Issue Date: 4/16/07
Baseball has lost part of its past
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On April 15, 1947, the unimaginable happened. At the time, an unbelievable hurdle had been reached by thousands of athletes across the country. Yet, the
achievement rested squarely on the shoulders of one man who personified the meaning of courage and bravery, and who still affects the professional sporting world to this day.
Sunday marked the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the Major League Baseball color
barrier. In honor of the Dodger legend, many MLB players, including San Diego Padres centerfielder Mike Cameron, wore the number 42 on the back of their
jerseys, in a gesture that was pushed by Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr.
However, as the country celebrated the accomplishments of the Hall-of-Fame second baseman, the number of African American baseball players has become minuscule. So diminutive, in fact, that Cleveland Indians pitcher C.C Sabathia has gone as far to say that the current
situation is a "crisis."
So how big of a predicament is this really?
Well, as late as last season the number of black baseball players plummeted to just 8.4 percent, according to a University of Central Florida study. Just over 30 years ago, the African American population was nearly 30 percent of MLB rosters.
As these numbers have dwindled, the league has finally begun to realize this is more than just a slight drop off. On March 31, the last day of spring training, MLB held its first "Civil Rights" game, in hopes of spreading awareness. A game between the Indians and St. Louis Cardinals at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tenn., MLB saw a nearly sold out crowd.
Yet, when ESPN's cameras panned into the stands, the only people of color visible were former MLB players on hand to recognize this dilemma.
How exactly did the sport reach this all-time low?
Could it be that MLB and the powers-that-be made little effort to reach out to the African American community over the last 20 years? Possibly. The cost of travel baseball and Little League have risen significantly.
achievement rested squarely on the shoulders of one man who personified the meaning of courage and bravery, and who still affects the professional sporting world to this day.
Sunday marked the 60th anniversary of Jackie Robinson breaking the Major League Baseball color
barrier. In honor of the Dodger legend, many MLB players, including San Diego Padres centerfielder Mike Cameron, wore the number 42 on the back of their
jerseys, in a gesture that was pushed by Cincinnati Reds outfielder Ken Griffey, Jr.
However, as the country celebrated the accomplishments of the Hall-of-Fame second baseman, the number of African American baseball players has become minuscule. So diminutive, in fact, that Cleveland Indians pitcher C.C Sabathia has gone as far to say that the current
situation is a "crisis."
So how big of a predicament is this really?
Well, as late as last season the number of black baseball players plummeted to just 8.4 percent, according to a University of Central Florida study. Just over 30 years ago, the African American population was nearly 30 percent of MLB rosters.
As these numbers have dwindled, the league has finally begun to realize this is more than just a slight drop off. On March 31, the last day of spring training, MLB held its first "Civil Rights" game, in hopes of spreading awareness. A game between the Indians and St. Louis Cardinals at AutoZone Park in Memphis, Tenn., MLB saw a nearly sold out crowd.
Yet, when ESPN's cameras panned into the stands, the only people of color visible were former MLB players on hand to recognize this dilemma.
How exactly did the sport reach this all-time low?
Could it be that MLB and the powers-that-be made little effort to reach out to the African American community over the last 20 years? Possibly. The cost of travel baseball and Little League have risen significantly.
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