Jurisprudence

Hall of Fame baseball player Joe Morgan filed suit against Crystal Geyser Water Co., claiming that the company’s cancellation of his distribution contract was racially motivated.

Morgan, who is black, said in his suit that Crystal Geyser abruptly terminated its contract with Joe Morgan Beverage Co. on March 15.

Attached to the suit as an exhibit was a memo allegedly issued by the Calistoga, Calif.-based carbonated water company referring to the high percentage of white residents in Morgan’s distribution area. Paul Wagner, spokesman for Crystal Geyser, denied the allegation that race played a role in cancellation of Morgan’s contract. Morgan’s firm was fired because sales were poor, lagging nearly 50% below sales of distributors in similar areas, Wagner said.