Rhoden Agrees With Sheff

And that meeting addressed the lack of qualified African Americans not being drafted because of discriminatory practices by MLB teams?

No. If they did go there with that agenda, I'd say the Rainbow coalition is dead wrong. There aren't hordes of qualified Black athletes being turned away from MLB draft because of discrimination. They're not getting to the point of reaching those qualifications as they once did because baseball has taken zero initiative to do something about it.

 

A few thoughts:

This is not a simple, one-explanation issue. I don't think MLB is 100 percent blameless. I also don't think MLB is anywhere near 100 percent to blame.

The point about it being cheaper to sign latin players is absolutely true. What can be done about that? Make them subject to the draft, for one. I've never understood why it was only kids from this country who can be drafted. Even if you do that, though, the economics aren't going to change, because a kid from San Pedro de Macoris with a $10,000 signing bonus offer is more likely to take it than a high school senior with a scholarship offer.

The "easier to control" comment alludes to a different issue in my mind, though. Dissent isn't approached the same way in other countries as it is here, and many latin players don't speak much English. Maybe that makes them easier to control, but they wouldn't be in pro baseball if they couldn't play. And, it should be pointed out, they wouldn't be there if they didn't want to be. It's hard for me to give much credence to the notion that black americans are being denied an opportunity when players from Cuba, for instance, are defecting and leaving their families behind to pursue their dream. That's wanting it bad. If a black kid here wants to play and has the ability, he'll get the chance. I truly believe that. The scouting system is effective enough now that there are very few players who slip through the cracks.

 

Hey Big Chee

How do you suggest that MLB market game to black community?

 

Honestly, that's something I've given thought to. It would require more research on my part to try to find solutions.

For one thing, teaching these kids about the economics opportunities of baseball compared to other sports would be a start.

No kid I've met would turn down the opportunity to play a sport where contracts are guaranteed and the possibility of being a mid-level player in the sport could earn him over $10 million a year.

 

I've got a slogan for the commercial -

How about "Be all you can be with MLB" ?

 

I thought of one two days ago. "Why Baseball?"

 

or

BASEBALL-- Why not?

 

'

It tells me that the NAACP has nothing to do with this issue.

 

What baseball needs to do is to start accepting flamboyant players like Lastings Millage instead of banishing them to the minor leagues.

The Mets sent the wrong message to the hip hop generation by how they handled Millege and his venture into the rap music scene.

In effect they told a whole generation of potential players that their style is not welcome. The NBA and the NFL on other hand have embraced the hip hop generation.

 

the hip hop mccartheism routine is tired.

 

If someone appraoched the problem that Sheffield sees from a different angle, instead of seeing Latin players as being more compliant and easier to manipulate, one could view African American players as uncoachable and irrationally defiant.

Shef and Rhoden see no problem with African American players but find fault, by implication, with everyone else, the white power structure, the poor Latino & African Caribbean kids, the Hispanic and White coaching and the dearth of baseball fields in the innercity.
Sheff and Rhoden are like Bush and Cheney, they heard it from god they are right and nothing will shake them.

 

In many ways the Latin players fit premis of Rhoden book - 40 million dollar Slaves better than the African American players he writes about in book.