Hall of Famer Aaron, MLK's son join panel on baseball, civil rights

Associated Press ^ | March 28, 2008

[Comparative Advantage]

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Major League Baseball needs to find ways to address the declining interest among young blacks, panelists on a round-table discussion associated with this weekend's Civil Rights Game said Friday.

Speakers, such as Hall of Famer Hank Aaron, said one reason for the declining interest is the expense of the sport, with college athletic scholarships in football and basketball becoming more important to inner-city teens.

But Ken Williams, general manager of the Chicago White Sox, said his worries about minority youths extend beyond sports to the social issues in the country.

"I'm less concerned about young, inner-city, African-American kids playing baseball than I am about the murder rate or the lack of high school diplomas," Williams said.

The comments came during a forum on Baseball and the Civil Rights Movement held Friday afternoon in advance of Saturday's 2nd Annual National Civil Rights Game between the Chicago White Sox and the New York Mets.

Friday's discussions was held at the National Civil Rights Museum, the former Lorraine Motel, where Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was killed 40 years ago. The location was bittersweet for one panelist -- the late civil rights leader's son, Martin Luther King III.

Other panelists included Mets general manager Omar Minaya, Sharon Robinson, the daughter of baseball pioneer Jackie Robinson, and Ambassador Shabazz, the daughter of Malcolm X and Betty Shabazz.

King said the number of black baseball players continues to decline, standing today at about 9 percent.

"Somehow we must find better ways to bring young people, particularly black Americans, into the sport of baseball," King said.

Aaron recalled the days of struggle when he broke into baseball -- staying in different hotels from white players, being told he needed to find a meal at another restaurant from the rest of the team, the racial slurs from fans.

"I never thought about giving up," said Aaron, who is second on the all-time home run list after former San Francisco Giants slugger Barry Bonds passed him last season. "I felt like I had a job to do, and I was blessed to be playing professional baseball.

"The players that were coming after me, I had to set an example for them."

Several times during the discussion, the current presidential campaign involving Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton was used as a backdrop for the discussion.

The country can show today's youth that its possible for a black man or for a woman to strive for the presidency, panelists said, in the same way that Robinson breaking into baseball provided inspiration for black players.

Williams said society needs to change before baseball will. He noted that a significant number of black men in their 20s and 30s are in jail rather than at home helping their families.

"The struggle is an ongoing struggle," Sharon Robinson said, "and we must struggle."

If baseball is to become more attractive to inner-city youths, Minaya said, it will be up to Major League Baseball to lead the effort.

Ideas included more marketing to make baseball interesting to minority youths, funding fields and equipment for those who can't afford it, and providing leadership opportunities for minorities, such as the levels Minaya and Williams have reached in their general manager roles.

"We have a responsibility in our positions, whether its as general manager or team president or owner, to be open-minded," Minaya said. "Make sure that door of opportunity is open for those coming behind you."

[NoGrayZone]

“”I’m less concerned about young, inner-city, African-American kids playing baseball than I am about the murder rate or the lack of high school diplomas,” Williams said.”

Amen!!!

[NoGrayZone]

"The players that were coming after me, I had to set an example for them."

God Bless you Aaron. I wish there were more great ones today like we had yesterday.

[LibFreeOrDie]

Major League Baseball needs to find ways to address the declining interest among young blacks

Calling Arlen Specter!

Like it's not enough to play basketball or football? We need sports quotas? Geez, there aren't "enough" blacks in golf, tennis, or NASCAR if you think that way.

[I see my hands]

"ways to address the declining interest among young blacks"

• Change the infield fly rule to the infield super fly rule.
• Eliminate the "three strikes and your out" rule.

[Coldwater Creek]

Visit Memphis, Tennessee, and you will be lucky to not to have been shot or robbed,by Black youth right outside the door where these fools are meeting!!!!

The good ones are in Huston getting ready to take on Texas in the elite eight.

GO TIGERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[toddlintown]

“Baseball and the Civil Rights Movement”

Had to check and see if this was from Scrappleface.

I still want to know about the discrimination of white people, hitting the appropriate racial balance as based on total U.S. population, in the N.B.A.

Somebody ping me when that happens.

[toddlintown]

“But Ken Williams, general manager of the Chicago White Sox, said his worries about minority youths extend beyond sports to the social issues in the country.

“I’m less concerned about young, inner-city, African-American kids playing baseball than I am about the murder rate or the lack of high school diplomas,” Williams said.”

And that’s why he lives out by me in a lilly-white southwest suburb of Chicago. It’s easier, as a concerned black man to worry about inner-city, African-American kids out in your $1 million+ house.

[Condor51]

Major League Baseball needs to find ways to address the declining interest among young blacks, panelists on a round-table discussion associated with this weekend's Civil Rights Game said Friday.

MLB needs to do NO SUCH THING- period, end, stop.

The day a team roster is determined by the number of blacks on it, oops, 'African Americans', is the day they'll be ZERO fans in the seats.

btw MLB, take a look at how few White Guys are on the teams now, then get back to me you boneheads.₍₁₎.

(1) Percentage wise per population (weeze bein discriminated against! /s)

[taxesareforever]

I wonder when there will be a panel established to discuss how to get more whites into football and basketball.

[RightWhale]

This is interesting. Is it that baseball is no longer as central to American society as is football or basketball?

[Gaetano]

Anyone who has ever been involved in little league baseball knows that the DADS are in charge or the whole thing. Given the limited numbers of dads involved in raising inner city children, it is no surprise that baseball is dying there.

[Seattle]

I don’t think the point of this is to have “quotas” in MLB.

Here’s what I’m seeing in the Northwest. My daughter is an elite-level softball player. Softball, and baseball, are becoming white, suburban sports. We see fewer and fewer minorities playing the game. It IS expensive. $300 for a bat. $100 for a glovce, $1,000 - $3,000 for teams dues. Around $200 a month for private hitting/pitching lessons. All of that before travel expenses.

Most “typical white people” struggle to keep up with the costs. It’s tough if you’re a one parent family to feed a kid’s dream of being a Big Leaguer when you can’t come close to affording to have your kid play competitively at the youth level. Basketball and football by comparison are much cheaper. There are few “club” football teams. Club basketball teams, by comparison have few enough players that a sponsor can oftentimes support the entire team.

If we don’t get more involvement in these sports at the youth level, we’ll see fewer and fewer opportunities for our kids in the future.

We’re seeing good ballparks converted to soccer fields all over the place. If we don’t get more kids playing ball, we won’t have anyplace to play. To get more kids playing, we’ve got to pull from the minority communities. If we love these sports, we have to keep tham alive. Minority kids have been leaving them in droves. I we want to see Americans playing at the Major League parks, we need to get more kids playing ball.

It ain’t about quotas.

[orlop9]

Bingo

But I gotta admit the idea about doing away with "3 strikes & you're out" might work too.

[WesternPacific]

It seems there is more of a need to investigate why there are fewer and fewer whites entering professional Basketball.

[montag813]

Hispanic baseball players work harder, trash-talk less, and don’t have an bad attitude. MLB wants fewer Gary Sheffields and more A-Rods.

[Bommer]

Maybe because its a boring game. Don’t hear the same issue with Basketball and football. Sorry but Baseball is dead.