During a roundtable discussion titled "Being Black in Baseball and America," Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Jon Duplantier recounted how he felt when an opposing player made a racist remark toward him during his senior year of high school.
Duplantier said he was playing first base during a scrimmage when the player said, "I got a rope and a tree with your name on it."
He explained he was the only Black player on his team, which left him feeling isolated. The 25-year-old right-hander said that state of mind has remained him at times throughout his climb up to MLB.