More Allegations Leveled Against Reds’ Schott

The controversy surrounding Marge Schott’s statements about blacks and Jews grew with a published report in today’s New York Times citing new allegations against the Cincinnati Red owner.

In today’s editions, the New York Times quoted Sharon Jones, a former member of the Oakland Athletics front-office staff, as saying that Schott had made allegedly racist remarks in the presence of other baseball owners.

Before then-commissioner Peter Ueberroth joined a conference call but with other owners already on the line, Jones quoted Schott as saying: “I wonder what the commissioner wants this time. Is it this race thing? I’m sick and tired of talking about this race thing. I once had a nigger work for me. He couldn’t do the job. I had to put him in the mail room and he couldn’t even handle that. I later found out the nigger couldn’t read or write.”

Schott then added, according to Jones: “I would never hire another nigger. I’d rather have a trained monkey working for me than a nigger.”

Schott did not return calls to her Cincinnati office and car dealership Wednesday, and declined to talk with an Associated Press reporter at her Riverfront Stadium office.

Before the latest allegations were leveled, Hank Aaron, Atlanta Braves vice president, on Wednesday called for Schott to be suspended for her remarks.

Aaron, baseball’s career home run leader and its second-highest black executive, said he considers Schott’s remarks more serious than those that led to the firing of Al Campanis, the Dodger general manager, in 1987.

Donald Fehr, the head of the players’ association, called Schott’s statements distressing, and the Washington Post ran an editorial condemning baseball’s inaction on the situation.

Milwaukee Brewers owner Bud Selig, the chairman of the ruling executive council, and National League president Bill White continued to refuse to comment on Scott’s statements.