Decrease in African Americans in baseball has officials puzzled, concerned

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

[cyborg]

Know what's depressing about NY? No bike sports of any kind really and no NASCAR. I became a Bubba Blackwell fan watching him on Montell Williams (think it was his show) but I may be the only NYer who knows who he is LOL

[spodefly]

Does the plate indicate ranking? I assume Haynes was paralyzed in competition.

In the past few years the rules have been changed so that riders keep certain numbers from season to season. It used to be that every rider had a new number each season based on the previous years ranking, but that was confusing to casual fans. Now only the #1 plate is up for grabs on a year to year basis.

Haynes broke his back in 1993, and was paralyzed from the waist down. He did it in competition. He is, like James, from Florida, and was an inspiration to James when he was coming up as a mini-cycle racer. Stewart wears #259 in honor of his friend.

[Dan from Michigan]

I think a lot of it is local more than color, although sometimes they go hand in hand. Everyone like to cheer for their local athletes, and winning pro-teams are oftentimes followed. Most white athletes play hockey or football. Most black athletes play basketball or football.

In Michigan, the Tigers haven't won a World Series since 1984. That team was mixed racially, but the biggest stars were Caucasian(Trammell, Gibson, Morris, Evans) or Latino(Willie Hernandez). Lou Whitaker is the only Black American star on that team I can think of. Since the late 80's the Tigers have been doormats. The only Michigan baseball star I can think of offhand is Derek Jeter.

Basketball, Football, and Hockey on the otherhand are huge here and get our best athletes. The Red Wings are huge everywhere, but especially in the Detroit suburbs. The college hockey programs are huge, and Michigan's youth hockey program is go big, there's waiting lists. Even 15 years ago, icetime at a local rink went for $300 an hour. That was also late night. There's also strong junior hockey programs in this state(although they draft from all over). There are also at least SEVEN Division I college hockey teams in addition to the junior teams here. People follow their local college stars. That's not even mentioning the big NHL names from Michigan. The Hatchers, Al Iafrate, Mike Modano, Pat LaFontaine, Mark Howe, and The Millers come to mind immediately.

On football, even with the Lions struggling, they sell out sometimes still, and football is huge all over the state both in suburbia and the inner cities. They are like our "Cubs". As much as I hate to say it being a Spartan, Michigan Football is also big, especially with Ann Arbor being 30 miles West of Detroit. Spartans are big as well, although moreso with basketball. Where I went to high school, most of our best athletes played football, and a couple went to hockey, although we did have a good baseball team too. That said, when I played football, we had 8000 people at one of our games.

Basketball is the king over in the inner cities of Flint and Detroit. Flint has long been a pipeline of basketball players. Most of the Michigan State National Championship Team came from Flint. Detroit used to me U-M's backyard for basketball. Chris Webber and Morris Peterson are two big names in the NBA currently. The Bad Boys teams of the Pistons in the past still have a legacy. Today's Pistons sold out every game for the past couple of years, and the "PSL" league in Detroit gets all the college scouts as well as major crowds. Same with the Flint schools. There was a story of a former U-M coach who wasn't let(fire marshall) in to scout and recruit at a Flint game. He didn't get there early enough. And there are a LOT of Michiganders and/or U-M/MSU players in the NBA.

Also important is the high school seasons. Football only competes with Soccer. Basketball and Hockey compete. Track and Baseball compete. There is some football override with the winter sports, and winter overide with the spring sports. Track is popular among football players since many run to keep in shape for their primary sport.

[spodefly]

There is a National Motocross race in Binghamton NY.

[AmishDude]

Actually, by "athletic", I'm ignoring the skill aspect entirely. A running back and cornerback are athletic positions, a wide receiver and quarterback are less so. A kicker needs to be barely athletic at all. But it doesn't hurt.

For me, the decathlete is the worlds greatest athlete. If you put a decathlete on a soccer pitch, he'll do fine. If you put him on a baseball diamond, he'll look like a fool if he's never played the game. (Try playing slow-pitched softball with people from cultures who play cricket.)

The decathlete could play basketball if he didn't have to score and could play several football positions with the barest of practice. (Assuming he played in a league with people of similar size.)

You've made pointless distinction -- skill and physical ability are inseparable components of "athleticism."

