SI: Manfred Insists on More Minority Management

[TonySoprano]

I guess Baker was their token minority interview.

Considering their first manager was Frank Robinson, you may want to cut the Lerners some slack.

[weams]

Considering their first manager was Frank Robinson, you may want to cut the Lerners some slack.

I think Frank Robinson is great.

[Redskins Rick]

Considering their first manager was Frank Robinson, you may want to cut the Lerners some slack.

Sorry, with all due respect, Frank has not a dang thing to do with this.

Baseball is close to having 30 teams and no minority head coaches.

Manfred said:

we are focused on the need to promote diversity, not just African-American, but Latino, as well, in the managerial ranks."

Sorry, but it's my opinion, interviewing a past manager, is not really an example of trying to follow the intent of the MLB.

[paulcoates]

How many black candidates are there? Who are they?

[Redskins Rick]

How many black candidates are there? Who are they?

Manfred is also wanting diversity and Latino too.

[DrungoHazewood]

Baseball is close to having 30 teams and no minority head coaches.

Baseball has as many head coaches as they do defensive line coaches.

[mdbdotcom]

How many black candidates are there? Who are they?

Given the spate of white ballplayers who have been given managing jobs recently without the benefit of any managing experience, any retired ballplayer is, or should be, a candidate.

[MemorialStadKid]

"Better looking numbers" are symbolism over substance. There, I said it. What is the definition of what "better looking numbers" are? Does three cut it? Five? Ten?

I understand the wrongs of the past, but I don't believe there is an owner today that wouldn't hire a minority candidate. The Calvin Griffiths are dead and excoriated decades ago. BTW, Mr. Manfred, team ownership has been a far more exclusive club than the field manager. The focus should be getting more minorities playing the game and into the stands.

I look forward to the day when we don't care what the "better looking numbers" are because they have become irrelevant. On that day, we will stop putting people into categories and simply focus on who is the most qualified for the job.

The problem is that there's been - and still exists - a kind of old school network of owners and upper management who, by virtue of association, don't have or know any candidates of color unless they're introduced via programs or because MLB has gone out of their way to identify a suitable diverse candidate.

I remember looking through the Orioles media guide last year and outside of a couple of on-field coaches, I didn't see a single African-American anywhere in the Orioles front office. I do not believe the Orioles' management is "racist" but I do know from experience that it is relatively easy to cut out people of color simply because it's not something an all-White upper-class staff thinks about much. Whites in general do not have to consider how forces of institutionalized racism play out in society. That's a part of privilege.

The antiquated hyper-conservative notion that only qualified people get hired only seems to work against increasing diversity and is never mentioned when fraternity brothers hire each other or the son or nephew of an owner's best friend gets hired or when members of country clubs only refer their friends and family for these types of gigs.

It's only when we wish to increase the percentage of people of color that the term "qualified" gets thrown into the mix.

MSK

[DrungoHazewood]

The problem is that there's been - and still exists - a kind of old school network of owners and upper management who, by virtue of association, don't have or know any candidates of color unless they're introduced via programs or because MLB has gone out of their way to identify a suitable diverse candidate.

I remember looking through the Orioles media guide last year and outside of a couple of on-field coaches, I didn't see a single African-American anywhere in the Orioles front office. I do not believe the Orioles' management is "racist" but I do know from experience that it is relatively easy to cut out people of color simply because it's not something an all-White upper-class staff thinks about much. Whites in general do not have to consider how forces of institutionalized racism play out in society. That's a part of privilege.

The antiquated hyper-conservative notion that only qualified people get hired only seems to work against increasing diversity and is never mentioned when fraternity brothers hire each other or the son or nephew of an owner's best friend gets hired or when members of country clubs only refer their friends and family for these types of gigs.

It's only when we wish to increase the percentage of people of color that the term "qualified" gets thrown into the mix.

MSK

You have little to go on for most candidates. They either have no MLB managerial experience (unknown), only MiLB experience (may actually be counter-productive in dealing with players) , or they've been fired from a MLB job. So "qualified" is a judgment call. How did the White Sox know Robin Ventura was qualified? How did the O's know Dave Trembley was? Is Hal McRae? He has experience, but got fired after his teams were bad. You end up going with guys who make you comfortable, who are often people you know or your peer group recommends.

