Luke Says Baseball Replaces Blacks With Dominicans

The New Times ^ | Thursday, Apr 15 2010 | Luther Campbell

[Lakeshark]

But what about all those Swedes and Finns? And those whitebread US players with European names?

Coincidence? I think not.........

[SeaHawkFan]

For quite some time, Major League Baseball has disenfranchised African-American kids.

I'm sure it has absolutely nothing to do with Urban growth boundaries driving up the value of inner city land so high that land will not be used for play fields.

[Bad Jack Bauer]

So Major League Baseball is taking on more Dominican players because they play cheaper than Black American players? What about White players? How much are they getting payed when they first come into the league? I wish every sport had a rookie salary cap. Come in, prove yourself and then get a big contract.

[Rembrandt]

Take acasual survey of the next 20 4 - 5 year old black kids you see. Do they have a baseball? Do they have a basketball?

Every black male kid in the U.S. today envisions himself as the next LeBron James, not the next Albert Pujols. Baseball hasn’t left black kids, blacks have left baseball.

[montag813]

media firestorm Los Angeles Angels center fielder Torii Hunter ignited last month when he called players from the Dominican Republic "imposters."

LOL! Like Torii Hunter could even carry Albert Pujols' jockstrap. The Dominican players show class. The black players show nothing but sass. Everyone is sick of idiots like Gary Sheffield and Hunter whining about race. Shut up and play ball and you'll get more respect.

Of course there ARE big problems in Dominican baseball (corruption and drugs). but that's another matter.

[When do we get liberated?]

It only makes sense. The owners are not interested in winning, they are all in on an evil conspiracy. That is why they only pick the best player they can get for the money.

[Clemenza]

This just goes to show how STUPID certain folks are on race. Most of the Dominican players I see are of AFRICAN ANCESTRY. They are not "Spanish" or European, or even mestizo like the Mexicans.

What kind of moron thinks that somebody "isn't black" just because his last name is Perez? Oh, Torii Hunter does!

[denydenydeny]

The scouts and owners have gone out and found players who look black, but to whom they can pay less money.

Yeah, that $25 million a year they pay A-Rod is obviously a ploy to save money.

[montag813]

THE Luther Campbell? The "author" of "We Want Some Pussy" and "Throw That Dick" is now a learned scholar of baseball? Interesting.

[nickcarraway]

I’m still trying to figure how he could thinks they are paying different salaries based on race. Are owners paying more money to “white” players, than others? I guess the agents are going along with this?

[caveat emptor]

What Major League Baseball needs to do is reintroduce the sport to African-American children.

Luke's off base on this point, as others have commented, but whites, as well as any potentially interested blacks are being hit hard by this phenomenon. See Playing Baseball: A Job Americans Won't Do ?

Here's a sample from the article from a few years ago:

Dick Balderson, the Colorado Rockies’ Vice President of Player Personnel, said

"Instead of signing four (American) guys at $25,000 each, you sign 20 Dominican guys for $5,000 each. The unfortunate thing about this game is that there are so many people yearning to play it especially in a country like the Dominican Republic, where $1,000-a-year wages are the norm and baseball is a religion practiced by the impoverished."

[nickcarraway]

It’s not about ancestry, I guess, it’s about culture. I guess Dominicans don’t act the way they think someone needs to act to be, “black.”

[Clemenza]

It’s not about ancestry, I guess, it’s about culture. I guess Dominicans don’t act the way they think someone needs to act to be, “black.”

In the Dominican Republic, "black" means "Haitian", NOT Tyler Perry. This in a country (the Dominican Republic) where the average person is 70% of sub-saharan African ancestry.

The truth is Dominicans act black, but in a Hispano-Carribbean way, just as the blacks and mulattoes of Martinique "act black" in a Franco-Carribbean way. Neither "act" exactly like African Americans, although there are some residual cultural influences that do indeed bind the African diaspora.

[runninglips]

Maybe blacks are just not as good at the game of baseball as whites and spanish/native S Americans. Just because they are great at basketball, doesn’t mean they are the best at everything.

[Sam Clements]

Bill Clinton was the first black baseball player in Arkansas. Now even he has been replaced by a Kenyan. Talk about an imposter. Remember when the slick one said that Zero’s candidacy was the biggest “fairy tale” ever?

[Sam Clements]

In Los Angeles between the Dodgers and the Angels we have quite a few Dominican players. The sports channels have taken to going back to the players home towns and showing what some of the ball players lives were like “before the bigs.” When they go to the Dominican what really stands out is the strong community support for all the players by their communities. Leading the way as coaches and mentors for the younger men are the elders of the community, many of whom were local heros when they were young. Among these elders are some men who are called “Dad”. Male involvement and leadership makes all the difference. Blame LBJ, blame Democrats, but don’t blame your average white fan or your average team owner for what has happened in pro baseball since the 60’s.

[GUNGAGALUNGA]

Is this the same Luther Campbell from Two Live Crew...Hey Hey we want some P***y? Classy.

[Larry Lucido]

Luke Says Baseball Replaces Blacks With Dominicans

At first glance I thought, "Oh, great, more End Times prophecy. Didn't even remember reading about baseball in Luke."

[married21]

Our local newspaper did an article on this issue a couple of years ago. One factor is that basketball is more popular among black kids. Another factor is that, if you were a black kid who liked baseball (they interviewed a couple), you would end up being the only one on a team of non-black hispanics. You feel isolated from your team and your black friends. It’s a little lonely for a kid.

A major factor was that there were fewer ball fields being maintained, and that the sport is more expensive and complicated than just buying a basketball and going down to the local court. (I know— Dominicans play with sticks and rocks if they have to.)

Also, you need more adults to support the league, coach the teams, maintain the fields, etc. The adults to do that are not there, any more.

BTW, In the 1990s, I had a black friend who spoke Spanish fluently. Her school district assigned her to teach the young Dominican kids. In those children’s world, the biggest insult you could say about someone was “he’s a trouble-maker”. I can’t imagine that being the biggest insult American black kids would say about each other. Different culture.

[JimRed]

Like any professional sport, which is a business, they will obtain the best players they can get. If the typical Dominican is a better player than the typical home-grown black, maybe the homeboy had better work on improving his game instead of bitching about the Dominicans!