I knew about Ben Chapman (who's featured prominently in the Jackie Robinson film "42") but had no idea about Powell, apparently the first player to be suspended for racist remarks.

www.nytimes.com/2008/07/27/sports/baseball/27powell.html

Wow, never knew of the thieving, lying Powell's transgressions before. What a nut. Without sounding too harsh these many years later, sounds as if he did society a favor that day in the police station.

What a weird story ! So Powell NEVER WAS a cop after all? Even in Ken Burns' documentary that story is told and left giving the viewer the impression it was true. He made it up?

Then, Ben Chapman was giving Nazi salutes to offend Jewish fans in Yankees Stadium ? WTF? !!

The other two things that strike me, one good, one bad, are: 1) that already in the 1930s and 40  it was possible for a lot of people to be offended by overt racist remarks, and to protest to the Yankees and MLB about it. This is sort of heartening, it would have been depressing to think that it was so common that no one thought anything of it except those directly offended, which brings me to 2) what was up with the Baseball Writers and their Association? I would have thought that they would have had at least a few liberal members who did not cotton to this stuff. Apparently not, or at least not courageous or vocal enough to do or write anything about it. 

Through the years I've read stories telling how the writers were lock-lipped about many transgressions that occurred. They were buddies of the players and certainly didn't want to lose access or friendship. It was a closed group, although I agree with your point that huge offenses that were in front of the public or broadcast to the public should have caused at least a few of the "off stream" media guys to comment. Sounds as if to a certain degree they were.