Decrease in African Americans in baseball has officials puzzled, concerned

The Miami Herald/St. Paul Pioneer Press ^ | 22 Mar 2004 | GORDON WITTENMYER

[Principled]

QUICK!

Make a law that you have to have at least one black guy tryout for every position!~

[kinghorse]

We need affirmative action to solve this. There aren't enough persons of color in sports.

[Piquaboy]

How long will it take Jesse Jackass to jump on this bandwagon?

[Pearls Before Swine]

It looks like basketball is more popular. Does "diversity" have to trump style in every possible statistic?

[Rodney King]

The answer is quite simple: Baseball does not glorify the rap, hip-hop, and bad-body image that basketball and to a lesser extent football do. Black kids are being taught to be a part of the MTV culture that glorifies sex and violence. Basketball plays up to that, while Baseball covets a wholesome image.

[man of Yosemite]

Like many sporting events, The enormous salaries of the players have forced ticket prices so high that poor people can't afford to frequent baseball games. I noticed the same thing at the Staples Center watching a Laker game a few weeks back. Couple this with schools cutting out sporting events to save money, and fewer kids are looking at sports, especially lower income kids.

[Mike Darancette]

Could it be that baseball requires more time than the other sports?

[Consort]

As the former Reds second baseman, Joe Morgan, pointed out several years ago....Black players are being replaced by Latino players at an increasing rate.

[Redcoat LI]

"At a time when the international diversity of players in Major League Baseball has never been greater, the number of African-American players in the game has nose-dived to levels not seen since the earliest days of integration."

I thought Diversity was a great and noble thing,to be achieved no matter what the cost.

[Paradox]

The enormous salaries of the players have forced ticket prices so high that poor people can't afford to frequent baseball games

The same is true of Football and Basketball, and yet they have no problems getting black players. It could be something cultural perhaps. Maybe its the fact that not many guys make an instant sensation in Baseball, where you have to get through the minors.

[DBrow]

I'd like to add to your excellent comment:

There is no physical component to baseball- the first baseman does not shove a runner to the ground.

Basketball and football both involve heavy shoving. Basketball did not used to, though.

[cynicom]

Ban whitey..that should cure the "problem"...

Rare black people in the stands...Ban whitey, only black fans. Cure that "problem".

[Eric in the Ozarks]

This calls for quick action from Washington. Maybe a congression investigation or creation of whole new federal agency...

[Rummyfan]

"I was like, 'Man, you can be successful at baseball as a black person?' " he said.

What an idiot! I guess he never heard of Jackie Robinson, Larry Doby, Roy Campanella, not to mention two of the greatest players ever, Willie Mays and Hank Aaron.

[lewislynn]

It's simple.

Blacks are athletes and they like athletic games. Baseball players aren't athletes and baseball games are boring, especially athletically.

[cajunman]

I'm waiting for the article about the NBA not having enough white basketball players. I won't hold my breath on that one.

[Reagan Man]

Bingo!

[Rummyfan]

Not matter what you think of professional sports........ baseball requires a lot more discipline than basketball or football. It's a daily grind for one, over six months of the year. Hitting major league pitching is almost impossible, as witnessed by the fact that someone who is successful three out of ten times is a superstar. And it's more individual than other sports - when you are at bat, you are ALONE. Finally it's appeal is more intellectual than football or basketball. Are these some of the reasons it is not appealing to our 'urban' youth?