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In July 1987, former Oakland Athletics star Jose Canseco spoke up about being on the receiving end of racist comments from the team's fans.
Canseco was born in Havana, Cuba. After Fidel Castro became the leader of the country in 1959, Canseco's father lost his job and their home. The family had to leave Cuba in 1965 when Canseco was just a year old. They relocated to the Miami region.
Growing up, Canseco played baseball at Miami Coral Park High School and was drafted in the 15th round of the 1982 Major League Baseball draft. Four years later, he made his MLB debut with the team and played till 1992 before getting traded to Texas Rangers.
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According to Canseco's experience, while playing in Athletics, he has received incessant offensive remarks aimed towards his nationality:
“To me, the remarks they make are very racist,” Canseco said. “It seems like they’re alcoholics, drug addicts.”
Canseco further mentioned how Oakland supporters mostly in the age group of 18 to 25 years old used to direct their negative attention towards players of Latin and black ethnicities.
Tony LaRussa believes the racial taunts toward Jose Canseco weren't a severe problem
Tony LaRussa, the ex-manager of the Oakland A's, did not consider the racial insults directed towards Jose Canseco to be a significant issue. LaRussa served as the Athletics manager between 1986–1995, overlapping the years Canseco played in the club.
Canseco's time in Oakland was marked by incredible success on the field. Firstly, he burst onto the scene in 1986, winning the American League Rookie of the Year award. Next, he earned the American League MVP award in 1988. Additionally, he also became a World Series Champion in 1989 while playing for the team.
