MLB To Study Decline of Blacks In Game

Well, that's also the vicious cycle baseball is under. There are a lot of things that are entering into the problem, but there's not a doubt that over the last 15-20 years many African-Americans haven't embraced the sport. There are issues that prevent them from participating more, but one of the issues is that many just don't want to in the first place. There are a lot of white people who feels the same way (like my sons), but there are a lot more whites, so the decline isn't so noticeable.

 

My anecdotal evidence is there aren't any shortage of black dads around when my younger son played park league flag football, either. Or when my older son played high school football.

Next Blue Ribbon Panel: Why is there a shortage of Blacks at the Depeche Mode concert?

 

Followed by "Notes from a Rush concert: Where are the women?"

 

Poin, you have a point but there's a sizable (40 percent black) population here and proportionately fewer basketball rec teams to overall baseball teams. More so than the 60-40 breakdown if you cut it across racial lines. Also, I said that work hours could factor in. Any person working nights or swing shifts is less likely to be able to commit time to being a coach.

 

It's still a sunk cost, just time instead of money.

 

I don't know that I'd say MLB should take responsibility for insuring black players remain in the game. That smacks of some sort of affirmative action quota system that would in its very nature penalize other demographics. What MLB should take responsibility for is insuring the opportunity is there. They cannot make the kids want to play.