This signing meant every team in Major League Baseball was now integrated. The BoSox were, as many know, the last team to integrate their roster. After a fast start in Spring Training "Pumpsie" was sent down to the minors when his productivity began to decline.
The NAACP (if they are for the advancement of colored people, maybe they should change the name to include something more politically correct than "colored people") quickly charged the Sox with following an anti-Negro policy. The Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination (suggestions to change this to Massachusettsans Against Discrimination, so they could be M.A.D., was never taken seriously) agreed the Red Sox were following anti-Negro policy.
The current Red Sox ownership has tried to shed the "racist" label that has been affixed to the franchise for, well, the history of the team. They have admitted that past owners and front office muckety-mucks were highly racist and even honored "Pumpsie" at a Sox home game.
Despite these efforts there are still those who believe the Sox and Boston are both very racist. The most notable and recent person to sate this publicly was none other than Barry Bonds. Um, Barry, they didn't want you because you're an arrogant a-hole, not because of your skin color. What has to really hurt the older members of Red Sox Nation is the Sawx passed on both Jackie Robinson and Willie Mays. Ouch.
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