[TonySoprano]

It's only when we wish to increase the percentage of people of color that the term "qualified" gets thrown into the mix.

MSK

Bull. That's not why I cited that word, and I don't appreciate your implication otherwise.

[osfan83]

The problem is that there's been - and still exists - a kind of old school network of owners and upper management who, by virtue of association, don't have or know any candidates of color unless they're introduced via programs or because MLB has gone out of their way to identify a suitable diverse candidate.

I remember looking through the Orioles media guide last year and outside of a couple of on-field coaches, I didn't see a single African-American anywhere in the Orioles front office. I do not believe the Orioles' management is "racist" but I do know from experience that it is relatively easy to cut out people of color simply because it's not something an all-White upper-class staff thinks about much. Whites in general do not have to consider how forces of institutionalized racism play out in society. That's a part of privilege.

The antiquated hyper-conservative notion that only qualified people get hired only seems to work against increasing diversity and is never mentioned when fraternity brothers hire each other or the son or nephew of an owner's best friend gets hired or when members of country clubs only refer their friends and family for these types of gigs.

It's only when we wish to increase the percentage of people of color that the term "qualified" gets thrown into the mix.

MSK

And this is why the longer term fix is to get more minority ownership. MLB can set any interview rules that they want, but you are still going to have people hiring people they know/trust/associate with. If MLB or any league wants to better address the issue, they should start courting wealthy minorities now, to get them interested in purchasing teams that might be on the market over the next 5-10 years.

[Phantom]

And this is why the longer term fix is to get more minority ownership. MLB can set any interview rules that they want, but you are still going to have people hiring people they know/trust/associate with. If MLB or any league wants to better address the issue, they should start courting wealthy minorities now, to get them interested in purchasing teams that might be on the market over the next 5-10 years.

The interview rules can actually work, since "buzz" will actually get you on a short list, and one of the way to get buzz is through interviews. This is how Mike Singletary got hired to be an NFL coach.

I wish there were a better way, since being forced to have interviews with someone is never ideal, but overcoming systemic bias is really difficult.

[MemorialStadKid]

Bull. That's not why I cited that word, and I don't appreciate your implication otherwise.

Real talk, I'm not accusing you of a damn thing. This is my direct response to the issue at hand. I always hear this kind of thing bandied about in regards to diversity.

I, too, prefer that a person who is best suited to be hired be the one that gets the job. Sadly, in many places in our society, jobs go to friends, frat cohorts, sons, daughters, etc., who often only get by on nepotism - which is in itself an unofficial "program" rewarding the unqualified.

Bottom line: I'm not calling you a racist if that's where you were going with this.

MSK

[DrungoHazewood]

I, too, prefer that a person who is best suited to be hired be the one that gets the job. Sadly, in many places in our society, jobs go to friends, frat cohorts, sons, daughters, etc., who often only get by on nepotism - which is in itself an unofficial "program" rewarding the unqualified.

While that certainly goes on, I think it's usually a lot less insidious than that. It's like my situation. I got out of college with an engineering degree, I was fully qualified for a technical position, just hadn't found a job on graduation. I go to my Dad and say "you work in an engineering management job for the federal gov't, do you have any suggestions?" And he says "why don't you try calling X, Y, and Z, and maybe they know of someone who is hiring." I call up X, he refers me to some other guy, and I get an interview, then an entry-level engineering job. That indirectly led to the job I'm in 20+ years later, but wouldn't have if I hadn't done a good job after I got hired. While I had a degree from a good university in a technical position, I understand that part of the reason I am where I am today is that my father had contacts and it's possible that his reputation helped separate me from whatever other applicants the company had. I think that's not totally unlike the process by which you get MLB GMs and managers who are primarily white guys, often who used to play MLB.

[sportsfan8703]

Isn't this easy to see why it's happening? Less black players leads to less black former players that get into coaching. Here's a list of all the coaching staff in baseball.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/List_of_current_Major_League_Baseball_coaching_staffs

There's just not that many black people in baseball anymore.