Blacks in baseball

NimzovichLarsen

Sports

17 Apr 07

NimzovichLarsen

cube# 6484

Joined: 01 Sep 04
Moves: 9626

17 Apr 07

Any ideas on why the number of blacks in MLB is going down? So many of the greats were black; Mays, Gibson, Robinson, etc., but today the numbers are on the decrease....Why?

Dance Master MC

USA

Joined: 02 Mar 07
Moves: 8808

17 Apr 07

there is no difintive answer to that question, but you may have noticed many african american players joining the NFL these days

NimzovichLarsen

cube# 6484

Joined: 01 Sep 04
Moves: 9626

17 Apr 07

Originally posted by Dance Master MC
there is no difintive answer to that question, but you may have noticed many african american players joining the NFL these days

yes, but that's always been true. This is a change in baseball.

darvlay

Joined: 05 Jan 04
Moves: 45179

17 Apr 07

1 edit

Originally posted by NimzovichLarsen
Any ideas on why the number of blacks in MLB is going down? So many of the greats were black; Mays, Gibson, Robinson, etc., but today the numbers are on the decrease....Why?

Hmm, this is the first I've heard of this. Do you have a link to a study?

PS - Many of the greats are still black 😕

NimzovichLarsen

cube# 6484

Joined: 01 Sep 04
Moves: 9626

17 Apr 07

Originally posted by darvlay
Hmm, this is the first I've heard of this. Do you have a link to a study?

PS - Many of the greats are still black 😕

http://www.bus.ucf.edu/sport/public/downloads/2004_Racial_Gender_Report_Card_MLB.pdf

this shows that only 9% of the players in MLB are black, a number that has been decreasing since the 70's.

http://liberalorder.typepad.com/./photos/uncategorized/shift.gif

http://media.www.thehilltoponline.com/media/storage/paper590/news/2007/04/02/Sports/Fewest.AfricanAmerican.Players.In.Mlb.Since.80s-2817663.shtml

mtthw

Joined: 07 Sep 05
Moves: 35068

17 Apr 07

I gather the number of foreign players in MLB has been increasing in recent years. If these are predominantly non-black, would that be enough to explain the reduction?

NimzovichLarsen

cube# 6484

Joined: 01 Sep 04
Moves: 9626

17 Apr 07

Originally posted by mtthw
I gather the number of foreign players in MLB has been increasing in recent years. If these are predominantly non-black, would that be enough to explain the reduction?

I don't think so. The numbers haven't changed in the NBA or the NFL. Besides, when Mays and Gibson played they were good enough even if there had been the same influx of foreign players, they would of remained in MLB. This isn't a case of all the black players are being pushed into the minors by better Latin (for example) players. It's just not that many are playing anymore. THis is true in little league, college, minors, and pro.

Red Night

RHP Prophet

pursuing happiness

Joined: 22 Feb 06
Moves: 13669

19 Apr 07

Since 1989, the number of blacks in MLB has declined from 17% to 9%. At the same time the number of latinos has increased from 13-26%

The high for blacks was in 1974 when they made up 27% of MLB.

During the 2001-2002 season the number of Latinos reached an all-time high of 28%.