Ron Polk on Latino players per WSJ...

[Todd4State]

play baseball because for many of them, that's "their ticket off of the island". They are very cheap to develop, in comparison to African American players, and many of them get signed when they are 16 or whenever they can can a forged birth cirtificate.

Now, I know I'm going to get questioned about my comment about African American players, so I'll try to explain. First of all, many Latino players can be signed for ridiculous sums of money- like 2,000 dollars, whereas a guy like a Rashun Dixon may sign for 90,000 dollars or more. MLB teams would prefer to develop their own players as opposed to having them go play high school or college baseball so that they won't "learn bad habits". Be that as it may, most MLB players come from the college ranks. College baseball players tend to take less time to develop because they're older and more mature, many have played in the Cape Cod League and used wood bats. College players also have fewer options than high school players that get drafted, so that can drive the cost down in some cases. Most African American players if they get drafted bypass college, for various reason, most mentioned in this thread. High school players can be more expensive, and if MLB has a chance to sign a player that is just as good, cheaper, and has a higher ceiling, they're going to do it.

As far as the RBI program, I honestly don't know a whole lot about it. I don't know if it is simply an inner city form of youth leagues, or if they're actually going to try to have MLB coaches run it and try to develop players like they do in Latin America. I do think that it is good that MLB is at least addressing the issue somewhat, and I also think that it is wise that MLB is trying to find as many players as they possibly can instead of letting a resource die on the vine.</p>

 

[Shmuley]

I personally think it has much more to do with PS3 and nintendo, as well as the parental fear associated with perverts and psychos wishing to do harm to kids. When you and I played outside all day there was no known risk that some freak would swoop in and abduct us.

 

[Todd4State]

The whole travel team concept is crazy to me. These people plaster their 10 year old kids name and uniform number all over the car- and I would have been embarassed if my parents did that, and am thankful that they didn't. And then they go play in these tournaments in weird places- like D'Lo, and spend all of their vacation time going to places like that.

It's absolutely insane. And don't get me started on the Little League World Series. You've got "scandals" from teams using 15 year olds and then you've got some factory worker from New Jersey comparing his coaching style to Joe Torre. It's just <17> up.</p>

 

[RobertF50]

were found to have been using young men to win the Little League World Series all those years it took away from it forever for some. I don't think they have won a single title since made to follow the rules. Pathetic.

 

[lanceharbor7]

When I look back at my early days playing baseball (as a mildly educated white guy), I do with a bit of disdain. I played ball for five years with some booger eating rednecks who were psychotically competitive and might have had alcohol and drug problems. If I'm turned off by that environment, I can't see why any normal black guy would want to be around that crap. The athleticism angle makes sense as well, but socially I'd rather practice breakdancing than play little league baseball in Mississippi. p.s. and it wasn't because I sucked either.

 

[Porkchop.sixpack]

The questions are: Has baseball's movement to elitism produced a superior trained athlete that may not have the raw ability of previous years? And has that produced an athlete that is utlimately superior or inferior to prior years' talent?

 

[lanceharbor7]

nm

 

[dawgstudent]

where in America are Latinos playing baseball? For youth, baseball in America is an elitist sport. It's like soccer.

The main problem is as someone said earlier, where can they play? I have never seen a baseball diamond in the middle of inner city. I always see a basketball court.

 

[js290]

were found to have been using young men to win the Little League World Series all those years it took away from it forever for some.

Jesus Tap Dancing Christ, there's some ignorant mutha uckas up in here. Ignorant MSU baseball fans... kind of redundant. The Taiwanese little league team stopped competing internationally between 1997 and 2002. They resumed in 2003.
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It was a team from the Bronx that got caught with an ineligible player. They didn't even win the damn thing.
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I don't think they have won a single title since made to follow the rules. Pathetic.

Technically, what you're doing isn't really "thinking." You must also think Polk is actually unhappy having an all white team. Pathetic indeed.
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[js290]

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.

Take the politics out of it and just look at the all white MSU baseball "problem" statistically. Say you have a pool of college eligible baseball players, and this pool is made up of 90% white and 10% black players. We'll assume also a normal distribution of talent. If you randomly pick out of this pool, your team should roughly match the distribution of the pool on average. The only time in recent memory that the team looked statistically normal was under McMahon. Anybody that's been paying any attention knows that Polk has been picking deliberately and poorly since at least the early 90s.
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[RobertF50]

It was a team from the Bronx that got caught with an ineligible player. They didn't even win the damn thing.

