Wasn Feller mean to black players and a racist at heart?
No, that’s not fair. Some black players, like Doc Glenn, who is the president of the Negro League Baseball Players Association, and Monte Irvin, former deputy MLB commissioner, salute Feller as being not only a good guy but something of a pioneer. Other black players, including Jackie Robinson, with whom Bob had an unfortunate feud, felt that Feller could be cold and arrogant. But it’s not fair to call Feller racist. Feller had a good heart, paid black players on his tour better than most had ever been paid in their careers, and gave them a terrific national stage. Several of the black players on his postwar tours got professional contracts from previously all-white clubs because of the exposure Feller gave them. Bob had been raised by socially progressive parents and took their teachings to heart.
