The New York Yankees’ chief accountant, 30-year-old...

The New York Yankees’ chief accountant, 30-year-old Warren Atkinson, says he wasn’t offended when team owner George Steinbrenner called him a “young black boy” on national television. Atkinson said he hasn’t experienced any racism from Yankee management since he started working for the team in 1984.

“I wouldn’t say I have been treated differently,” Atkinson told the New York Post. “I have no gripes over race. I don’t think the Yankees are really race-oriented.”

On CBS’ “Face the Nation” Sunday, Steinbrenner defended his minority hiring policies by pointing out that “the head accountant that I have in my finance department happens to be a young black boy.”

Atkinson said Steinbrenner frequently adopted a fatherly tone and often called younger men “son.” He also said the Yankees “seem to be making some effort to include minorities, including myself, in management decisions.”