MLB creating committee to study decline in African-American players

[Deberg_1990]

Why has it been on the decline with African Americans? Too much competition with other sports?

MLB might be the most diversified of all major american sporting leagues. Its an International league now.




http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/blog/ey...erican-players



Major League Baseball is creating a committee to study why fewer African-Americans are playing baseball, reports Tyler Kepner of The New York Times. The first meeting will be held on Wednesday in Milwaukee.

“I don't want to miss any opportunity here,” [commissioner Bud Selig] said in a telephone interview from his office in Milwaukee. “We want to find out if we're not doing well, why not, and what we need to do better. We'll meet as many times as we need to to come to meaningful decisions.”

(snip)

“I really think our history is so brilliant when it comes to African-Americans,” Selig said. “You think about the late 1940s, the 1950s — wow. And you look at that and you say to yourself, ‘Why did it not continue, and what could we do to make sure it does continue?' ”

According to Kepner, only 8.5 percent of players on this year's opening-day 25-man rosters were African-American. The reigning world champion Giants are one of several clubs with zero black players. Recent research by Mark Armour from the Society of American Baseball Research says the highest percentage of African-American players in baseball was 19 percent in 1986.

Tigers GM Dave Dombrowski will be chairman of the committee. Former Mets manager Jerry Manuel, Stanford athletic director Bernard Muir and senior director of the MLB scouting bureau Frank Marcos will also serve on the committee, in addition to several other front office employees from around the league.

I think at least part of the reason the number of African-Americans in baseball has declined has to do with the lack of baseball scholarships colleges can offer. NCAA Division I schools are allowed only 11.7 baseball scholarships, and many fund fewer. Other sports like football (85 scholarships in the FBS) and basketball (13 in Division I) can offer more, which may be luring young athletes -- of all races, not just African-Americans -- away from the diamond.

There is no shortage of star African-American players in MLB today. Andrew McCutchen won a fan vote to be on the cover of the MLB 13: The Show video game while others like Matt Kemp, CC Sabathia, Prince Fielder, Michael Bourn and Jimmy Rollins are household names. Perhaps better marketing of these guys (and others) will help influence young African-Americans to play baseball.

[stonedstooge]

Missing out on a lot of talent. I wish the kids would start playing baseball again instead of basketball. The opportunities are there, just not enough glamour

[Deberg_1990]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

Missing out on a lot of talent. I wish the kids would start playing baseball again instead of basketball. The opportunities are there, just not enough glamour

I agree. Its too bad....i feel like baseball has really dropped the ball (heh) the last few decades. Or maybe the NBA and the NFL have done a better job appealing to youth in general?

[Pushead2]

Originally Posted by Deberg_1990

I agree. Its too bad....i feel like baseball has really dropped the ball (heh) the last few decades. Or maybe the NBA and the NFL have done a better job appealing to youth in general?

I feel that with baseball, there are too many hoops to jump through to make into the majors. (A, AA & AAA minor leagues)

Basketball & Football, it's high school-college-majors, so I think it's more appealing than being brought up through a farm system before you get a sniff at the pros.

Hockey has the same problem as baseball but now they are starting to just play these 18 & 19 year old kids from the start & bypass the minors.

[Prison Bitch]

It's the urban black culture. Nobody there likes baseball all that much. I see no reason to blame MLB on that. What did they do to cause that?

[houstonwhodat]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

It's the urban black culture. Nobody there likes baseball all that much. I see no reason to blame MLB on that. What did they do to cause that?

It's all whitey's fault you know that.

[Prison Bitch]

Originally Posted by houstonwhodat

It's all whitey's fault you know that.

Selig wants to know where the blacks have gone, but I wonder if he's asking after the last election where the whiteys have gone? Nope. He won't be asking that.

[houstonwhodat]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

Selig wants to know where the blacks have gone, but I wonder if he's asking after the last election where the whiteys have gone? Nope. He won't be asking that.

Black people have evidently spoken.

They don't like baseball.

So the **** what!

I rarely watch NBA except for the last 2 minutes of any game.

[scho63]

Originally Posted by Prison Bitch

It's the urban black culture. Nobody there likes baseball all that much. I see no reason to blame MLB on that. What did they do to cause that?

Exactly plus there was a study within the last few years and they asked like 2,000 black youth about baseball and nearly 80% said they found it slow and boring.

Are we now going to force kids to play a game they don't like to "balance" things out?

This country really sucks with all the PC and Wusification. Just let people be and do what they like not what some jackass politician or official THINKS they like.

[Rausch]

Originally Posted by scho63

This country really sucks with all the PC and Wusification. Just let people be and do what they like not what some jackass politician or official THINKS they like.

...

[houstonwhodat]

Originally Posted by scho63

Exactly plus there was a study within the last few years and they asked like 2,000 black youth about baseball and nearly 80% said they found it slow and boring.

Are we now going to force kids to play a game they don't like to "balance" things out?

This country really sucks with all the PC and Wusification. Just let people be and do what they like not what some jackass politician or official THINKS they like.

Bingo.

It's called free market capitalism.

The dollars speak.

[stonedstooge]

I worked at a school for adjudicated youth for 3 years that was mostly populated by inner city kids(of all colors) who were gangbangers. Many, when you asked them about baseball, gave you a look like, are you kidding me? They said the opportunities to play were there, but it just wasn't a cool thing to do. At that time, about 15 years ago, is seemed to be a cultural thing as much as anything. I did some research on it at that time and the effort was still there to get them to play. I'm not sure if it's still there though.

[mikey23545]

Originally Posted by stonedstooge

I worked at a school for adjudicated youth for 3 years that was mostly populated by inner city kids(of all colors) who were gangbangers. Many, when you asked them about baseball, gave you a look like, are you kidding me? They said the opportunities to play were there, but it just wasn't a cool thing to do. At that time, about 15 years ago, is seemed to be a cultural thing as much as anything. I did some research on it at that time and the effort was still there to get them to play. I'm not sure if it's still there though.

There's no way to spike a home run.

[Goldmember]

Maybe Latino players are beating them out? About a year ago, I read somewhere that poorer black families in the US can't afford to send their kids to the baseball camps and leagues that showcase talents. Maybe a combination of both?

[ChiTown]

Reading this makes me want to club baby seals......