Adam Jones on MLB's lack of Kaepernick protest: 'Baseball is a white man's sport'

[SeaBird]

Saw this on Bleacher Report and the article is in today's USA Today.

I was surprised to read the numbers in the article:

?We already have two strikes against us already,?? Baltimore Orioles All-Star center fielder Adam Jones told USA TODAY Sports, ?so you might as well not kick yourself out of the game. In football, you can?t kick them out. You need those players. In baseball, they don?t need us.

?Baseball is a white man?s sport.??

Indeed, African Americans comprise 68% of the player population in the NFL, and 74% in the NBA. That number is just 8% in baseball, with only 69 African-Americans on the opening-day rosters and disabled lists this season.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/columnist/bob-nightengale/2016/09/12/adam-jones-orioles-colin-kaepernick-white-mans-sport/90260326/

[Spy Fox]

He's right and it's one of the biggest problems facing baseball's future.

[Danielos38]

:clap3:

Fantastic Jones quotes in there. We're lucky to have him.

[pwhite]

Great article. I'm so glad Adam is an Oriole.

[DirtyBird]

Baseball is a white man's sport because black kids in the U.S. choose to play football and basketball. That is what black culture glorifies in music, movies and tv.

It is not because of any injustice against aspiring black baseball players.

If black kids in this country played baseball the same way they do in latin american, we would see similar %'s of black players in MLB as in the NFL and NBA.

[Aristotelian]

I know we are not supposed to talk politics on the board. I will just say AJ is a great Oriole, a true leader on and off the field.

[Pheasants]

Hispanics are the fastest growing (and currently larger than the black population) section of the American population. How many play baseball compared to football and basketball? Maybe it's they who are in future trouble.

[Can_of_corn]

Baseball is a white man's sport because black kids in the U.S. choose to play football and basketball. That is what black culture glorifies in music, movies and tv.

It is not because of any injustice against aspiring black baseball players.

If black kids in this country played baseball the same way they do in latin american, we would see similar %'s of black players in MLB as in the NFL and NBA.

Travel league players have a huge advantage.

It is expensive to be a travel league player.

[DirtyBird]

Travel league players have a huge advantage.

It is expensive to be a travel league player.

And how is that different from AAU basketball? It's because the shoe companies sponsor AAU basketball teams.

Why do shoe companies sponsor AAU bball teams? Because blacks spend a lot of their disposable income on shoes.

[Can_of_corn]

I'm just going to go ahead and put this here.

If anyone hasn't read it I strongly suggest they do.

http://theundefeated.com/features/andrew-mccutchen-in-the-country-of-baseball/

[Can_of_corn]

Jay Z is arguably the most famous rapper in the world and one of the things he's associated with the most is a Yankee hat. "I made the Yankee hat more famous than a Yankee can". Baseball is a part of what we culture or stereotype to which you're referring.

The numbers are down because, typically, kids from these neighborhoods don't come from families that can support their child traveling year round to play baseball. How many financially underprivileged kids do you see playing travel hockey/lacrosse/soccer?

Baseball also doesn't offer full scholarships to student athletes.

Many factors are in play.

[baltimore_chop]

You hit it right on the head CoC. It's a lot more expensive to play baseball competitively here in the states. It's more expensive to build and maintain a diamond in low income communities. You'll almost never see a golf course, a hockey rink, or good swimming facilities because of the same issue of cost (Lacrosse somewhat falls in the same bracket). It's a lot cheaper to play basketbal or football.

[Redskins Rick]

And how is that different from AAU basketball? It's because the shoe companies sponsor AAU basketball teams.

Why do shoe companies sponsor AAU bball teams? Because blacks spend a lot of their disposable income on shoes.

Travel league for baseball players, do not have sponsor money, and its an age before they hit college age.

When your little Johnny's travel team travels to Des Monies for the little league world series playoffs, that comes out of your pocket.

[osfan83]

You hit it right on the head CoC. It's a lot more expensive to play baseball competitively here in the states. It's more expensive to build and maintain a diamond in low income communities. You'll almost never see a golf course, a hockey rink, or good swimming facilities because of the same issue of cost (Lacrosse somewhat falls in the same bracket). It's a lot cheaper to play basketbal or football.

Not disagreeing with this...but what explains the much higher percentage of African-American players in MLB during the 1970's?

[Redskins Rick]

Not disagreeing with this...but what explains the much higher percentage of African-American players in MLB during the 1970's?

Basketball and Football wasn't as popular as they are now.

Wasn't that many travel team when i grew up, we had rec leagues, and that was it.

Now, you have almost semi-pro level of amateur little league teams, and the equipment costs, high end bats, gloves, etc, shoes, is so much more involved, then when I played ball.