Red Sox Cancel David Ortiz Bobblehead Giveaway After Deemed 'Racially Insensitive'
BOSTON (CBSNewYork) -- The Boston Red Sox canceled a David Ortiz bobblehead giveaway at Fenway Park Tuesday night after the bobbleheads were deemed "racially insensitive."
Red Sox president Sam Kennedy told The Boston Globe's Pete Abraham the Ortiz bobblehead, which was a tribute to the speech Ortiz gave on the field following the Boston Marathon bombings in 2013, was "an inaccurate portrayal" of the slugger.
"It doesn't really look like David. No. 2, I personally thought it seemed to be an offensive portrayal of him and that the facial features were racially insensitive," Kennedy said.
He continued, "If I was feeling this way, certainly other people would. So we pulled the plug."
The bobbleheads portrayed Ortiz with white lips, giving off an image of the racially offensive "blackface" that white performers used decades ago in comedies and musicals.
The Red Sox said in a statement they will be issuing new Ortiz bobbleheads for all ticketed fans at a later date. The team was supposed to give out 15,000 bobbleheads.
The Globe reported DBA, Inc. manufactured the bobbleheads and worked with the team previously on giveaway items.
Ortiz is retiring at the end of the season.
The giveaway was canceled as the New York Yankees open a three-game series against the Red Sox.