Yeah the team from the Bronx got caught as well, but that was after the C.T. team had been caught forging birth certificates for years. The years you say they did not compete was a direct result of them being caught cheating. They had to learn how to play within the rules and rebuild accordingly. Maybe you're hearing the cleaned up version from the Far East.

What is most pathetic is name calling computer tough guys like you.

 

[js290]

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.

I can explain it to you... Skip Bertman went out and found the best players available. And sometimes, the best available baseball players may have dark skin. </p>

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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.

Honestly, this is all a non issue except for MSU baseball. No other school runs around talking about how great their baseball program is like MSU. If you're winning CWS with an all white team, nobody can say anything. But, when your team sucks with only white players, you have to wonder how great your program really is.
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[Stormrider81]

It seems like every single SUV you see nowadays has the kid's number and name on there, like you were talking about. I think that's stupid. I'm not trying to be insensitive here, but I could care less if your son plays for a little league team in Brandon, and I doubt anyone else does either. They travel all over the place taking their kid to play in tournaments. They yell at the umps and make fools of themselves over a little league game. They buy their kid the top of the line equipment, some of which is ridiculously expensive. Their lives revolve around baseball. I think that's wrong. Having a kid's life revolve around playing a sport is just wrong. Priorities are way out of wack.</p>

 

[Ford76]

Yeah, I was afraid of that. I think it is about time the parents of other players drag these idiots behind the barn and give them a good old fashion butt-whipping, so the other kids can enjoy playing. I know that I had a blast playing baseball as a kid and is a big reason that baseball is my favorite sport.

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

We had Little League when I was young, but we had a long regular season and, after the season was over, there was an all-Star team for the excellent players. Now, the regular season is very short so they can start up their "All-Star" teams and play in tournaments 2 States away. Robin Roberts (the old Phillies pitcher, not the chick broadcaster) said that they shouldn't allow parents anywhere near the field, let the kids choose sides, and the score should be 41-37. Ironically, parental interest wanes when the kids become teenagers. THIS is the time you should start developing baseball players. Instead, the only things most parents want to do by the time a kid is 16 is give him the keys so he can drive out to the game by himself.

 

[futaba.79]

or an American Legion summer league game?

Ironically, parental interest wanes when the kids become teenagers. THIS is the time you should start developing baseball players. Instead, the only things most parents want to do by the time a kid is 16 is give him the keys so he can drive out to the game by himself

It doesn't sound like it. Baseball parents are in it to the end of their kid's career.

 

[dawgstudent]

Because baseball parents can afford to travel which points back to it being an elitist sport in America.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

usually there are about 8 of them. Congrats, you paid money so your kid can be on a team. It's not an accomplishment. You know what else, now a predator knows your child's name and can call him by it. Not to mention the embarrassment factor as was mentioned, I never would have wanted my parents to have that crap on their car.

Congrats, little Jacy is a cheerleader and plays soccer, and Toby plays football and baseball.

 

[futaba.79]

that baseball is an elitist sport, you won't get a arguement out of me on this issue.

I saw it first hand for 10 years. My two oldest boys were pretty good players and I did the all-star scene, HS baseball and the American Legion deal. When it was finally over with, it was like I got a raise.

When my kids were little league all-stars, the more affluent parents would end up having to fund those that couldn't afford to be on the team. It was an issue when the teams were picked. But to our community's credit, somebody would always step up.

 

[HighPointDawg]

Nashville RBI

I am very much involved in the programs in Nashville, St. Louis, NY and San Juan (yes even they have stopped playing as kids).. MLB is trying to revive the popularity of the sport with young black kids but as others have pointed out it takes a lot of organization and DADS which don't exist in inner-cities. We are building free fields to play on and helping to organize teams and teach..

I think I posted on this before and was bashed for being racist but the facts are (and i've talked to THOUSANDS of kids) the rock star thug appeal of the NBA and, to a lesser extent NFL, draws these kids to want to excel in those sports more than Baseball.. they consider baseball boring until they have really learned it and due to the cost and organization needed for baseball they just aren't learning it.

 

[BriantheDawg]

That is a total ******** argument. If black kids' families can afford to send them to camps and support their travel teams in basketball, they could support them in baseball too. More black kids grow up playing basketball. More white kids - baseball. It's just the way it has become. It doesn't cost anymore to play baseball than it does basketball. Travel teams included.

Now golf is a total different story, but baseball? An elitist sport? That is total ********.

