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

[Can_of_corn]

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.

Not sure the whys and hows but from what I understand baseball scholarships are of the partial scholarship variety.

[DirtyBird]

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.

But why is the change always credited towards some external force rather than consequences of internal choices/decisions and cultural changes?

[weams]

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?

I think Adam has a very informed viewpoint on the situation.

[DirtyBird]

Remember playing catch with your dad? Remember when your dad took you to your first baseball game? Remember when your dad talked to you about the baseball stars of his childhood years?

Well, in 1970, about 30% of blacks were born to single mothers. Since 1990, that number has been in the 70% range.

Could that have something to do with the declined interest in baseball among black youth?

[Sessh]

I think Adam has a very informed viewpoint on the situation.

Then he should stand up (or kneel down as it were) for what he believes in and stop hiding behind cop outs. No one is going to kick him out of the game. If he did kneel, I bet many others would as well. If people are really

this afraid to stand up for what they believe, then the US has fallen further away from freedom than I thought. He should kneel if he feels so strongly about it. Others would follow.

[MemorialStadKid]

But why is the change always credited towards some external force rather than consequences of internal choices/decisions and cultural changes?

Much of what has altered urban American (not just African-Americans) was the result of external political and economic forces like congressional redlining of districts, direct and deliberate residential segregation by city councils and state legislatures with federal knowledge, openly racist housing and schooling policies that were enacted during the Jim Crow Era which were in effect from the late 19th century through the early 1970s (defacto).

There's a fantastic book about how these things affected Baltimore:

Not in My Neighborhood: How Bigotry Shaped a Great American City

https://www.amazon.com/Not-My-Neighborhood-Bigotry-American/dp/1566638437

If you're not aware of the racial and political histories of American cities or literally don't understand how much of a political-economic force anti-Black racism is/was, I strongly recommend that book.

MSK

[Spy Fox]

But why is the change always credited towards some external force rather than consequences of internal choices/decisions and cultural changes?

Just as a philosophical perspective, a big reason is that the task of totally untangling "internal" and "external" forces ranges from pretty difficult to totally impossible depending on the situation. Also, the internal choices available to some are significantly different than the internal choices available to others.

[weams]

Remember playing catch with your dad? Remember when your dad took you to your first baseball game? Remember when your dad talked to you about the baseball stars of his childhood years?

Well, in 1970, about 30% of blacks were born to single mothers. Since 1990, that number has been in the 70% range.

Could that have something to do with the declined interest in baseball among black youth?

No. I don't think so. I think that it is a hard game to play, it takes great organization. And there are 700 folks who make a living at it. Well, there are a few good Asian contracts also.

[Can_of_corn]

Remember playing catch with your dad? Remember when your dad took you to your first baseball game? Remember when your dad talked to you about the baseball stars of his childhood years?

Well, in 1970, about 30% of blacks were born to single mothers. Since 1990, that number has been in the 70% range.

Could that have something to do with the declined interest in baseball among black youth?

My dad was too busy working to do much of that.

He did drive me around for one year of little league. But if a bus or subway had been a viable option...

[Aristotelian]

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.

I think what AJ was getting at is that NFL by policy does not require players to stand. His theory, which may or may not be true, is that this is because NFL is a majority black league. This is clearly wrong in the case of NBA, which is has a majority of black players and has suspended players such as Chris Jackson for refusing to stand. I think AJ is saying he believes MLB would suspend players who don't stand. Anyone know if MLB has a policy either way?

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

I agree with you, some of AJ's remarks are clearly off the cuff and not very articulate. Also agree that AJ as well as the board are confusing two issues that are mostly separate. Still, I am glad AJ is trying to contribute to the national conversation instead of pretending it doesn't exist.

[weams]

Then he should stand up (or kneel down as it were) for what he believes in and stop hiding behind cop outs. No one is going to kick him out of the game. If he did kneel, I bet many others would as well. If people are really

this afraid to stand up for what they believe, then the US has fallen further away from freedom than I thought. He should kneel if he feels so strongly about it. Others would follow.

I Think Adam has a better perspective on this than you or I.

[gtown]

Not sure the whys and hows but from what I understand baseball scholarships are of the partial scholarship variety.

The reason is that football has 85 scholarships. Absurd considering that it would be quite easy to carry enough players to field a team with plenty of reserves with 50 scholarships and 20-30 walkons.

Baseball is like most non-football/basketball sports. The scholarship limit for baseball is 11.7, meaning that either partial scholarships or walkons are needed to fill a roster.

Why does football have 85? Yes football is popular and generates a lot of money, but that's not the primary reason. The driving forces there are the elite schools, Alabama, Ohio State et al., who want the ability to hoard players rather than see players of that talent get scholarships to Utah State or Tulane. The rich want to stay rich and the power schools have a lot of clout.

[LookitsPuck]

Then he should stand up (or kneel down as it were) for what he believes in and stop hiding behind cop outs. No one is going to kick him out of the game. If he did kneel, I bet many others would as well. If people are really

this afraid to stand up for what they believe, then the US has fallen further away from freedom than I thought. He should kneel if he feels so strongly about it. Others would follow.

Kaepernick is getting destroyed in the media and from NFL "fans". Hell, you have NFL executives destroying him. It's disgusting. A bunch of thin skinned jerks that don't realize that civil discourse is what this country is founded on.

[25 Nuggets]

Salute to all the African American posters here. I am only "European American" though - a son of German, Polish, Irish, and Welsh immigrants.

One thing about all of this being brought to the forefront... what about this rapidly growing population of "Latin American" people? I hear a surprisingly small amount of anything on the life of that race in the US. Yet, including foreign-born players, we have almost 30% of players coming from that origin.

[Rene88]

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

I always appreciate your posts sir. Despite the attacks on here (as I and many others have experienced), you tell it like it is and respect you and your posts even if I don't agree 100% of the time.

Good to hear from you sir.