Did MLB deceptively edit Vin Scully's call of Hank Aaron's HR in ASG tribute?

USA Today

4 days ago

At first glance it sure seemed like Major League Baseball nailed it's All-Star Game tribute to Hank Aaron's 715th home run.
The on-field graphics — wonderfully utilizing the same type of technology we've seen at NBA and NHL games lately — were astounding. The firework recreation of the ball rocketing from home plate to the left field wall was a great touch. The only thing left was a recognition of how monumental the moment was for broader race relations in the country. But MLB greatly missed the mark here with seemingly deceptive editing of Vin Scully's iconic call during the tribute.
When Aaron hit his home run in Atlanta on April 8, 1974, Scully commented on the profound scene playing out in front of him barely a decade after the fall of Jim Crow.
Here's the transcript of Scully's call:
'A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. What a marvelous moment for baseball. What a marvelous moment for Atlanta and the state of Georgia. What a marvelous moment for the country and the world.'
Major League Baseball's tribute on Tuesday cut off the first part of Scully's comments, making it sound as though the home run itself was marvelous, and not the scene of a predominately white, southern crowd giving a black man a standing ovation.
It's worth noting that Scully himself often talked about the importance of that scene and why it was vital to mention on air.
"I stood there thinking about the impact, and the more I thought about it... That's what I said when the crowd died down, about what a great moment not just Henry, not just for the Braves, not just for baseball, this was the greatest impact at home run, sociologically," Scully said. "I mean, here is a Black man in the Deep South getting an absolute love ovation for breaking the record of a white icon. To me, that's what made that home run the most important home run that I ever called."
To remove the context from Scully's call completely changes the entire meaning. While Aaron breaking Babe Ruth's career home run record has become one of baseball's most celebrated moments, you cannot tell the story of 715 without knowing about the constant hate mail and threats Aaron received along the way. At one point in 1973, the FBI attempted to advise Aaron against playing because the threats had seemed credible enough.
MLB's tribute rather conveniently omitting this context didn't happen in a vacuum, either. It fits a broader pattern of the league attempting to avoid ruffling any feathers in the culture wars.
This is the same Major League Baseball under Rob Manfred that remained ghastly silent as the Department of Defense removed a webpage dedicated to the military and baseball history of Jackie Robinson only a few months ago. The page was only restored following fan outcry and pressure from journalists.
Just this week, MLB side-stepped questions about returning the All-Star Game to Atlanta after making a public showing of removing the game in 2021 after the state of Georgia passed a restrictive voting law. Atlanta was allowed to host the game this year despite the law remaining in effect — which made for an extremely awkward pre-game press conference moment when reporters brought this up.
This is also the same MLB that just posthumously reinstated Pete Rose.
Individually, MLB's recent actions are, frankly, depressing. Taken together, the deceptive editing of Scully's call is the latest sign Major League Baseball is attempting to distance history made on the diamond from the inextricable circumstances that created it off the field.
Unfortunately for MLB, many fans noticed.
The Aaron tribute was a great idea and was otherwise nicely done, but hacking up Scully's call was an utter disgrace. Everyone involved in that decision, be they with Major League Baseball or the Fox network, should be absolutely ashamed of themselves.
A lot of work went into this tribute, but we should hear Vin Scully's entire call and remember Hank Aaron's legacy in full'A Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol. And it is a great moment for all of us.' https://t.co/eUw7gAvexR
Anyone else notice how during the Hank Aaron tribute, they notably cut out the part of Vin Scully's call about the significance of a black man getting a standing ovation in the heart of the South?
Of course they cut the most famous part of Vin Scully's call
MLB's Hank Aaron tribute at the All-Star Game cut off Vin Scully's "What a marvelous moment" refrain before he finished ".... a Black man is getting a standing ovation in the Deep South for breaking a record of an all-time baseball idol." https://t.co/ZAbI5j1xxZ
Do better, MLB.