On the baseball side, the Sox rewarded newcomer superstars Pedro Martinez and Nomar Garciaparra with huge long-term contracts. Insider Peter Gammons felt in the summer of 98 that a deal with Vaughn was being worked out- four years for $42 million. But when the contract was presented to Mo, it was two years and $17 million, numbers Gammons knew Vaughn would never accept.
According to Howard Bryant, the Sox attempted to win over the public against Vaughn. He calls it a "smear campaign" led by Globe icon Will McDonough, who was never particularly open-minded about racial issues. About a conversation with Mo's father, McDonough apparently remarked "I told him to tell his son to keep his mouth shut and play ball."
Whispers of racism began to appear. "He was a large presence, big, bald, and wore earrings, " wrote Bryant. "He personified the hip-hop culture and socialized with rappers." Management, according to sources, was uncomfortable with an outspoken black athlete- this had long been a problem on Sox teams. The campaign worked in many ways. According to the Herald's Tony Maserotti, "people would say Mo changed. That he lied or changed his stories. I don't think that was true at all. I think Mo is such an emotional guy, he said exactly what he felt at the time. He never ducked."
As the 98 season went on, it was obvious Vaughn was a goner. As Gordon Edes pointed out in his article, his hitting numbers remained strong. It was over, however. On November 25, he penned a six-year, $80 million contract with the Angels. Bryant writes in his book that Vaughn could have helped the Sox distance themselves from their racist history. His departure was also sad because it diminished Dan Duquette's positive role in confronting the team's whites-only reputation.
As it turned out, the post-departure story had a rather down ending, both for the Sox and Vaughn himself. After two productive years on mediocre teams in LA, injuries and weight gain combined to end Mo's major league career at age 36. The Sox would make the playoffs in 99, but slump the next two seasons. Perhaps Vaughn's presence would have made a difference.
It seems like Vaughn and the Sox simply stopped communicating. This was a huge problem with Duquette throughout his Boston career.
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