Dave Smith, a radio host who previously worked for the Los Angeles Angels is now suing his former employer for discrimination, saying he was dismissed for racial reasons.
In a complaint filed in California Superior Court earlier this month, David Smith alleged that the Angels Baseball Foundation rigged a singles promotion to ensure a black woman did not win and that Angels employees regularly made racist remarks.
Smith claimed that the Angels did not allow another employee on a radio show because he sounded "too black" and "too ghetto" for an Orange County audience. His complaint also stated that co-workers said negative results were to be "expected when a Jew is hired as baseball's commissioner."Smith was a show host and handled duties on the Angels' pre-game show until he was let go in 2009. If the case goes forward, it will be interesting to see what evidence is brought forth, but it's worth noting that the Angels are owned by Arte Moreno, who became the first Hispanic to own a major sports franchise in the United States. They also employ Tony Reagins, who is black, as their general manager. That doesn't mean that it's impossible that there were instances of racial discrimination within the organization. But as Elgin Baylor recently learned, proving it can be an uphill climb.
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