On the contrary. They get separated all the time. Hockey has good skaters, good stick-handlers, goons, etc.

[AmishDude]

Go NOLAN go!

It seems like Ventura should be endorsing the headache medicine.

[cyborg]

Yep...a lot biking stuff happens upstate, even the AMA clubs do stuff up there. When there was talk of building a track down here closer to NYC, it was pooh pooh'd. I think once a year Nassau Coliseum sponsors motorsport events but not enough IMHO.

[Hoof Hearted]

Hitting a baseball well will result from hours of practice

Not unless you have the ATHLETIC ability required to do it.

[bray]

I personally am more concerned about the lack of midgets in all levels of amatuer and professional baseball.

You should be happy to know there are plenty of midgets in professional wrestling.

Pray for W and The Truth

[Defiant]

I think it's part of the reason, not all of it certainly. Youth leagues in the inner city require volunteers and fields and money. The rise of other sports decreases the number of kids who want to play baseball. The view of baseball as a game that is more "white" than basketball or football may play into its popularity among black youth. But baseball is a game that if viewed from a distance may seem boring and slow. To appreciate it, it helps to come from a family where people watch games, talk about strategy and trades and such, and go to the stadium once in a while. Take that away, and you're going to have fewer kids finding baseball on their own.

[johnb838]

Marathon running may be boring to those who don't understand the sport, but to foot racing afficionados it is endlessly fascinating.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

How about "The Department of Children, Families and Baseball."

[r9etb]

On the contrary. They get separated all the time. Hockey has good skaters, good stick-handlers, goons, etc.

So you're basically telling us that it's possible to be a great athlete, and yet have no skills....

You realize that's not even remotely true. You're saying basically that "athletic" is the same as "physical," but we all know that great athletes have to be both physically gifted, and skilled at what they do.

[B4Ranch]

You said what I was thinking.

Plus, basketball can be played by the kids in a driveway or at the end of a street. There's no fear of the ball going thru someones windows.

Baseball requires lots of physical space.

[Mr. Bird]

I must say I'm fascinated by the type of person willing to endure such a thing. In your opinion is the strategy in distance running disappearing? I mean, they are basically sprinting marathons now. Averaging under 5 minutes/mile? Preposterous!

[retrokitten]

Now, about pro-hockey . . . .

What about it? One of the leagues top scorers is Jerome Iginla and he's black. Anson Carter, Peter Worrell, Mike Grier, Kevin Weekes and Georges Laraque are all the black players that I can think of off the top of my head. There was a black player taken in as a 1st round pick in the last draft. Scott Gomez is Latino as is another player whose name escapes me. Jonathan Cheechoo, Jordin Tootoo (how fun are those names to say? LOL), Chris Simon and Theo Fleury are just the native Americans I can name off the top of my head. People who don't know about hockey think it's all a bunch of white Canadians, Russians, and Bostonians playing the game. It's not true at all.

[Poodlebrain]

To a certain extent you are correct. But baseball also takes more time and people to learn to play well than basketball, football or soccer. Practicing fielding skills in baseball requires several people whereas practicing basketball or soccer skills can be an individual endeavor.

Then you have to factor in the equipment costs and space requirements for a baseball field as opposed to the other games and it is also a matter of economics as to which games kids play.

[AmishDude]

You realize that's not even remotely true. You're saying basically that "athletic" is the same as "physical," but we all know that great athletes have to be both physically gifted, and skilled at what they do.

In that case, then a surgeon is an athlete. Or a mechanic. A "skill" is something specific to the sport in question. Shooting a basketball is a skill. Throwing a javelin is much less so.

Actually, I'm saying "athletic" is more specific than "physicial". But, again, "non-athletic" is not a pejorative in my usage.

[OrioleFan]

OK, I'll say it:
The outsourcing of baseball player jobs is President Bushs fault.

[SouthParkRepublican]

"Then by your logic blacks aren't athletic enough to endure the grueling task of sitting in dugouts, trotting back and forth to the outfield every 30 minutes or less...

Kudos! I agree. Some of the arguments here might read: "What percentage of the population can shoot at and hit a 1/4" target from 350 yards in a high wind?" and use this logic of disproportionate numbers to somehow imply that anyone how can is an athlete.