Theo Epstein is questioning his own hiring practices in light of the social unrest following the killing of George Floyd on May 25 in Minneapolis.
"I've hired a black scouting director, [a] farm director in the past, but the majority of people that I've hired, if I'm being honest, have similar backgrounds as me and look a lot like me," Epstein said. "That's something I need to ask myself why. I need to question my own assumptions, my own attitudes. I need to find a way to be better."
Epstein indicated that the Chicago Cubs will form a diversity committee to "set better standards" for themselves and hold themselves accountable. In his career as an executive with the Cubs and Boston Red Sox, Epstein has never hired a black manager.
"It can be hard, and it can be painful to look at ourselves, but when the problem is systemic, we all have to admit that we're all part of the problem, and we all have to do better to become part of the solution," he said. "And as a white person who's had a lot of advantages and a lot of privilege, I can't begin to walk in the shoes of a black person in this country or a black player in Major League Baseball.
"I think I can also look inward, too. I think that's another step that we all have to take in society as well as in the game is being able to look hard at ourselves."