</p>Pretty interesting article... http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121426934388698751.html?mod=sports
Ron Polk on Latino players per WSJ...
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</p>Pretty interesting article... http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121426934388698751.html?mod=sports
</p>Pretty interesting article... http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121426934388698751.html?mod=sports
</p>Pretty interesting article... http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121426934388698751.html?mod=sports
</p>Pretty interesting article... http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB121426934388698751.html?mod=sports
is that in a place like Mississippi :
a. less and less black kids are interested in playing baseball for what whatever reason and I'm talking about starting from little league where the registration fees and costs are minimal to play. It appears most younger black kids are drawn toward playing games like football and basketball that have more emphasis on raw athletic ability
and
b. even when a black kid plays on his HS team and is an outstanding prospect, almost none of them will forego playing pro baseball to play at a college on a partial scholarship. Part of that is probably that a higher percentage of them need to for financial reasons but I think also its that most of them don't have family loyalties and ties to "traditionally white" universities that a lot of the white kids have. If the pros had farm systems in basketball and football and universities didn't give full scholarships for those sports you would have the exact same problem there as well.
a. less and less black kids are interested in playing baseball for what whatever reason and I'm talking about starting from little league where the registration fees and costs are minimal to play. It appears most younger black kids are drawn toward playing games like football and basketball that have more emphasis on raw athletic ability
and
b. even when a black kid plays on his HS team and is an outstanding prospect, almost none of them will forego playing pro baseball to play at a college on a partial scholarship. Part of that is probably that a higher percentage of them need to for financial reasons but I think also its that most of them don't have family loyalties and ties to "traditionally white" universities that a lot of the white kids have. If the pros had farm systems in basketball and football and universities didn't give full scholarships for those sports you would have the exact same problem there as well.
baseball scholarship waggon? If you believe that African americans are more economically disadvantaged as a group, then the scholarship policy clearly discriminates against African Americans unable to pay tuition, and clearly favors those students who are able to foot some of the bill themselves.
If your family is able to pay your tuition, it is hard enough to decide to pass up a signing bonus, etc. and go to college instead. Can't pay for college? It's a no brainer. Of course, grants and student loans for everyone that cannot afford college pretty well flies in the face of that. So, er, never mind. But, the NAACP thing: That I don't understand.
If your family is able to pay your tuition, it is hard enough to decide to pass up a signing bonus, etc. and go to college instead. Can't pay for college? It's a no brainer. Of course, grants and student loans for everyone that cannot afford college pretty well flies in the face of that. So, er, never mind. But, the NAACP thing: That I don't understand.
non- affirmative action as they come, but there are clearly systemic issues causing a bias toward white players and against black players. Actually, specifically, there are systemic issues relating to economic bias, and the jump to racial bias is just a small step.
2 on football scholly and 2 pure baseball players. Chad Jones (football) quit when his grades started tanking. I can't explain it but LSU has had a black starter or major contributor for the last 20 years. That's only one out of nine players which would make us tops in the SEC, but it's still weighted to white players. Only one black pitcher since I've been alive.
The idea that college baseball should have tons of latinos is a joke. Maybe his next article will be that NCAA basketball needs to mirror the NBA so every NCAA team should have 5 foreign players.
The idea that college baseball should have tons of latinos is a joke. Maybe his next article will be that NCAA basketball needs to mirror the NBA so every NCAA team should have 5 foreign players.
I hate to reference the munchkin man's rant after his recent outburst, but this gap was created by closing a gap for female students. The NCAA chose a sport that is hugely popular in the South and California to be its whipping boy for Title IX. It's not college baseball that makes the sport available to wealthier citizens. It's the governing body for all of college athletics.
I missed the specificity of your post. It isn't a systemic problem in college baseball. It is a systemic problem with the NCAA, among other things.
I think another reason that less affluent kids aren't attracted to baseball is that it's a sport that requires a decent amount of organization. It's a lot tougher to play a pick up game of baseball due to the need to call balls and strikes and call outs.
Pick up basketball and football are much more common, because the basic rules are fairly easy to enforce without the organization of a league with referees/umpires.
Pick up basketball and football are much more common, because the basic rules are fairly easy to enforce without the organization of a league with referees/umpires.
The NCAA is the one that set up the scholarship limitations and thus they are the main party responsible for the so called elitist nature of the sport. There are other factors to be sure, but if full rides were handed out in baseball you can bet things would be much different.
It's interesting to me that an initiative undertaken on behalf of gender equality has created a gap in another sport with respect to racial equality.
It's interesting to me that an initiative undertaken on behalf of gender equality has created a gap in another sport with respect to racial equality.
True. My son starts t-ball next year. I wonder at one point will I run across my first little league parent, who thinks their child is the next mlb hall of famer. I think it would ruin the game for the child. It turns a hobby into a profession way too early for my taste.
of blacks in pro baseball. Maybe that trend is declining. But, all other things equal, the black/white ratio of college baseball should equal that of pro baseball with a fair scholarship program.
As for hispanics, a lot of those players are orignally foreign players who really don't fit into mainstream american colleges.
As for hispanics, a lot of those players are orignally foreign players who really don't fit into mainstream american colleges.
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I think pretty much every point that has been said on here has been valid. MLB is doing something about this: the RBI program, but even with that program it's still going to be a sport that is slanted towards the middle and upper classes.
I think that some of the other factors are in football and basketball, you can get almost instant gratification and more money by playing those sports. In baseball, if you're good enough to get drafted, you're going to have to spend some time in places like Pocatello, Idaho. The bonuses, in general, are typically less than football and basketball as well. Throw in the fact that fewer college baseball games are telivised in comparison to basketball and football, to.
