The reason MLB is concerned by the drop in black players is that they are not getting the better athlete as they did up to the 1970’s. You can see the problem in the inept hitting in MLB today. The problem is not at the MLB level, but the grassroots. Baseball has become a sport of the well off. The expensive club teams, private coaches, etc all start today at the age of 8. In my neck of the woods the local rec programs are a disaster. In order to have any future in the game, one must get there kid on a high price club team. Some of these teams cost upwards of $5,000 for three seasons (spring, summer, and fall). Those not making six figure salaries point there kids toward football and basketball were the costs are a lot less than baseball at the youth level. Back 30 years ago, a kid’s parents paid $10 for their kid to play little league, and the best to the worst athletes were mixed on the local LL teams. Today the better players with money are gone off to their club teams. The less well off good athlete does not want to be left behind with the fat kids and the gawks, so he leaves for another sport. The local rec teams are left with kids who cannot play a lick, and in some cases just fold up. Even the MLB’s program called RBI has been a complete failure to turn the trend around. What I have seen in my state is in the desire to win, the RBI teams are recruiting the rich suburban kid with the private coaches to play for the RBI team in tournaments. Why, so they can win. They are not alone. The traditional black colleges baseball teams are mostly white, I’m not kidding.
Without the issue of race being involved, the NHL is also seeing the same problem with their talent pool. Today, hockey is too expensive for most kids of modest means to play in Canada. In the last few drafts, most of the North American kids selected hail from the upper middle class and higher up the income scale. Most of the draft picks come from families who make six figures. No more farm boys from Alberta, or sons of steel workers in Hamilton. Now it is lawyer’s son from Toronto or doctor’s boy from Vancouver. Read an article from Canada that predicted that soccer will become the more popular sport in Canada, just for the reason that most Canadian kids cannot afford to play any type of organized hockey.
In my state, NJ, it used to be when I grew up that in spring sports, lacrosse was the rich man’s game while baseball was the sport of the common man. Now baseball has become the sport of the rich kid, while the common man’s kid plays lacrosse. It is amazing how this happened in only a 30 year time frame.
Thanx
I notice
In the llws. The best two teams
We’re mostly black kids. Wonder if that had any significance
There’s definitely something to that, but I bet the league could be 75% incredible black athletes and hitting would still be way, way down.
I think the current defensive strategies and prevailing offensive approaches more than explain the down offense.
Hitters see pitchers less times by game and season, and they throw harder, relief velocity is way up over the last ten years. All the defensive shifting is working, and will continue to work until hitters change their approach. The current approach of most hitters lends itself to strike outs, and relief pitchers stuff is better than it has ever been. No one really care about striking out, even if they value walks more.
Freegards
you make some excellent points about both baseball and hockey. And it’s sad too but it is what it is.
But here is something to chew on too. Baseball is now being dominated by Hispanics (central americans). These kids live in poverty. No expensive hitting coaches/clinics/travel teams in these regions. So why are they doing so well?
I can make a guess. They play a TON of baseball as kids and they love it too. Now that may not work here in the US (or Canada for hockey), but it seems to be doing well south of us for baseball.
I may go against the tide with my son. No travel teams. I’m just going to play with him a ton and teach him what I know. I’ll let the chips fall the way they do. He may not be great compared to the kids who have thousands of dollars spent on them, but he WILL be damn good and be able to compete up to High School ball. Guarantee it (unless an injury occurs).