Transcribed

The Changing Face of American Baseball

The Changing Face Of AMERICAN BASEBALL After reaching a peak in the 1980s, the percentage of African-American Major League baseball players has steadily declined. Structural and economic issues may account for some of the drop. Black youths choosing between sports will find that baseball is more expensive and usually only offers partial college scholarships, while football and basketball scholarships promise to cover the entire cost of rising college tuition. SAME PERCENTAGE OF MAJOR LEAGUE BLACK PLAYERS NOW AS IN THE 1950s Percent of Major League baseball players who were black, 1947-2012 African American I Latino I Asian White Jackie Robinson was the first black player in the Major League, making his debut with the Brooklyn Dodgers in 1947. By 1948, the Brooklyn Dodgers and the Cleveland Indians had integrated. That same year, the Negro National League, which was founded in 1920, folded. More than 150 former Negro League players were integrated into organized baseball by the end of the 1952 season. The Negro American League, formed in 1937, disbanded after the 1962 season. 100% 80% 60% 40% 20% 0% DISPARITY STARTS EARLY AND CONTINUES Racial gaps in Little League and college baseball persist into the Major League. African American I Latino Asian I Other 2013 Little League World Series 2011-2012 NCAA baseball players 2012 Major League baseball players IT'S EXPENSIVE TO PLAY BASEBALL Player fees for youth sports vary across the country, but basic equipment for basketball and football is cheaper than for baseball. MORE SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE FOR OTHER SPORTS NCAA scholarships available per school Bat $279.99 118 Full scholarships available Glove Partial scholarships available $79.99 Average team size Batting glove 85 $19.99 Pants $10.99 Helmet $59.99 34 Cleats Equipment included for football: shoes, $75; mouthguard, $8.99; pads, $189.99; gloves, $39.99 Equipment included for basketball: Shoes, $95 15 $29.99 13 11.7 All prices based on bestsellers in each category from SportsAuthority.com. Football Basketball Baseball Sources: ScholarshipStats.com, NCAA, SportsAuthority.com, Society for American Baseball Research, Little League, Institute for Diversity and Ethics in Sport, NegroLeagueBaseball.com, BlackBaseball.com Photos: Getty, Associated Press THE HUFFINGTON POST Baseball $480.94 Football $313.97 Basketball $95 1957 1963 1967 696 1981 1983 | 1985 1987 686L 6661 2001 2003 2005 2007 6007 2011

The Changing Face of American Baseball

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Jackie Robinson broke Major League baseball's color barrier in 1947, but in the past few years, the percentage of African-American players on the field has dipped to Civil Rights-era numbers. One reas... on the number of black Major League players has steadily declined since the 1990s may be economic barriers to the sport, along with lack of college scholarships available in baseball, as college tuition costs rise and the racial wealth gap expands. Major League player LaTroy Hawkins pointed out: “In baseball, you need all of the equipment -- glove, bat, spikes. [Basketball] all you need is a pair of tennis shoes. You don’t take that for granted, but a majority of kids have a pair of tennis shoes that they wear to school.” Elite youth baseball players also often join travel teams, supposedly upping their chances of making the big leagues, and adding to the cost.

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The Huffington Post

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alissascheller