Baseball is also a sport that is much more about fundamentals and discipline than just raw athleticism. Look at MSU vs. Jackson State in baseball.
I don't think having more scholarships in college baseball will solve the problem, but here again, if MLB had no African American players, so what?
I think that some of the other factors are in football and basketball, you can get almost instant gratification and more money by playing those sports. In baseball, if you're good enough to get drafted, you're going to have to spend some time in places like Pocatello, Idaho. The bonuses, in general, are typically less than football and basketball as well. Throw in the fact that fewer college baseball games are telivised in comparison to basketball and football, to.
Baseball is also a sport that is much more about fundamentals and discipline than just raw athleticism. Look at MSU vs. Jackson State in baseball.
I don't think having more scholarships in college baseball will solve the problem, but here again, if MLB had no African American players, so what?
I don't either. However, I have come to the conclusion. That making statements such as these are done by those out of touch with reality. They only say such things because they believe that is what others want to hear.
Nobody should be embarrassed by the race of other individuals. Polk should have said he was embarrased that he did not have more black players being in a predominately black state. It really pissed me off when the Treadwell guy from Grenada was at Alabama kicking tail. Now, evidently, he has a brother that is a prospect. I wonder if Polk was so embarrased that he recruited that black player? I doubt it. Polk is full of it.
dawgstudent said:
</p>Right, because Latino players are part of the elite...What does it say that in America, the numbers of Latinos playing the game has increased and the number of blacks has declined? I don't think that has anything to do with "elitism."
Its because black kids are more interested in playing basketball and football, sports where pure speed and athleticism make one more likely to perform more highly.
Its also a cultural thing. For blacks, its "cooler" to play basketball and football, and you get more "rep" if you're good at those. Baseball is that "other" sport, to most black kids. I guess if you're going to say its "elitism" that less blacks play the sport, you'd also have to say it about softball and golf too. I guess those are elitst sports...its all someone else's fault...
It has more to do with a wide margin of the black community abandoning the game of baseball (and sadly so) than it does the game abandoning the community.
</p>If African-American athletes realized how much better their chances at making big money in the Major Leagues was, they'd change their mind. Reggie Jackson was an all-American High School Running back when he first went to Arizona State. After seeing Frank Kush put his players through hell, he decided to play baseball instead. Wound up having a 20 year career and he still has his health. If he'd have played College football and NFL, he might've had a 5-7 year career and could barely be able to get out of bed.
Jackson told Bo Jackson the same thing, but Bo decided he wanted to play football as well, and that hit he took in the 1990 playoffs crippled him. Even then, he played MLB until 1994, and if he hadn't had played football, he'd probably still be playing.</p>
Like I said, it is a sad thing to see the black community has basically turned its back on baseball.
The game is greater because of players like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Reggie, the Griffeys, etc etc etc.
The game is greater because of players like Jackie Robinson, Willie Mays, Reggie, the Griffeys, etc etc etc.
I wonder what the trend line on that is. I wonder if it is getting less and less black.
It sure seems like there are a lot more blacks than that out there when I am watching. But, perhaps some of those are the blacks/latino.
It sure seems like there are a lot more blacks than that out there when I am watching. But, perhaps some of those are the blacks/latino.
I think what the article said is dead-on re: college baseball shutting out kids from poorer families. When we were all growing up, it was 15 games of Little League in the summer. Now, every kid, starting shortly after t-ball, has to own their own equipment and be able to travel around the South (if not the nation) to participate in these travel teams. This is where I want to pull my hair out about the way priorities in this country have taken a wrong turn but I'll save that for another time.
I'm a huge soccer fan and think this is exactly why the US is a long way from developing into a world power due to the structure in place now. Everything is geared to the upper-income kids who can afford to play on these travel teams and completely eliminates any kids from poor backgrounds. Go to South America and they don't have this ****. They have youth club teams that kids try out for, but everyone is invited to the party, so to speak.
I'm a huge soccer fan and think this is exactly why the US is a long way from developing into a world power due to the structure in place now. Everything is geared to the upper-income kids who can afford to play on these travel teams and completely eliminates any kids from poor backgrounds. Go to South America and they don't have this ****. They have youth club teams that kids try out for, but everyone is invited to the party, so to speak.
You'd get a pickup game going in the street, or go to some open field, or even vacant lot. The kids would choose teams, and if it looked like the game would get out of hand, they'd re-pick. Calls were disputed but generally the kids figured it out. Kids would start around 10 in the morning, and go until sunset (except for maybe lunch).
Now, they won't let kids play in vacant lots or open fields due to "lawsuits". The kids have to be "coached" by a "trained coach". A kid has maybe 1-2 hours 2 days a week to play the game. They may "work on their skills", but the only way you get better is to play the game.
Basketball is the only sport kids play nowadays at the drop of a hat. Football used to be like that, but that's been taken over by the lawyers as well. In Central and South America, Africa and Europe, kids will play soccer at the drop of a hat...ie, put a few rocks out for out of bounds and for goals, and just play. Here in America, you have to be tricked out in the latest gear, or you can't play (thanks to the lawyers who sue).
Now, they won't let kids play in vacant lots or open fields due to "lawsuits". The kids have to be "coached" by a "trained coach". A kid has maybe 1-2 hours 2 days a week to play the game. They may "work on their skills", but the only way you get better is to play the game.
Basketball is the only sport kids play nowadays at the drop of a hat. Football used to be like that, but that's been taken over by the lawyers as well. In Central and South America, Africa and Europe, kids will play soccer at the drop of a hat...ie, put a few rocks out for out of bounds and for goals, and just play. Here in America, you have to be tricked out in the latest gear, or you can't play (thanks to the lawyers who sue).
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