WWJD

[boots]

What would Jackie Do? The numbers are appalling., 68 out 750 major league players are African American.

 

[CollegeJournalist]

Of those 68, how many are really recognizable guys?

Griffey, Bonds and Frank Thomas may be the only influential black dudes in baseball. Sure, there's Sabbathia, Crawford, Flash Gordon, Howard, Rollins etc etc, but as far as guys that have actually been influential, those are the only three I can think of. I'm quite sure I'm probably forgetting somebody huge, but oh well. I'm in no mood to Google "black baseball players" right now.

 

[HejiraHenry]

Yes, but.

There are clearly structural reasons for those numbers, and it doesn't look like to me that institutional racism is one of them.

I'm open to persuasion on the topic, but off the top of my head it looks like black society has decided to focus its energies on basketball and football.

Leonard's loser, major league baseball.

I've read a lot of wailing on the topic, but I'm still looking for something with a little intellectual rigor attached. The Freakonomics guys could probably explain it in a half-hour of freenzied scribbling on the back on a napkin.

 

[boots]

Allow me to help you find MLB's dark side.
http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/jackie/news/story?id=2828584

 

[CollegeJournalist]

I don't think it has anything to do with institutional racism. It's preference.

In black areas of town and among black guys, baseball is not a *cool* sport. Plus, with the specialization of sports nowadays, where kids are playing a smaller variety, a lot of black kids just aren't picking up baseball. They're playing football and basketball.

But what do you do? What black icon does baseball have to promote like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Terrell Owens, Donovan McNabb, etc. Griffey and Frank Thomas haven't been *cool* for a decade. Bonds is a pariah to most now.

EDIT: I had NO clue Damion Easley was still playing baseball. None at all. And Kenny Lofton too??? Jesus. Those guys will be joining AARP in a few weeks, won't they?

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

Feature by the evil empire on Sunday morning SC confirmed Heijira's theory that blacks are focusing on hoops and football.

One black kid who played baseball at his Florida high school said he got made fun of when he wore his team jersey into class on gameday.

 

[boots]

Feature by the evil empire on Sunday morning SC confirmed Heijira's theory that blacks are focusing on hoops and football.

One black kid who played baseball at his Florida high school said he got made fun of when he wore his team jersey into class on gameday.

Yes, that was sad. The fact is baseball stopped trying to attract black youngsters. You go back to the 80's and you could see the trend developing. MLB's RBI program is a big step in the right direction.

 

[heyabbott]

How many MLB players are of African descent but not from the United States of America?

 

[boots]

How many MLB players are of African descent but not from the United States of America?

ZERO but how many countries in Africa fielded a team in the world baseball tournament. Zero. And your point being?

 

[Idaho]

I think his point is asking where David Ortiz, Vlad, Manny and Sammy fit into the discussion.

 

[CollegeJournalist]

They're Latinos. They aren't African Americans. Thus, they have no place in this discussion.

 

[ondeadline]

If a white guy whose parents are from South Africa made the bigs, that would add to the number of African-Americans.

There are so many race names that don't make sense.

African-American is one because a white guy with relatives from Africa would be an African-American, but clearly he wouldn't be in the group people intend.

Native American is another. I'm native American because I was born in the United States, but I'm not an American Indian.

White people are, for the most part, not white. They're tan. Black people rarely are black, they're brown. Just think if you were doing a cartoon, which color would use use for a person?

 

[boots]

If a white guy whose parents are from South Africa made the bigs, that would add to the number of African-Americans.

There are so many race names that don't make sense.

African-American is one because a white guy with relatives from Africa would be an African-American, but clearly he wouldn't be in the group people intend.

Native American is another. I'm native American because I was born in the United States, but I'm not an American Indian.

White people are, for the most part, not white. They're tan. Black people rarely are black, they're brown. Just think if you were doing a cartoon, which color would use use for a person?

I know where you are there.

 

[Evil Bastard (aka Chris_L)]

What would Jackie Do? The numbers are appalling., 68 out 750 major league players are African American.

Just for the heck of it - there are 246 foreign born players in MLB this year. That leaves 504 roster spots (using your 750 number). Also using your number that 68 are African-American players - that means 13.5% of the US born players are African American. That means that percentage is almost exactly in-line with the percentage of the general population of the US that is African American.

This argument about not enough African Americans is bogus at best and racist at worst. What are blacks supposed to be nothing but the athletes?

 

[Idaho]

They're Latinos. They aren't African Americans. Thus, they have no place in this discussion.

So African-Carribeans are not of African descent?

You're going to have a hard time convincing them they are not black and that Jackie Robinson's MLB debut means nothing to them or their careers.

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

What would Jackie Do? The numbers are appalling., 68 out 750 major league players are African American.

Just for the heck of it - there are 246 foreign born players in MLB this year. That leaves 504 roster spots (using your 750 number). Also using your number that 68 are African-American players - that means 13.5% of the US born players are African American. That means that percentage is almost exactly in-line with the percentage of the general population of the US that is African American.

This argument about not enough African Americans is bogus at best and racist at worst. What are blacks supposed to be nothing but the athletes?

It's that lovely idea that if 60% of the arrested are black in a town made up of 60% blacks, is it racial profiling?

 

[andyouare?]

Most schools in my area have 90 percent white baseball teams and 90 percent black basketball teams.

I did a story on one of the schools, and one of the black/brown (whatever) players mentioned that he and all his friends played baseball growing up until about 8th grade. Once they got to HS, it was football and basketball. Why? No one could give me a good answer.

 

[lantaur]

I believe it was Corey Patterson who made the point that MLB is spending all of its money in the Latin American/Carribean countries, and not spending anything (or barely anything) in the inner cities of the U.S.

 

[boots]

I believe it was Corey Patterson who made the point that MLB is spending all of its money in the Latin American/Carribean countries, and not spending anything (or barely anything) in the inner cities of the U.S.

AND THAT IS TRUE

 

[Big Buckin' agate_monkey]

I believe it was Corey Patterson who made the point that MLB is spending all of its money in the Latin American/Carribean countries, and not spending anything (or barely anything) in the inner cities of the U.S.

Just another case of MLB holdin' the brown man down.