Ask Doug: African-Americans in Baseball
The Baseball Factory
January 16, 2010
By Doug Glanville
Doug Glanville is working with the Baseball Factory and Team One Baseball as a Special Consultant. He will be writing articles and looking for your questions and feedback. If you have a question for Doug, please email him at askdoug@baseballfactory.com
Q: I would like to hear what are your thoughts of the fact that less African-Americans are playing baseball: what are the main reasons? As far as I'm concerned, I heard a lot of things like it’s too expensive to play baseball [in] some countries where poverty is prevalent like in [the] Dominican Republic and MLB teams seem to be successful to find the best talent available. Another thing I heard, it's a tough game where you have more chance to fail than to succeed. Last thing I heard, it's a boring game: from where I live (Montreal, Canada), it's really tough to attract black kids into this game and they seem to have no interest. As matter of fact, I believe baseball offers more opportunities than basketball and football where you don't have to be tall and big to play this game. Any thoughts?
A: This question has been discussed from many perspectives including in 2004 when I was with the Phillies and we realized that African-Americans represented about a quarter of the league (then about 8% or less). The latest numbers show about 10% of the league being African-American which is a decent bump. It is true that the other sports offer a quicker path to the top level. Baseball has a minor league system that serves just as much as a filter as it does for development. I certainly had experiences which brought to question how race played a part in some of the labels I received and how I would advance. You have one of the larger "middle managements" around throughout so many levels and inside that world, you can run into anything. It is hard to police even when the organization has the best of intentions.
That being stated, it used to be an easy place to get lost, especially if you didn't have the system working for you.
Mentoring is important and if there isn't a strong representation in either higher level players or administrators, that could lead to many players falling through the cracks. Certainly this is hard for Latino players who are not from the American culture. As you mentioned, they are inexpensive (free agents, etc) and more risk can be taken. If you get a Vladimir Guerrero every 150 players, it is worth it. But what happens to the non-superstars when all is said and done?
If you are coming from challenging socio-economics, it makes for a tougher situation. Looking for instant gratification will cause the focus to shy away from the long road of minor league baseball. Better to be a great player in college and enter the NBA draft, but no one tells you that you have to be one in a million. So few are selected, the ones that do, do well, but that is the exception by a wide margin.
Baseball has come a long ways and still has a ways to go when it comes to having African-American policy setters and decision-makers in the game. From a position of power, more groups can have a voice for understanding and progress. Until then, it is one day at a time.
Doug
Republished from Baseball Factory
