Hey, kids! A study came out a little while back that said that only 8 percent of all Major League Baseball players are black today, less than half the numbers from 20 years ago. Couldn't you just guess that I've got some theory as to why? I do. And the best part is: You don't have to buy a book to read about it (*cough* Dave Winfield).
Here goes:
Reason No. 1: There just aren't enough useable diamonds. Period. I have always wanted to get games going and the struggle is always, "Where the fuck are we going to play?" Half the parks you go to these days that have diamonds are being used by little leagues (which cost money, you'll start to see a theme here soon) and many others are even being used for other sports. The problem isn't the leagues but I think that there has always been something to be said for getting together with your friends and starting something more spontaneously,Sandlot style! Few of those places exist today.
Also keep in mind that after Columbine, high schools and middle school fields are locked up tighter than a virgin on prom night. You need bolt cutters just to get near these fields and then you're invariable going to be chased away be some form of janitor eventually. It really is sad. You used to be able to go down to Montgomery Middle School where I live and walk your dogs, play handball, soccer, or tennis (which I miss) but now, no dice. Security, they say. Fuck that, I say.
Now most baseball "types" would also mention that the lack of fields problem is only exacerbated in "urban" neighborhoods. That's PC for the ghetto. I don't personally believe that that's the only place black people live anymore. Call me new-fashioned. It may be an element but not the whole issue.
Other sports like football and basketball can be picked up pretty much anywhere in comparison. Street football was very prevalent in my childhood. Got a basketball hoop in your driveway? Awesome. When's the last time you met someone with a baseball diamond at their house?
And this stage (childhood) is where the passion is supposed to start too. A major leaguer in the making needs this fire to drive them into a more serious pursuit of the game.
Reason No. 2: Baseball requires more equipment to play than other sports. Football requires a football. Soccer, same thing (well, a futbol). Basketball needs a hoop as well as a basketball. Most parks have one and no bothersome leagues to get in your way. Baseball requires a kid to have a ball, a glove, and bat. And I believe we all know how easy it is to lose a baseball, either during a game or afterward. Now it's not that much more than the other sports but it's just enough to put off someone on a fixed income.
And once someone starts to get more serious about baseball, the costs go up and the amount of equipment increases. Now you need batting gloves (or not, if you're nuts), maybe a helmet, a cup (that's just smart thinking), cleats, and a better bat (the newer-fangled ones are $80+). These are all things that a budding major leaguer will need. Not to mention batting cage fees.
Again, I don't want to say that all black kids are poor, so I'm going to get into more of the cultural barriers that exist today.
Reason No. 3: Baseball is not a hip-hop sport. It's a hip-hop world, son. That's a fact. Hip-hop was created by Black Americans in the early 80's and has evolved into a mega-cultural power in the society of youths today. White kids love it, black kids love it. I don't, but what do I know? Hip-hop is represented in clothing, jewelry, shoes, dialects/grammar, and MTV Cribs ambitions. You see an 8 year old with an iPod, you think he's listening to the Wiggles? Nah, man. He's rockin' the latest by 50 or Jay-Z's greatest hits. And god bless that kid, the Wiggles lick balls.
And what sports exude the hip-hop lifestyle and apparel? The answers are football and basketball. The number of black superstars in those respective sports definitely has an effect. Part of it also has to with the amount of big hits and slam dunks that appear on Sportscenter everynight. What kind of songs do you hear during those highlights? That's what I thought. And hip-hop artists, what are their sports of choice? It ain't baseball. Maybe Nelly's, but that's about it. I repeat, it's a hip-hop world, son, and you're living in it.
Reason No. 4: Baseball has an extensive minor league system. When a good football or basketball player comes out of college (if they go), they start in the big leagues fairly immediately. The NBA now has a development league but it seems that the majority of drafted players hit the NBA right off, barring any major problems. Football has no minor leagues. It's college to pro. From there you work hard and you might start.
If you're drafted in baseball, as early as out of high school, you've gotta go through rookie ball, Single-A, Double-A, and Triple-A before you can even sniff "the show."
And let's even take salaries into consideration here. The league minimum for the NFL is $1.3 million with around 55 players per team. The NBA average low-salary is $4.9 million with only 12-man teams. The Major League Baseball league minimum is $300,000 with 25-man rosters. And that's "the show." Minor league players can earn so little that they have to stay with "foster families" in their team's town. So low that they can't afford an apartment! No wonder it's less appealing to a kid who wants to have the big house with the Mercedeses.
I hope that I've made sense here. To be quite honest, this blog has taken so long to write, I probably lost my train of thought dozens of times. If I missed anything, please enlighten me. Agree, disagree? Cool. I just wanted to show that the issue is complicated and how hard it will be to fix. I love the game and I want it to succeed, for everybody. Ponder it, kids. My head hurts.
