who wonder why the talent-laden Red Sox fall short of expectations year after year need look no further. The Red Sox have great players, but the attitude of the organization makes it impossible for the Red Sox to have a great team.

While the Red Sox management cannot be expected to control where their players eat on their own time, the Red Sox accepted the passes knowing they were for white players only--from a club practicing an official policy of racial discrimination--and distributed them to white players only.

Moreover, as Harper related, "Management made a practice of eating [at the Elks Club].

"When you get into a situation like this, it's wrong, it's demeaning. We're a team, but after the game they go to a segregated place where I can't go. It's just a slap. When nothing is done, it's a slap."

Any club that endorses racial discrimination obviously doesn't want to win in the major leagues.

Hey, these are not marginal players we are talking about here. Reggie Smith, Cecil Cooper, and Jim Rice were all among the most productive players on the team during their stay, and to alienate them for the sake of providing Haywood Sullivan and the white players with the best in cuisine during their grueling training is not the way to play it.

Several white players whom Harper refused to identify expressed their dissatisfaction with management over the issue.

Management responded to Harper's efforts to head off this source of team disunity by ignoring and then dismissing him.

Can anyone wonder, with such a divided team and such an unwise and misguided management, that some players don't seem able to summon up the extra effort for a stretch run?

Rice has remained silent during the controversy, as have other black players, but no one could imagine that they are happy about it or that the firing of Harper will increase team harmony.

While race relations are not the only reason for the Sox's failures, it certainly isn't helping.

The Red Sox past history does not hold out much hope that the club will issue a sincere apology and reinstate Harper willingly. Instead, they will likely fight tooth and nail, sending the team into 1986 as close knit as usual, ready to challenge for the title.