Imagine being at a baseball Hall of Fame press conference, with one of those being honored being one of the club’s former general managers, now deceased, who happened to be Jewish.
Now imagine one of the club’s former hall of famers recounting a story about the aforesaid general manager, eliciting an antisemitic “joke” from another of the club’s hall of famers.
How would you react?
This actually happened and what’s more disturbing than the casual antisemitism is the laughter it elicited.
Just some casual #antisemitism from @reds hall of famer @JohnnyBench_5 followed by laughter. More here: https://t.co/gK4ouyvIlR pic.twitter.com/g4KWuWzhGP
— (((David Lange))) (@Israellycool) July 16, 2023
What has society become?
The Reds have yet to respond.
Updates
17/7/23: Bench has apologized:
“I recognize my comment was insensitive. I apologized to Jennie for taking away from her father the full attention he deserves. Gabe Paul earned his place in the Reds Hall of Fame, same as the others who stood on that stage, I am sorry that some of the focus is on my inappropriate remark instead of solely on Gabe’s achievement.”
When reached by the Cincinnati Enquirer, Jennie said she didn’t hear the joke and that Bench asked her if she was offended after the conference:
“I didn’t even hear him say that,” Jennie Paul said. “Johnny came up and said ‘Were you offended?’ and I said for what? I didn’t even hear him say that. I suppose if I would’ve heard him say that, I would’ve said something, but I didn’t even hear him say that.”
