The State of African Americans in the Game of Baseball

Ian of Random Thoughts gave me a head-ups on article he had read on ESPN.com yesterday, about the state of African-American ballplayers in baseball.

If you have read the article, C.C. Sabathia opines that they are just not many African-American players in the game at all.

He says:

"There aren't very many African-American players, and it's not just in here, it's everywhere," Sabathia said Wednesday between morning workouts. "It's not just a problem -- it's a crisis."

"I go back home to Vallejo," Sabathia said of his offseason time in California, "and the kids say, 'What's baseball?' It's not just an issue for my hometown, it's an issue for the whole country. I think Major League Baseball should do something about it. I don't know exactly what they could be doing, but I know it's not enough."

Well, I whole heartedly see what Sabathia is talking about. I notice the crowds at games, press, writers, players and as well a lot of events I attend throughout the East Coast, and there are very few people of color at lot of them. More then often, I am the only minority there with exception of the staff or team officials.

I ask myself again and again, why is this case. For example, I went to an event at the ESPN Zone for the Washington Nationals and out of 100-150 fans, I was the only minority in the place who was a fan.

Realize, Washington D.C. is a majority African-American city, at around 60%.

In a lot of cities today, there’s a great absence of baseball facilities and fields, or they are in such poor shape that they are not safe to play on. Keep in mind, Bud Selig has done a lot for diversity with the RBI Inner City program, as well players such as Torii Hunter, Sabathia, and LaTroy Hawkins have taken out their time to help the community, especially towards African Americans.

In addition, if you added the economics of the game, a lot of people in the inner city, a vast majority African American, cannot afford the equipment consider the amount a good bat, glove and the accessories cost.

The game has had great players such as Frank Robinson, Dave Winfield, the late Kirby Puckett, Joe Morgan, the ‘Hammer’ Hank Aaron, Dave Park, Dave Stewart, Barry Bonds, Ken Griffey, Jr., Dontrelle Willis and just countless others not have a greater profile in the community?

Well, I think a lot it has to do with the image of the NBA and NFL and the percentage African Americans in the league, thus makes the game more relatable. As well, I think that baseball tends to stick with tradition and nostalgia, while the NBA and NFL market their young stars, but it is done in conjunction with the latest in music and the culture, which are urban-based (hip-hop, rap and contemporary R&B).

Baseball does not do that at all. Not that it should, but I see a great difference to how the game is marketed.

Furthermore, Sabathia says that:

"They don't see us playing," Sabathia said. "When I grew up, I was a pitcher and I liked the Oakland A's. I liked Dave Stewart. I was a big left-handed hitter, so I liked Dave Parker. You had Barry Bonds playing in San Francisco, guys like that. There were a lot of guys to look up to."

If he was a kid today, would Sabathia be playing baseball?

"No way," he said. "That's the truth."

And…

"Black kids see LeBron [James] coming out of high school and getting his millions," the 26-year-old said. "So they see basketball and football as the quickest way out.”

It’s sad that the game that has had such a prominent role in the lexicon of American History with the integration of Jackie Robinson into the Major Leagues does not have a great influence in the American-American community.

What do you think?