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

[weams]

I would die to know how many black posters are on this board. Not many I presume.

I think it is equivalent to society.

[Rene88]

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

Not many sports can a player with a far right background (Luke Scott) make monkey jokes at a black player (Felix Pie) and throw seeds at him and many mark it up as "good fun".

Those people are living in denial and partially explains why this nation is so divided.

I love baseball but indeed, the cultures and history are from rural America.

That doesn't mean we can't make things better for everyone.

[LookitsPuck]

I must honestly say, I'm impressed by this thread. I read the article on WJZ Facebook page and the comments were disgusting. Here's to civil conversation. I love OH.

I was impressed, too. Granted we generally have more respectful here comparatively speaking. But I am impressed by the civil conversation. Facebook comments are disgusting.

[dscola]

Black guy here. I don't post much because I hate analytics. But I love my O's

[glenn__davis]

Travel league players have a huge advantage.

It is expensive to be a travel league player.

I'm not convinced that travel baseball makes you a significantly better player. I agree that the perception is there though, and so ultimately I do agree with your point.

[dscola]

I was impressed, too. Granted we generally have more respectful here comparatively speaking. But I am impressed by the civil conversation. Facebook comments are disgusting.

They truly are.

[weams]

I must honestly say, I'm impressed by this thread. I read the article on WJZ Facebook page and the comments were disgusting. Here's to civil conversation. I love OH.

Me too. Thanks to all of you.

[Rene88]

They truly are.

How many are actually real people I wonder? Lol

Edit: wait, I don't want to know

[Can_of_corn]

I'm not convinced that travel baseball makes you a significantly better player. I agree that the perception is there though, and so ultimately I do agree with your point.

It certainly can significantly raise a player's profile.

[MemorialStadKid]

I would die to know how many black posters are on this board. Not many I presume.

I am African-American and I know a few others who are although I will not say their names until they identify themselves as that's their right.

I grew up on 33rd street on the corner of Westerwald in the middle of the Waverly neighborhood right down the block from the old Memorial Stadium. My area was racially mixed, like 55% Black, 45% White.

As kids, we had access to large baseball fields and had several recreation centers in the general community between the fields behind Eastern High School and City College High School as well as Mervo and Lake Montebello. So I grew up playing baseball because it was around us and we had access to equipment.

So I moved to West Baltimore later in my life and the kids around there only had basketball courts except for the baseball field at Carver High School around the Fulton and Monroe Ave communities. So while there was interest in baseball, the problem was access to equipment and having enough fields for us to play upon.

AJ is pretty much right to highlight the strange and hypocritical criticism that exists whenever African-Americans choose to exercise their constitutional right to protest.

I'm also deeply appreciative that the OH conversation on this topic hasn't devolved into the typical racist nonsense you see on comment threads and message board.

God Bless...

MSK

[SilentJames]

You all do realize that not all black people are poor, right?

Well yes, but we are discussing structural and general changes in the American urban landscape over the last 50 or so years that have made baseball, rather inaccessible for many young people. Media plays a large part in it as society influences media while at the same time media influences society.

Bottom line is Jones is not wrong, players in New York or San Fran might be able to get away with it, but not in Baltimore. See the Ravens' crowd reaction to a video message about 9-11 (NINE FREAKING ELEVEN) yesterday.

[MemorialStadKid]

How many are actually real people I wonder? Lol

Edit: wait, I don't want to know

A few years back, I found an article online regarding far-right-wing/extreme racist commenting on major websites and the author claimed that many of the commenters are actually paid by right wing blogs and Fox News to repeat the same hurtful and hateful rhetoric whenever certain topics were covered.

The point is to derail meaningful conversation by engaging forward-thinking people in pointless diatribes. I've been trying to track down that article for years now and I haven't been able to find it. It's a great way to stop the race-baiters.

MSK

[SilentJames]

They truly are.

Which pretty much proves Jones' ENTIRE BLASTED POINT.

White America: Black people should protest in non-disruptive ways

Black Athletes: Well I am choosing to quietly sit down by myself

White America: NOT LIKE THAT EITHER!

[Sessh]

I find it interesting that the article is about Kaepernick protesting about racial inequalities in the US. I only see Adam's comments as a cop out. Does he really think that if he kneeled, he would get kicked out of baseball

or disciplined unfairly? Even if he was, does he not know how many people would be behind him both on the team and in the stands? It would be catastrophic for any baseball team to do that. If it's what you believe, then

kneel. I have my own reasons of protest for not recognizing the anthem for many years now and Kaepernick's cause was already part of an already high hill of reasons that I'm certainly not scared to show in public either.

I don't stand and I change the channel when it plays on TV until it's over, but I'm not about to go into any of those reasons here.

The discussion here has almost nothing to do with that and everything to do with there not being enough black people in baseball which is really just another way to say there's too many white people in baseball. Are there

also too many black people in football? Basketball? Is it a problem? Why does everything have to be racial and why is it an issue of racial inequality that black players choose to play other sports for whatever reasons? Is it

also racial inequality in football and basketball? It is discouraging to me that this is what everyone chooses to focus on here and not the meat of the issue as to why Kaepernick and many others are doing what they are

doing. It's a shame.

Adam's comments about how the game doesn't need black people is absurd. There are black people in the game not only from the US but from the DR as well and many very talented players at that. There will always be

black people in the game as there should be, but if they choose to play other sports for whatever reason, what's the problem with that? Why is it a problem and if it is, is it also a problem in the NFL and NBA?

[jjnono]

Not so much equipment, but all I need is a ball and a lot and hands and I can play some simulacrum of football on my own. Baseball requires specific equipment, and large spaces. As it was also said earlyier, colleges don't give free rides for baseball anymore. Colleges don't recruit in city baseball programs, and the type of transformational money is just not in baseball.

Is that related to Title IX? I went to Cal from '84-'88. Not all, but the vast majority of players on the baseball team were receiving scholarships, was my recollection... Maybe 4-6 walk-ons to fill out the squad.... My memory is a poor thing, so I could be wrong about that.