Bias Case Settled In Park League; Team Now Will Be Allowed To Compete
The Boston Park Baseball League opens its 58th season Tuesday after resolving allegations that the organization is guilty of racial bias.
After pressure was applied by Mayor Flynn’s administration, the senior amateur league voted to accept the primarily minority Padres. A condition of acceptance was that Padre manager Ed Neal apologize for making his charges of bias.
Neal had accused the league of denying his Padres a spot in the 1987 alignment because of bias. He noted that it had been traditional for the winner of the junior league — in this case, the Padres — to move up to the senior league, with the senior league’s last-place team being demoted to the junior league.
However, Park League president John Landry said Neal was present at the announcement of the league’s decision in March 1986 and did not dispute it. Read more