 

[BriantheDawg]

in the middle of an inner city? You can throw up a bball court pretty much anywhere. That's a size issue, not money issue. And besides, how many inner cities are there in MS? One?

 

[BriantheDawg]

[No message]

 

[HammerOfTheDogs]

I'm just going on what I saw when i was growing up. Parents would go nuts and make asses of themselves at little League games, but by the time they got to Senior League (15-18) or American Legion, the kids pretty much had to get to the games themselves.

Mississippi High School severely limit the number of games a team can play, and I think that keeps Mississippi baseball players from reaching their full potential. I can understand not playing too much in football, but in baseball there are always several high school teams you can play within a very short distance of campus during the week, and the players won't lose any classroom time. Instead of limiting them to, 30 games (?), let them play two or three during the week as well as a Friday/Saturday series. If they were able to play 50 HS games a year, and also play 20-30 American Legion games, the players would be better developed and we'd have more HS prospects in Mississippi. According to the MHSAA,</p>

One (1) game may be played during the school week (school week defined as the start of the school day on Mondaythrough the end of the school day on Friday), with the exception of spring break. A school may participate in two games during the school week if one game is a tournament. A total of five (5) games may be played during the calendar week(calendar week defined as Monday through Sunday). A double header counts as two games played and every tournament game played counts as a game played.</p>

Why not let them play more than one game a week, provided the kids don't miss school? Why not let them play 4 or 5 games during Spring Break?</p>

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

youth soccer in America could be considered an elitist sport as well. Lots and lots and lots of travel, as we are finding out this upcoming soccer season.

 

[futaba.79]

but you're right that the MHSAA needs to restructure the season and allow more regular season games. Won't happen though because of fuel costs.

As for parents, there are still plenty of idiots out there, but baseball parents support their kids. Today's parents, in general, are all up in their kids business, supporting them to the point they can't do anything for themselves. I see it everyday.

 

[patdog]

but you're right that the MHSAA needs to restructure the season and allow more regular season games. Won't happen though because of fuel costs.

The MHSAA recently reduced the allowable games for all sports other than football by 10%, supposedly to save fuel costs. </p>

 

[dawgstudent]

that the majority of those in the inner city are black. Therefore, they don't play baseball. I'm saying that's part of the problem. Also, baseball you need a team. Basketball, you can practice by yourself.

 

[Optimus Prime 4]

hell, even private schools typically had teams ten years before public schools in a lot of places.

Which is strange, because it's an everyman's game in the rest of the world.

 

[dawgstudent]

everything is usually paid with a very minimal out of pocket expense. Your summer league baseball on the other hand is not.

 

[dawgstudent]

http://sixpackspeak.yuku.com/sreply/41709/t/Ron-Polk-on-Latino-players-per-WSJ-.html

 

[BriantheDawg]

who is sponsoring these AAU teams? These kids parents dont come out of pocket for any of that? And is the reason that summer league baseball teams are not sponsored by whomever (like AAU is) is because the white kids parents have the money and dont need sponsoring? Maybe I am just a little naive here....

And also, if Im a black parent whose son is talented and want my son to travel around while he is young and dont want to pay for anything, why would I encourage him to play anything other than basketball? I mean, if it is free, why pay to do something else? And if what you are saying is true, then no freaking wonder the ratios are what they are.

 

[dawgstudent]

I read a few years ago and my facts could be completely off but I think it's pretty much true. Why do you think these AAU basketball coaches are getting in trouble?

 

[DerHntr]

And if what you are saying is true

DS said it ... it is true. Now C34...not so sure.

 

[patdog]

Suffice it to say that basketball recruiting is twice as dirty as all other NCAA sports combined. And AAU is at the heart of it.

 

[jakldawg]

They yell at the umps and make fools of themselves over a little league game.

 

[BriantheDawg]

Maybe college baseball needs to start pointing the finger at AAU then. If kids can go play and get treated like royalty at such an early age by these AAU teams and college boosters are footing the bills in hopes that 5-star stud Joe Blow comes to play ball for such and such college, again, it is no wonder that there arent too many black kids playing baseball. Why would they? I still say youth baseball isnt or is not becoming an elitist sport. Just because white kids play it, doesnt make it elitist.

And one more thing, DS, why is it that every time I hit my apostrophe button, does it take me to the quick find search bar? Yuku I guess? Anything I can do to fix it?

 

[MadDawg.sixpack]

even before this thread.

 

[DerHntr]

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[dawgstudent]

[No message]